This rat study found that vanillic acid and vitamin C together reduced damage from DEHP (a common plastic chemical found in cosmetics and personal care products). When rats were exposed to DEHP alone, they showed decreased sperm quality, lower antioxidant levels, and reproductive hormone disruption—but vanillic acid and vitamin C supplementation significantly improved these markers.

Researchers exposed adult male rats to DEHP (a plasticizer) alone or combined with vanillic acid and/or vitamin C, then measured sperm quality, hormone levels, and testicular health across the groups.

Funding not disclosed in abstract