Vitamin C is essential for good health, but why?
Vitamin C is an essential nutrient that plays an important role in the prevention of cardiovascular disease, cancer, asthma, and other conditions. But why is it so important? What does it do in the body? Let’s take a look at how vitamin C helps your health, including some surprising ways it supports your overall well-being!
Vitamins Defined
We need to get vitamins from the food we eat. For example, it's easy to get vitamin D from milk or vitamin B-12 from eggs. Vitamin C comes mainly from fruit and vegetables such as citrus fruits or kale. We also need a daily dose of this vitamin because it builds our immune system. That's why a diet rich in nutritious foods can help us live healthier lives by preventing us from getting sick often and maintain healthy teeth and bones.
Vitamin C Defined
An organic compound found in foods such as strawberries and peppers, vitamin C is necessary for the synthesis of certain proteins and collagen. Along with its role in healthy skin production, this vitamin is also crucial to maintaining a healthy immune system as it helps create white blood cells that fight infections. Vitamin C has been shown to improve iron absorption from plant-based sources like black pepper or spinach so it's important to be mindful of your diet when supplementing with high doses. In addition, low levels of vitamin C have been linked to an increased risk of chronic diseases including heart disease and stroke. Some studies suggest that people who take over 500 mg per day may have a higher risk of developing kidney stones and urinary tract infections than those who take no supplements at all.
Why Is Vitamin C Important?
There are a lot of reasons to care about getting enough vitamin C in your diet. You probably know that it’s important for building strong teeth and bones, and that it can help with wound healing. But did you know that Vitamin C helps your body absorb iron and other nutrients from plant-based foods like broccoli, cabbage and spinach? Vitamin C also plays an important role in fighting infection by boosting the production of white blood cells. And if that wasn't enough, studies show that people who get their daily dose of Vitamin C feel less tired than those who don't get enough!
Sources of Vitamin C
There are two forms of vitamin C: water-soluble and fat-soluble. The water-soluble form of vitamin C can be found in citrus fruits, broccoli, cabbage, tomatoes, strawberries and grapefruit. The fat-soluble form can be found in plant oils such as olive oil and animal fats. Vitamin C not only plays a vital role in the synthesis of collagen (which helps promote joint cartilage), but it also strengthens your immunity system by stimulating the production of white blood cells which defend against infection. What’s more, studies have shown that people who consume at least 100% of their daily requirement of vitamin C have a 60% lower risk of contracting an upper respiratory tract infection.
Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA)
- Newborns: 40 mg/day
- Children and Adults: 100-200 mg/day
- Athletes should double their intake (for the antioxidant properties)
Vitamin C can be found in citrus fruits, peppers, kiwi fruit, cabbage, broccoli, strawberries and many more.
The human body cannot produce vitamin C on its own so it must be consumed through food or supplements. It also cannot store excess vitamin C so it's important to make sure that you are consuming enough every day.
Some symptoms of vitamin lack of Vitamin C include cracked lips, fatigue and bleeding gums. The kidneys may also develop problems if too much of this nutrient is not consumed.
How Much Vitamin C Should I Take?
The RDA of vitamin C is 60mg a day. You can find vitamin c in food or you can take it as a supplement. Supplements vary in dose, so be sure to check the label and read the directions before taking any. Too much Vitamin C can lead to diarrhea. Taking your dosage with food may help avoid this side effect.
I feel healthier and better equipped to fight off a cold when I am taking my vitamins!
Buying and Storing Supplements
Vitamin C can be purchased in many forms from either the drug store or from the local grocer. The most common form that can be purchased is as an over-the-counter supplement in a pill form. When purchasing these supplements there are a few points to keep in mind: Always make sure the container has not been tampered with and that it hasn't expired. Check the dosages before you buy and never exceed 3,000 mg per day without talking to your doctor first! There are also vitamin supplements that come preloaded with food like oranges or mandarin oranges if you would prefer this method of getting your daily vitamin intake.
Low Level of vitamin C
The following list of serious vitamin C deficiency symptoms will likely scare you into taking more vitamin C. Vitamin C deficiency symptoms can cause the following issues: scurvy which causes severe anemia, bleeding of gums and easy bruising; Scurvy-damaged skin that develops a blue color and then cracks open with little or no injury; A compromised immune system. It is essential to supplement with at least 500mg/day as a safety net in addition to diet. 1000mg/day is recommended if someone has been diagnosed with kidney stones or diabetes. Furthermore, high levels of vitamin C are also recommended if someone has Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis because it prevents bleeding in the GI tract.
Normal Level of Vitamin C
One way of measuring the level of Vitamin C in the body is through a measurement known as your body's serum vitamin C. This refers to the amount of vitamin C found in your blood serum. The normal range for this measurement is 40-80 milligrams per deciliter. Low levels can lead to a number of diseases and illnesses such as scurvy or hypoglycemia.
Higher levels may have some benefits as well, though there are arguments that some people experience toxic levels after consuming 2 grams a day which would be 10 times the normal recommended intake of Vitamin C. What experts seem to agree on most is that higher doses of Vitamin C help keep arteries clean and reduce oxidative stress in cells which can contribute to heart disease and cancer risk.
The role of Vitamin C in the body
The role of Vitamin C in the body is to stimulate growth and repair of tissues and help regulate substances that protect your cells from damage. You can get all the Vitamin C you need by eating fruits like oranges, lemons and limes or drinking fruit juices. There are many benefits of this vitamin including improving your immune system; skin care; building bones, teeth and cartilage; as well as cardiovascular diseases. However, because there is no one source which contains adequate levels of Vitamin C to do all these jobs it's important to supplement your diet with additional sources like citrus fruit or take a multivitamin supplement that includes it.
