Vitamin C: Why Is It Important?

Posted by Meld on February 26th, 2021

Vitamin C is an essential water-soluble vitamin for health. It helps build and maintain bones, skin, and blood vessels. Vitamin C is found naturally in some foods, especially fruits and vegetables. Some natural vitamin C supplements are also available in the market for use.

Why Do We Need Vitamin C?

Vitamin C is water-soluble and the body does not store it. To maintain an adequate level of vitamin C, people need to eat foods that contain it every day or they can take natural vitamin C supplements.

The Body Needs Vitamin C for Various Functions such as:

  • To produce collagen, L-carnitine, and certain neurotransmitters and improve wound healing time

  • To lowers the risk of developing cataracts

  • To produce more glutathione levels in body, a main antioxidant

  • To promote healthy skin

  • To help the body to absorb iron

Benefits of Vitamin C

The benefits of vitamin C include the following:

Wound Healing:

  • Vitamin C helps the body produce collagen and is found in the skin, muscles, and other tissues.

  • People with low vitamin C intake may experience slower healing because their bodies will be less able to produce collagen.

Cataracts and Age-Related Macular Degeneration:

  • Vitamin C may help reduce the risk of cataracts and slow down the progression of age-related macular degeneration.

  • Experts believe that oxidative stress may be a major factor for both conditions, so any improvements faced can be due to the antioxidant activity of vitamin C.

Excellent Antioxidant:

  • It is very useful in making glutathione, the body's main antioxidant.

  • This is also the reason why when someone takes vitamin C supplements (1-2g) ahead of time, usually in combination with N-acetylcysteine​​(NAC) it works very well to protect you from alcohol toxicity.

Skin Health:

  • Vitamin C has been shown to promote healthy skin and reduce skin wrinkles.

  • Probably because of its antioxidant properties and the way it helps your body produce collagen.

Better Iron Absorption: 

  • Vitamin C improves your ability to absorb iron from fortified foods and plants.

  • Eating foods high in vitamin C along with foods high in iron, such as a spinach salad with oranges or strawberries, makes this iron more available to your body.

How to Get Vitamin C?

Vitamin C in food is reduced by prolonged storage and destroyed by heat. It is no coincidence that most of the best food sources of C are generally eaten raw.

If you don't eat a lot of fruits and vegetables, natural Vitamin C supplements is a great way to give your body the vitamin it needs. Although water-soluble Vitamin C does not need dietary fat for metabolism, dividing it between breakfast and lunch can optimize absorption and keep its levels high throughout the day.

Source: Vitamin C: Why Is It Important?

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Meld

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Meld
Joined: February 26th, 2021
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