Vitamin C Benefits

Some of the most common vitamin C benefits you should be aware of are as follows:

Stimulates Collagen Synthesis

Collagen is the most abundant protein in your body. It improves the strength and elasticity of your skin, hair, nails, and connective tissues.

Here, the importance of Vitamin C is that it functions as a cofactor for enzymes involved in collagen synthesis; if they are insufficient in the body, collagen production is hindered.

This ultimately leads to problems such as poor wound healing, bleeding gums, loose teeth, and scurvy.

Iron Absorption

Iron is vital for building red blood cells, carrying oxygen, and avoiding anaemia. Food contains two kinds of iron: haem and non-heme. Haem iron comes from animal products, such as meat, poultry, and fish; your body can absorb it quickly. Non-heme iron comes from plant products, such as beans, lentils, nuts, seeds, and grains, and your body has more difficulty absorbing it.

Vitamin C can help you absorb more non-haem iron by converting it into a more bioavailable form. It also prevents this iron from binding to other substances that can inhibit its absorption, such as phytates, polyphenols, and calcium.

Some examples of foods rich in iron and vitamin C are spinach, kale, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, strawberries, oranges, and grapefruits. Combine foods rich in iron with those rich in vitamin C. For instance, squeeze lemon juice into lentil soup or enjoy a salad with bell peppers and sunflower seeds.

Supports Brain Function

Your brain needs vitamin C to make neurotransmitters. These chemical messengers regulate your mood, memory, learning, and behaviour. Some neurotransmitters that depend on vitamin C are dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine.

Dopamine is linked with motivation and pleasure. Serotonin is involved in happiness, calmness, and sleep. Norepinephrine is associated with alertness, attention, and stress response.

Vitamin C deficiency can impair the synthesis of these neurotransmitters and affect your brain function and mood. Studies have linked vitamin C deficiency to cognitive impairment, depression, and anxiety.

Boost Immunity

Vitamin C lifts immunity by increasing the function and number of white blood cells, antibodies, and interferons. White blood cells are the cells that combat germs and intruders.

Antibodies are the proteins that attach to and deactivate pathogens. Interferons are the molecules that alert your cells to initiate an antiviral response.

Many studies reveal that vitamin C can shorten the term and severity of common colds and possibly prevent or treat other viral and bacterial diseases.

Protection from Oxidative Stress

Oxidative stress happens when your body makes more free radicals than it can eliminate. Free radicals are harmful molecules that can hurt your cells and DNA. Oxidative stress can make you age faster and cause serious ailments, such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and brain disorders.

Vitamin C is a potent antioxidant. This vitamin C advantage for skin shields your cells and DNA from oxidative stress. It destroys free radicals and stops them from harming your cells.

Vitamin C can also make other antioxidants, such as vitamin E, glutathione, and uric acid, and enhance their antioxidant capacity.

Lowers Blood Pressure

Blood pressure is how hard your blood presses on your artery walls, and it depends on many things, such as how fast your heart beats, blood volume, and blood vessel resistance.

High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a condition where your blood pressure is consistently above the normal range, and it can increase your risk of heart attack, stroke, and kidney failure.

Vitamin C lowers your blood pressure, improves your endothelial function by relaxing and dilating your blood vessels, and reduces plaque formation and clots. It also raises the production of nitric oxide, a molecule that regulates your blood vessel tone and blood flow.

Promotes Eye Health

Your eyes need vitamin C to maintain the health of the lens, retina, and cornea and to protect against oxidative damage and inflammation. The lens is the part of your eye that focuses light on the retina, the part of your eye that converts light into nerve signals. The transparent layer of cornea covers the front of your eye and protects it from infection and injury.

Vitamin C can help protect your eyesight from age-related macular degeneration and cataracts, the main reasons older people lose their vision. Cataracts blur the lens, and age-related macular degeneration damages the middle part of the retina.

Some common vitamin C serum side effects include:

• Headaches

• Nausea

• Abdominal Pain

• Sleeping Problems

• Cramps

• Diarrhoea

These side effects are visible if you are taking more than your body requires.

Vitamin C is paramount for your health and well-being. You cannot overlook Vitamin C benefits for hair and skin, as it helps make collagen. It also absorbs iron and produces brain chemicals.

It further strengthens your immune system, fights infections, and shields your cells from damage. Vitamin C also lowers blood pressure, improves blood flow, and prevents clots. It keeps your eyes healthy and vision clear. Vitamin C is a simple but powerful nutrient that you should get enough of.

Although there are many vitamin C serum benefits, they may not be sufficient to protect your overall health. You still need a health insurance policy, supplemented by critical illness insurance.

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What is vitamin C good for?

Vitamin C is excellent for controlling and treating scurvy, boosting immunity, improving heart health, protecting cells from free radicals, and supporting brain health.

Is it good to take vitamin C every day?

It is good to take vitamin C daily as long as you do not exceed the recommended dietary allowance, ranging from 75 to 90 milligrams per day for adults.

Is vitamin C good for the skin?

Vitamin C is good for the skin as it helps with collagen synthesis, wound healing, and reducing inflammation. When applied topically, it may also help treat melasma and facial wrinkles.

Does vitamin C lighten skin?

Vitamin C does not lighten skin but may help fade hyperpigmentation (dark spots) caused by sun damage, acne, or ageing.

How to use vitamin C?

One way to get vitamin C is by consuming foods containing it, such as citrus fruits, berries, broccoli, peppers, and tomatoes. Another option is to take these vitamin supplements in different forms that you can mix with water.

What are the side effects of vitamin C?

The side effects of vitamin C are generally mild and may include gastrointestinal discomfort, headache, trouble sleeping, and flushing of the skin. However, high doses of vitamin C (more than 2,000 milligrams a day for adults) may cause kidney stones, iron overload, or oxidative stress.