Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin that is required for growth and development. It dissolves in water and leftover amounts of the vitamin expel from the body through the urine. Although the body keeps a small reverse of these vitamins, they have to be taken regularly to prevent a shortage in the body.
Vitamin C occurs naturally in some foods, mostly in fruits and vegetables.
Why Is Vitamin C Important?
1) Reduce Risk of Chronic disease
Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant which will strengthen your body’s natural defense where antioxidants are a molecule that reinforces the immune system. They do so by protecting the cells from a harmful molecule called free radicals. When free radicals accumulate, they will promote a state referred to as oxidative stress which has been linked to several chronic diseases.
Most of the studies show that consuming more vitamin C can also increase your blood antioxidant level by up to 30% which helps the body’s natural defense against flight inflammation.
2) Manage High Blood Pressure
Approximately one-third of adults suffer from high blood pressure, which puts you at risk of heart disease which is the leading cause of death. Most of the studies show that vitamin C may help lower the vital sign in both those with and without high vital signs. Vitamin C reduced systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure in healthy adults.
In adults who are with high blood pressure, vitamin supplements lower systolic blood pressure by 4.9 mm Hg and diastolic by 1.7 mm Hg. It is also not clear whether the effect of blood pressure is long-term.
3) Reduce Blood Uric acid Levels And Prevent Gout Attacks
Gout may be a sort of arthritis that affects 4% of adults which is painful and involves the inflammation of the joints of the big toes. Those people who have gout experience swelling and severe attacks of pain. Uric acid is the waste product that is produced by our body whereas at a high level it may crystalize and deposit in the joints.
Vitamin C may help reduce uric acid in the blood which protects against gouts. Additionally, Vitamin C supplements over 30 days reduced blood uric acid as well as reduced the risk of gout.
4) Help Prevent Iron Deficiency
Iron is an important nutrient having a variety of functions in the body. It is essential for the formation of red blood cells and transporting oxygen throughout the body. It can improve the absorption of iron from the diet. Vitamin C assists in converting iron that is poorly absorbed which includes plant-based sources of iron into a foam that is easier to absorb. This is useful for people on a meat-free diet as meat may be a major source of iron.
Vitamin C may help to reduce the risk of anemia among people who are prone to deficiency of iron. If you have a low level of iron then it is beneficial for you to consume vitamin C-rich foods that may improve your blood level irons.
5) Boost Immunity
One of the major reasons people take vitamin C is to spice their immunity because it is involved in many parts of the immune system. Vitamin C helps to stimulate the production of white blood cells which are referred to as lymphocytes and phagocytes that protect the body from various infections. Vitamin C aids the white blood cells to function more effectively while protecting them from damage from many harmful molecules like free radicals.
Vitamin C is an essential part of the defense system of the skin as it transported to the skin where it can act as an antioxidant. Most of the studies have also shown that vitamin C shortens wound healing time.
What Are The Side Effects Of Vitamin C?
Side effects of too much vitamin C are very rare because the body cannot store any of the vitamins. An amount greater than 2,000 mg/day is not recommended. High doses can lead to stomach upset and even diarrhea. A large dose of Vitamin C is also not recommended in pregnancy as it leads to the shortage of vitamin C in the baby after delivery.
Side effects of too little vitamin C can lead to some of the sign and symptoms that include;
- anemia
- bleeding gums
- decreased ability to fight against infection
- decreased wound healing rate
- easy bruising
- spitting hair
- gingivitis
- nose bleeds
- rough, dry skin
- weakened tooth enamel
A severe form of deficiency of Vitamin C is known as scurvy which mainly affects older or malnourished adults.
