During these Covid-19 times, everybody is consuming Vitamin C, but only a few know the benefits of it. And, fewer know about sources of Vitamin C. So, before knowing about the health benefits of Vitamin C, let me give you a brief about it.
Vitamin C is a vitamin that is widely known to boost immunity. Vitamin C is water-soluble, therefore easily digestible. It does not get stored in our body.
There are many advantages of Vitamin C but the sad part is, our body does not produce it. We need to either eat Vitamin C-rich foods or take supplements. It can be obtained from eating fruits and vegetables. It is a heat-sensitive nutrient, hence the food containing Vitamin C should be less boiled.
There is more useful information about the Vitamin C uses below, but first, let me tell you how the intake of Vitamin C can benefit you.
Contents
- 1 Vitamin C Benefits For Men
- 2 Benefits of Vitamin C Intake
- 2.1 1. Vitamin C Boost Immunity
- 2.2 2. Vitamin C Prevents the Inadequacy of Iron
- 2.3 3. Vitamin C Reduces the Risk of Heart Disease
- 2.4 4. Vitamin C is Effective in Common Cold
- 2.5 5. Vitamin C Benefits in Collagen Synthesis
- 2.6 6.Vitamin C Benefits for Skin
- 2.7 7. Vitamin C Reduces the Risk of Chronic Disease
- 2.8 8. Vitamin C Improves Brain Functionality
- 3 How much Vitamin C is Required?
- 4 What are the Sources of Vitamin C?
- 5 Conclusion
Vitamin C Benefits For Men
An important benefit of Vitamin C for men is that it helps in lowering the levels of uric acid in the blood. Based on studies, it is found that men who consumed Vitamin C regularly have a 44% lower gout risk. Below are some benefits of Vitamin C intake.
Benefits of Vitamin C Intake
1. Vitamin C Boost Immunity
After this corona outbreak, immunity became the priority of every person. And why not, it helps in fighting antigens like viruses and bacteria that are harmful to our body.
Vitamin C is beneficial as it makes our immunity strong by increasing the production of White Blood Cells. These WBCs are responsible for protecting us from harmful infections. Also, Vitamin C safeguard these WBCs from hazardous molecules like free radicles.
A deficiency of Vitamin C can escalate the chances of infections to the person. It may weaken your immunity and you might get sick easily. Thus, it can be said that Vitamin C and immunity have some relation, which should be taken seriously.
2. Vitamin C Prevents the Inadequacy of Iron
Iron is an important mineral for our body that performs vital functions. It helps in making red blood cells, certain hormones and transports oxygen throughout the body. It is essential for the proper growth and development of an individual.
Vitamin C helps in absorbing the iron that is present in our diet. Iron from plant-based foods is hard to absorb, such as nonheme iron. But if you take Vitamin C along with these plants based foods, then your body can absorb more iron. Therefore, it is important to consume Vitamin C along with plant-based iron.
If you consume 100 mg of Vitamin C, then your body can absorb 67% more iron. It also helps in reducing the risk of anemia which affects people with iron deficiency. It is an important benefit of Vitamin C for women, as they generally face the problem of iron deficiency.
3. Vitamin C Reduces the Risk of Heart Disease
Apart from the coronavirus, heart-related diseases are one of the leading causes of deaths in the whole world. The factors responsible for heart diseases are high blood pressure, high cholesterol, low cholesterol, etc. The importance of Vitamin C increases if someone has these problems.
Regular consumption of Vitamin C is beneficial in maintaining BP and reducing the risk of heart diseases. It also helps in managing cholesterol levels.
An analysis found that consuming Vitamin C from food is more beneficial than taking supplements in lowering the risk of heart disease. If you want to improve the health of your heart, then include these heart-healthy foods in your diet.
4. Vitamin C is Effective in Common Cold
As per the studies, it is found that consuming Vitamin C can prevent an ill person from the severity of the disease. But it cannot prevent a person from getting cold at all.
The advantage of Vitamin C is that it minimizes the impact of cold-like symptoms, runny nose, and inflammation. It will help in reducing the duration of the cold.
During this corona period, among so many Vitamin C uses, this is one of the most significant ones. Right?
5. Vitamin C Benefits in Collagen Synthesis
Collagen is a protein that can be found throughout the body and also, formed within the body itself. It plays a critical role in connecting tissues like that of our hair, nails, skin and some organs.
But the collagen production decreases as a person gets older. Vitamin C plays a significant role in collagen synthesis. Vitamin C is a critical factor for the two enzymes that are responsible for collagen synthesis.
This is a problem that majorly occurs when we grow older. This increases the importance of consuming Vitamin C as we become older.
6.Vitamin C Benefits for Skin
There are many Vitamin C benefits for the skin. Along with collagen production, it also helps in the formation of elastin. These proteins make our skin look healthy and glowing.
Another advantage of Vitamin C also helps in lightening the dark spot on our body especially the face. People generally rub their faces or some other parts of their body with the peels of lemon. But, don’t expect the result to be immediate, it‘ll take time.
Another Vitamin C benefit for skin is that it helps in smoothing wrinkles. Based on the research and studies, an individual who consistently intakes Vitamin C looks younger with fewer wrinkles. To look younger, try out these homemade remedies for wrinkles.
7. Vitamin C Reduces the Risk of Chronic Disease
Vitamin C is an antioxidant that boosts the immunity system. These antioxidants can prevent our body from developing some chronic diseases like cancer, heart diseases, etc.
Having said that, it needs more scientific research to be done to say that it is another health benefit of Vitamin C. Nevertheless, by strengthening our immune system, it can be somewhere beneficial.
8. Vitamin C Improves Brain Functionality
Another use of Vitamin C is that it helps in the synthesis of neurotransmitters. They are responsible for sending messages throughout our body from the brain. Higher Vitamin C is also linked with better cognitive function.
It also helps in maintaining our memory and thinking as we grow older. Dementia is a common term that is used for cognitive issues such as poor memory, thinking, difficulty in communication, etc. It usually occurs when we grow older.
A higher level of Vitamin C can reduce the risk of dementia. Thus, the importance of Vitamin C also increases with the age.
After reading the health benefits of Vitamin C, scroll down to read some more important information related to your consumption of Vitamin C.
How much Vitamin C is Required?
After knowing the health benefits of Vitamin C, you should also know how much Vitamin C is required for you. According to the National Institute of Health, the requirement of Vitamin C is different for different age groups:
- Infants 1–3 years require 15 mg
- Children 4–8 years require 25 mg
- Children 9–13 years require 45 mg
- Teens 14–18 years (boys) require 75 mg
- Teens 14–18 years (girls) require 65 mg
- Adults (men) require 90 mg
- Adults (women) require 75 mg
This is the amount of Vitamin C you need to consume every day. If you have a habit of smoking, then add 35mg to your daily requirement.
What are the Sources of Vitamin C?
After knowing so many health benefits of Vitamin C, then everyone should consume it. But, if Vitamin C is not produced internally, then how should it be obtained? Simple by regularly eating fruits and vegetables that are rich in Vitamin C. The amount of Vitamin C that you get from them is also mentioned. The amount is given in mg/100g.
- Orange – 50
- Lemons – 40
- Amla (Indian Gooseberry) – 445
- Strawberries – 60
- Broccoli – 90
- Papaya – 60
- Spinach – 30
- Guava – 100
- Potatoes – 20
- Pineapple – 10
To check the full list, check News Medical’s Sources of Vitamin C
As mentioned above the advantage of Vitamin C is that it is water-soluble in nature and does not store in our body. But sometimes, if a person intakes excessive Vitamin C, then it might get stored in our body. It also increases iron production.
This will lead to various side effects like nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, fatigue, sleepiness, etc. It is recommended that do not consume excessive Vitamin C, and it can be harmful.
Conclusion
These are the benefits of Vitamin C that you might be looking for. Even after the covid-19 period, it is highly recommended to keep on consuming Vitamin C. Regular consumption of Vitamin C can give you benefits like immunity boost, better skin, reduced risk of chronic diseases, more iron absorption, etc.