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Vitamin C: 5 Amazing benefits of vitamin C
While vitamin C is an essential nutrient, it also provides several extra health benefits that can help in the long run.
Although vitamin C is vital for the body to function properly, our body does not produce it.
It is a water-soluble micronutrient that is found in several fruits and vegetables.
Vitamin C plays multiple roles in the upkeep of our overall wellbeing. Some of the more prevalent sources of the vitamin include:
- Citrus fruits like oranges, lemons and limes
- Leafy green vegetables like spinach and kale
- Peppers
- Strawberries
- Broccoli
- Brussel sprouts
A comprehensive list containing all possible sources of vitamin C can take up a lot of space.
While receiving the necessary amounts of vitamin C from a balanced diet is feasible, many choose to use supplements.
After all, having a balanced diet in this day and age can be a bit of a challenge for the ones with a demanding lifestyle and ones who have difficulty balancing work and out-of-work lives.
Whether you are able to rely on a balanced diet alone or require supplements, be sure that your body receives the following quantity of vitamin C daily:
- For women, 75mg
- For men, 90mg
Without further ado, let us proceed to the benefits bestowed on our bodies by vitamin C.
Vitamin Test
Vitamin C can decrease chronic disease risks
Free radicals are harmful molecules that can originate within the body as a by-product of metabolic processes or from external sources.
External sources of free radicals include air pollutants, industrial chemicals, cigarette smoke, ozone, and radiation like x-ray.
Free radicals tend to collect within the body leading to oxidative stress. Research has found that oxidative stress is associated with multiple chronic diseases.
A 2014 research has found that vitamin C can help defend the body against free radicals and the disease linked to them.
This is due to vitamin C being a powerful antioxidant. The vitamin ups the body’s antioxidant attributes and ability to fend against free radicals by up to 30%.
Vitamin C can help improve immune health
One of the more well-known reasons why people rely on vitamin C supplements is how effective it is at boosting immunity.
Vitamin C promotes the improved function of the immune system by:
- Increasing the production of lymphocytes and phagocytes. These two are white blood cells that defend the body against infection.
- Providing protection to the white blood cells against harm caused by free radicals
- Providing protection to the skin by helping the skin sustain antioxidant defences.
A study has also indicated that vitamin C reduces the time it takes for a wound to heal.
Vitamin C may protect against memory loss
Research shows that dementia impacts more than 35 million people globally.
Dementia refers to when a person becomes afflicted with poor memory and thinking. It is typically seen in older adults.
A 2009 study has found that the risk of dementia increases when inflammation and oxidative stress form around the brain and the rest of the central nervous system.
As discussed in a previous section of this article, vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant. Naturally, vitamin C can help fend off free radicals around the nervous system, thus decreasing the risk of dementia.
A 1998 study shows that high levels of vitamin C can actually prevent memory and cognition loss as a person ages.
It can help reduce the risk of heart disease
The World Health Organization (WHO) states that the leading cause of death globally is heart disease.
And some of the leading causes of heart disease include high cholesterol levels and high blood pressure.
Over the years, multiple studies have found that increased intake of vitamin C can defend the body against these factors and actually reduce the risk of heart disease.
This 2008 study found that high vitamin C intake via supplements can take dramatically reduce the level of LDL cholesterol and triglycerides.
Furthermore, vitamin C also helps with lowering high blood pressure.
It does this by relaxing the blood vessels that are responsible for carrying blood from the heart.
High blood pressure, like high cholesterol levels, can put you at a higher risk of heart disease.
Vitamin C helps the body absorb iron
Iron is an extremely essential nutrient. The body requires it to produce red blood cells as well as for the circulation of oxygen within the body.
Vitamin C assists in the body’s absorption of iron from the food you eat. This is especially true for the iron found in plant-based food.
People who are on a vegan or vegetarian diet can benefit greatly from vitamin C’s effect on the body’s ability to absorb iron.
A study found that vitamin C supplements can improve the absorption of iron by 67%.
Get checked with VIVO Clinic
Other than the Vitamin Profile test, we offer other tests that include a vitamin C check as well.
Get tested at your leisure and find out if your body may be missing any of the missing nutrients.
Essential Health Tests
General Health MOT
£136.00A simple blood test that helps rule out an expansive list of health conditions.
Men’s Health MOT
£196.00The ideal blood test for men that provides an overall view of their general wellbeing.
Women’s Health MOT
£206.00A blood test that covers all the essential areas of overall female health.
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