Health benefits of vitamin C
What is vitamin C?
Vitamin C is also known as L-ascorbic acid. Vitamin C is important for our body as the latter has many health benefits and Vitamin C is normally water-soluble. Animals can produce their own vitamin C. Our human body cannot produce vitamin C. Fruits and vegetables contain vitamin C. Vitamin C and also be man-made. so, here some information about the health benefits of vitamin C.
Man-made vitamin C is also known as supplements and is obtained in pharmacy or you can even buy in an online store. Therefore, women must consume 75 m of vitamin C daily and for men, it is 90 mg.
List of some foods containing Vitamin C
- Kakadu Plums
- Acerola Cherries
- Rose Hips
- Chili Peppers
- Guavas
- Sweet Yellow Peppers
- Thyme
- Kiwis
- Lemons
- Oranges
- Kiwi
- Spanish
- Strawberries
Importance of vitamin C
To begin with, vitamin C is referred to as an antioxidant. Vitamin C protects the body from free radicals. Free radical causes cells and DNA to change thus leading to cancer. By consuming vitamin C this can be avoided.
Moreover, vitamin C is important for the body’s tissues. The body cannot produce collagen without vitamin C. Collagen is referred to as protein which is found in the human body. It is present in bones, muscles, skin, and as well as tendons.
Collagen is important in building and maintaining:
- healthy bones
- joints
- skin
- digestive tract tissues
Furthermore, vitamin C plays an important role in our immune system. It helps to fight against bacteria, viruses, and pathogens. People having a deficiency of vitamin C can suffer from joint pain. The deficiency of vitamin C can also cause scurvy.
Due to this one can suffer from:
- Joint pain
- Bleeding in gums
- Fatigue
- Problems associated with wound healing
- Depression
- Tooth loss
Intake of vitamin C
Smokers or people who are exposed to smoke need to consume lots of vitamin C. This is because vitamin C will help to diminish the free radicals damage caused by the smoke in the body.
Certain people need to have a high intake of vitamin C and these are as follows:
- Those who do not consume an adequate amount of fruits and vegetables thus leading a restricted diet.
- Some people cannot absorb vitamins and nutrients fully so they need to consume more vitamins C.
- Those suffering from health problems like cancer, kidney disease.
- If you cannot take adequate vitamin C then you can take supplements which are easily available on pharmacy or online store.
Health benefits of vitamin C
Boosting heart health
In the first place, vitamin C helps to boost our heart health by lowering the risk of having heart disease. It keeps arteries flexible. It has been observed that people taking vitamin C have a lower risk of getting cardiovascular disease. One must eat fresh fruits and vegetables to boost heart health.
Strengthening the immune system
Secondly, vitamin C strengthens the body’s immune system. It helps to fight bacteria, viruses, and infections. When someone suffers from cold then the latter must consume vitamin. It is important in reducing the flu. Vitamin C prevents pneumonia and supports tetanus and also helps to reduce lung inflammation.
Vitamin C increases the production of white blood cells which help in the protection of infection. It also helps the white blood cells to function properly as it protects the body from free radicals.
Lowering the risk of cancers
Thirdly, vitamin C acts as an antioxidant. So it prevents damage done by free radicals. It can prevent cancer as well. By doing meta-analysis they have found vitamin C is associated with a lower risk of certain types of tumors in the brain. Another meta-analysis was done and it was found that vitamin C reduced the risk of having lung cancer.
Skin Aging
Additionally, vitamin C helps in skin aging. Vitamin C is an antioxidant. It helps to neutralize free radical substances. Free radical substances are harmful to our body as it causes the stress to the skin and the skin starts aging. By consuming vitamin C this helps in producing collagen that keeps the sin health and delays in skin aging. Vitamin C also prevents wrinkled and skin from becoming dry.
Reduce the risk of chronic disease
Vitamin C helps in reducing the risk of chronic disease by strengthening the natural defense of the body. The antioxidants found in vitamin C helps to aid the immune system in the body by protecting the body against free radical substances. Free radicals as responsible for creating stress which is related to chronic disease. Therefore, you must always take vitamin C as the Katter helps in increasing the antioxidants found in the blood.
Reduce high blood pressure
Nowadays, many people are dying because of high blood pressure. High blood pressure is related to heart disease. Vitamin C lowers blood pressure. By consuming vitamin C it helps in relaxing blood vessels thus reducing blood pressure. Vitamin C supplements diminish systolic blood pressure by 3.8 mmHg. It also diminishes diastolic blood pressure by 1.5 mmHg.
Prevent Uric Acid and Gout
Uric acid is a waste product that is formed by our bodies. It is formed during the breakdown of purine nucleotides. Uric acid passed through the kidney and comes out as urine. A high concentration of uric acid is high in the blood is called hyperuricemia. This causes gout. A person uric becomes too acidic. This can lead to other complications like diabetes, kidney stones, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease.
Symptoms of gout
People suffering from gout must consume vitamin C as it helps in reducing uric acid from the blood. Vegetables, fruits, and supplements containing vitamin C lowered the risk of having gouts. It is important to implement vitamin C in your meal daily.
Aid in iron deficiency
The last but not the least, iron is important for our body as it helps in the production of red blood cells and transporting oxygen throughout the body. Vitamin C reduces the risk of suffering from iron deficiency. It improves the absorption of iron which is poorly absorbed in the body. It is important for those who consume a meat-free diet. Vitamin C is related to anemia. Consuming vitamin c reduces the risk of having anemia. It helps in increasing the iron level in the body.
Meals and recipes for vitamin C
It is very important to include vitamin C in your meal. The following breakfast, lunch, and dinner below will give you some ideas on implementing vitamin C in your meal daily.
Breakfast
Early in the morning, people take orange juice for breakfast. You must avoid orange juice from the shop because it has a high concentration of sugar. It is better that you consume fresh juice.
Morning breakfast can be:
- A smoothie containing plain yogurt, kiwi, and strawberries or oranges.
- Papaya smoothie associated with turmeric.
- Omelet with red and green peppers.
- Take fresh orange juice without sugar. You can add a little honey to it.
Lunch
It is a must to take a healthy lunch so as to avoid tiredness and fatigue.
Lunch can include:
- Green kale salad with spinach, topped with oranges.
- Baked potato with fresh tomato.
- Mix mango and avocado salads.
Dinner
You can include vitamin C in your dinner by including vegetables, meats, fresh fruits, salads associated with freshly squeezed lemon juice.
Dinner can include:
- cooked chicken with fresh lime juice
- cauliflower rice associated with broccoli, garlic, and cheese
- sweet guava chicken
Side Effects of Vitamin C
Not Stored in Body
However, vitamin C cannot be stored in the body as it is water-soluble. Water-soluble normally dissolves in water. Therefore, it cannot be stored in the body. When you intake vitamin C so your body tissue carried it throughout the body and is removed through the urine. The human body cannot produce vitamin C nor store it. Therefore, it is important to consume vitamin C daily.
Whenever you are taking supplements one must be careful as an excess amount can lead to side effects like kidney stones and digestive problems.
Lead to Digestive symptoms
Another side effect of vitamin C is that it can lead to digestive distress. This occurs when you are taking excess of supplements. It does not occur when you consume vegetables or fruits containing vitamin C. It is very important to intake not more than 2000 mg of vitamin C daily as it can lead to diarrhea and nausea. Do not overdose yourself with vitamin C. You can also suffer from acid reflux if you overdose yourself.
Aid Iron Overload
Vitamin C helps in enhancing the absorption of iron in the body. It binds with non-heme iron. Non-heme iron is normally present in plant foods. The latter is not absorbed by the body as compared to heme iron. Heme iron is present in animal products.
When vitamin C bind with non-heme iron so this makes it easier to be absorbed by the body. People suffering from hemochromatosis must be careful from taking vitamin C supplements as it increases iron to accumulate in the body thus leading to damage to the heart, liver, pancreas, and as well as the nervous system.
Lead to kidney stones
Overdose of vitamin C can lead to kidney stones. Excess of vitamin C is removed by our body as a waste product which is known as oxalate. Oxalate goes out through urine. Oxalate can combine with minerals and form kidney stones. Adults must take 1000 mg of vitamin C daily. You must not exceed 1000mg of vitamin C or else you can even have kidney failure.
Summary
To sum up, vitamin C is very important for health. Vitamin C is easily available in fresh fruits and vegetables. It is important to eat a healthy diet i.e. consume a variety of fruits and vegetables in order to remain in good health. Those who want to increase their vitamin C can consume vitamin C daily. When you are taking vitamin C supplements then you must be careful not to overtake excess. Anything taken in excess can lead to side effects. Therefore, it is important to consume with moderation.
So, on the basis of the above details, you will get an idea about the health benefits of vitamin C. If you like my posts then share it and keep commenting and stay tuned for more blogs and for other information about Health benefits of vitamin C Visit our site Healthutsav.com.
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