Vitamin C is very helpful to health. For example, it may help decrease blood pressure and boost our immune system. Many fruits and vegetables contain Vitamin-C.
Since vitamin C is a necessary nutrient, your body is unable to produce it. Still, it plays a variety of functions and has been related to some important health advantages.
Vitamin-C is water-soluble. Many fruits and vegetables, such as oranges, strawberries, kiwi fruit, bell peppers, broccoli, kale, and spinach, contain Vitamin.
75 mg for women and 90 mg for men is the recommended daily dose of vitamin C
Even though it is generally recommended to get your vitamin-C from food, a lot of people use medicines to make up the difference.
These are seven advantages of vitamin C supplements that have been shown by science.
1. Strong Antioxidants in Vitamin C
Vitamin C contains Strong Antioxidants which boost immune system in body. Antioxidants protect body by harmful molecular radicals. Free radicals have been linked to numerous chronic diseases by accruing and helping oxidative stress.
According to studies, increasing vitamin-C intake can raise blood antioxidant levels by as much as 30%. This aids in the body’s defensive mechanisms’ fight against inflammation.
2. Control High Blood Pressure of Vitamin C
About one-third of adult Americans suffer from high blood pressure. The world’s major reason of heart attack is high blood pressure. According to studies, both with and without high blood pressure may benefit from vitamin C’s ability to lower blood pressure.
According to an animal study, taking a vitamin C supplement helped in lowering blood pressure by relaxing the blood veins that convey blood from the heart.
Moreover, taking a vitamin C supplement lowered healthy adults’ average systolic blood pressure (the upper value) by 3.8 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure (the lower value) by 1.5 mmHg, according to a review of 29 human trials. Vitamin-C supplementation decreased blood pressure in high-blooded people by an average of 1.7 mmHg in the diastolic and 4.9 mmHg in the systolic range.
Although these findings are hopeful, it is unclear if there will be long-term impacts on blood pressure. Also, vitamin-C shouldn’t be the only medication used to treat high blood pressure.
3. Control Heart Disease
Internationally, heart disease is the main cause of death. Heart disease is caused by a number of factors, such as low levels of HDL (good) cholesterol, excessive triglyceride or LDL (bad) cholesterol, and high blood pressure.
By lowering these risk factors, vitamin C may help lower the chance of heart disease.
For instance, after ten years, persons who took at least 700 mg of vitamin-C daily had a 25% lower risk of heart disease than those who did not take a vitamin C supplement, according to an analysis of nine trials totaling 293,172 individuals (10Trusted Source).
It’s interesting to note that a different analysis of 15 trials indicated a lower risk of heart disease when vitamin C was obtained from food sources rather than supplements.
Scientists weren’t sure, though, if those who ate foods high in vitamin C also had healthier lives than those who took supplements. Therefore, it’s still unclear if the variations were brought on by their food in general or by vitamin-C specifically.
The benefits of consuming at least 500 mg of vitamin C daily on heart disease risk variables, such as blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels, were examined in another study of 13 trials.
According to the investigation, taking a vitamin-C supplement considerably lowered blood triglycerides by 20.1 mg/dL and LDL (bad) cholesterol by about 7.9 mg/dL.
In summary, research shows that ingesting 500 mg or more of vitamin-C per day may lower the risk of heart disease. However, supplements might not offer any additional heart health benefits if your diet is already high in vitamin-C.
4. Lower Uric Acid levels in Blood
Roughly 4% of adult Americans suffer from gout, a form of arthritis. It involves swelling of the joints, mostly the big toes, and is painful. Swelling and intense pain attacks are indications of gout.
When the blood contains too much uric acid, gout symptoms are evident. One waste product that the body produces is uric acid. It may crystallize and collect in the joints at high concentrations. It is interesting to note that several studies have suggested that vitamin C may help lower blood levels of uric acid and therefore guard against gout attacks.
For example, a study involving 1,387 males discovered that the highest vitamin C consumers had much lower blood levels of uric acid than the lowest.
A second study looked at 46,994 healthy males for 20 years to see if vitamin C intake was associated with gout. It was shown that the risk of developing gout was 44% lower in those who used vitamin C supplements
Moreover, compared to a sample, taking a vitamin-C supplement for 30 days significantly decreased blood uric acid, according to an analysis of 13 studies.
Further research on the effects of vitamin-C on gout is necessary, even though there seems to be a high correlation between vitamin-C intake and uric acid levels.
5. Aids in Stopping Iron Shortage of Vitamin C
Iron is a vital mineral that the body uses for many different purposes. The body must produce red blood cells and carry oxygen throughout.
Supplementing with vitamin C can improve the body’s ability to absorb iron from food. Iron from plant-based sources, for example, is poorly absorbed vitamin-C helps to convert this iron into a form that is easier to absorb. A plant-based diet will find this especially helpful as meat is a significant source of iron.
Just 100 mg of vitamin-C can increase iron absorption by 67%. Therefore, in people who are liable for iron shortage, vitamin C may help lower the incidence of anemia.
Vitamin C supplements were administered to 65 children who had mild iron deficiency anemia. The pill by itself, according to the researchers, helped regulate their anemia.
Taking a vitamin-C supplement or eating more foods high in vitamin-C may help raise your blood iron levels if you have low iron.
6. Resistance to Infection
Vitamin C has many functions in immune system and increasing immunity is one of the main reasons individuals take supplements of the vitamin.
Vitamin C promotes the development of lymphocytes and phagocytes.
Two types of white blood cells that aid in the body’s defense against infection. Vitamin-C protects these white blood cells from potentially dangerous substances like free radicals and enhances their ability to perform their intended functions.
Skin’s defensive mechanism depends heavily on vitamin C. It is actively delivered to the skin, where it can fortify the skin’s defenses and function as an antioxidant.
Low vitamin-C levels have also been connected to opposed health effects. For example, vitamin C deficiency is often associated with pneumonia, and supplementation with vitamin-C has been demonstrated to expedite the healing process.
7. Mental Health of Vitamin C
The term “dementia” is used broadly to describe thinking and memory problems. Over 35 million persons internationally are stuck by it, and older persons are usually the ones who experience it.
Study indicates that inflammation and oxidative stress in the area of the central nervous system which includes the brain, spine, and nerves may raise the risk of dementia. One powerful antioxidant is vitamin C. Reduced cognition and memory have been related to low levels of this vitamin.
Furthermore, several research have revealed that vitamin C levels in the blood may be reduced in dementia patients. Moreover, research has demonstrated that consuming a high-vitamin C diet or supplement can protect thinking and memory as you age.
