What is vitamin C and why is it important?

Vitamin C is an essential vitamin that must be ingested through food.

vitamin C

Edited and resized image by Markus Spiske is available on Unsplash

Vitamin C, also called ascorbic acid, is a vitamin that cannot be produced by the body, which characterizes it as an essential vitamin. It is widely found in foods such as fruits and vegetables, including oranges, lemons, strawberries, kiwis, peppers, broccoli, kale and spinach. But it is also possible to take it through supplementation.

  • Foods rich in vitamin C

The recommended daily intake of vitamin C is 75 mg for women and 90 mg for men. Check out seven scientifically proven benefits of vitamin C in the body:

1. Powerful Antioxidant

Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that helps keep immunity up to date (see study about it here: 1). This means it's great for fighting chronic disease and inflammation.

Studies show that consuming more vitamin C can increase levels of antioxidants in the blood by up to 30% (see studies on this here: 4, 5).

  • Antioxidants: what are they and in what foods to find them

2. Combat high blood pressure

Hypertension increases the risk of heart disease, which is the leading cause of death in the world (see study about it here: 6).

An animal study found that taking a vitamin C supplement helped to relax the blood vessels that carry blood from the heart, which lowered blood pressure levels.

In addition, an analysis of 29 human studies found that taking a vitamin C supplement reduced - on average - systolic blood pressure (upper value) by 3.84 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure (lower value) by 1.48 mmHg in healthy adults.

In adults with high blood pressure, vitamin C supplementation reduced systolic blood pressure by 4.85 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure by 1.67 mmHg, on average (see study about this: 7).

But if you're thinking about taking vitamin C to lower your blood pressure, seek medical help to help your decision.

3. Decreases the risk of heart disease

Heart disease is the number one cause of death in the world.

Many factors increase the risk of heart disease, including high blood pressure, high levels of “bad” LDL cholesterol, low levels of “good” HDL cholesterol, and triglyceride levels.

  • Does altered cholesterol have symptoms? Know what it is and how to prevent it

Vitamin C, in turn, can help reduce these risk factors, and hence the risk of heart disease.

An analysis of nine studies with a total of 293,172 participants found that, after ten years, people 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.

Another analysis of 15 studies found that consuming vitamin C in foods was linked to a lower risk of heart disease.

However, scientists weren't sure that people who ate foods rich in vitamin C also followed a healthier lifestyle than people who took supplements. Thus, it is not yet clear whether the differences were due to vitamin C or other aspects of the diet.

Another analysis of 13 studies looked at the impact of taking at least 500 mg/day of vitamin C on risk indicators for heart disease, such as blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

The research found that taking a vitamin C supplement significantly reduced "bad" LDL cholesterol by approximately 7.9 mg/dl and blood triglycerides by 20.1 mg/dl.

In summary, it appears that taking or consuming at least 500 mg of vitamin C a day can reduce the risk of heart disease. However, if you already have a diet rich in vitamin C, supplements may not provide additional heart health benefits.

4. Reduces uric acid and prevents gout

Gout is a form of arthritis characterized by severe pain, redness and tenderness in the joints caused by excess uric acid.

Several studies have shown that vitamin C can help reduce uric acid in the blood and, as a result, protect against gout attacks.

A study of 1,387 men found that those who consumed the most vitamin C had significantly lower blood levels of uric acid than those who consumed the least.

Another study that followed 46,994 healthy men for 20 years to see if vitamin C intake was linked to the development of gout found that those who took vitamin C supplements had a 44% lower risk of developing gout.

In addition, an analysis of 13 clinical studies found that taking a 30-day vitamin C supplement significantly reduced blood uric acid compared to a placebo.

5. Prevents anemia

Iron is an important nutrient that has a variety of functions in the body. It is essential for producing red blood cells and transporting oxygen throughout the body.

Vitamin C supplements can help improve the absorption of iron from the diet, preventing anemia (see study about it here: 8).

Consumption of 100 mg of vitamin C can improve iron absorption by 67% (see study about it here: 9).

A study of 65 children with iron deficiency anemia concluded that vitamin C supplementation helped to control anemia.

If you suffer from low iron levels, consuming more vitamin C-rich foods or taking a vitamin C supplement can help improve your blood iron levels.

  • Iron deficiency anemia: what it is and what are its symptoms

6. Boosts immunity

One of the main reasons people take vitamin C supplements is to boost their immunity.

Vitamin C is involved in many parts of the immune system. It helps to stimulate the production of white blood cells, known as lymphocytes and phagocytes, which help protect the body against infections (see study about it here: 10).

It also helps white blood cells function more effectively, protecting them from damage caused by potentially harmful molecules such as free radicals.

  • What are free radicals?

7. Improves skin health and accelerates healing

Vitamin C is an essential part of the skin's defense system, acting as an antioxidant that helps strengthen the skin's barriers and prevent premature aging (see study on this: 11).

Studies have also shown that taking vitamin C can reduce wound healing time (see here: 12, 13).

In addition to these benefits, another fact that shows how important vitamin C is is the correlation between low levels of vitamin C and disease. People suffering from pneumonia, for example, tend to have lower levels of vitamin C, and vitamin C supplements have been shown to shorten recovery time (see studies on this here: 14, 15).

To find out where to find vitamin C, take a look at the article: "Foods rich in vitamin C".



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