Health Benefits of Vitamin C - Effects on the Body
Health Benefits of Vitamin C - Effects on the Body - Vitamin C is one type of vitamin that is soluble in water and has an important role in counteracting various diseases.
This vitamin is also known by the chemical name of its main form, ascorbic acid. Vitamin C is a class of antioxidant vitamins that can counteract various extracellular free radicals.
Some of its characteristics include being very easily oxidized by heat, light, and metals. Although oranges are known as the most fruit-producing vitamin C, it is actually a big mistake, because lemons have 47% more vitamin C than oranges
Benefits of Vitamin C
Vitamin C is the most important antioxidant in our body, used to fight off inflammation caused by oxidative damage, thereby helping each and every cell within to repair quickly.
As you continue, you'll learn about several of health benefits that come from getting enough "C" in your diet. However, there's one myth that needs to be dispelled before proceeding.
This antioxidant gets most of its fanfare during cold and flu season. The thinking being that vitamin C helps to ward these infections off. In fact, there's no scientific evidence to support this commonly accepted notion.
To put this myth to rest, the only reason taking vitamin C would hold any benefit to cold and flu sufferers would be if you're deficient to begin with.
You might fight off the symptoms more quickly when taking a supplement, IF you don't get enough of it with your regular diet, but don't expect to get fewer occurrences from taking it.
The Cold Flu Myth
This antioxidant gets most of its fanfare during cold and flu season. The thinking being that vitamin C helps to ward these infections off. In fact, there's no scientific evidence to support this commonly accepted notion.
To put this myth to rest, the only reason taking vitamin C would hold any benefit to cold and flu sufferers would be if you're deficient to begin with.
You might fight off the symptoms more quickly when taking a supplement, IF you don't get enough of it with your regular diet, but don't expect to get fewer occurrences from taking it.
Recommended Daily Dose (mg)
- Ages 0-1 year: 50
- Ages 1-3: 15
- Ages 4-8: 25
- Ages 8-18: 80
- Male Adults: 90-500
- Female Adults: 75-500
- During Pregnancy: 90-500
- While Breast Feeding: 120-1000
*Smokers should aim for at least 250 mg per day, as
increased inflammation from this habit causes the body to use more vitamin C to
maintain optimal health.
Top Dietary Sources of Vitamin C
The list provided below shows the top food sources, in ascending order.
Foods rich in Vitamin C:
Veggies (mg):
½ cup of
colored peppers: 101-144
½ cup of green
peppers: 63
½ cup chopped
broccoli: 54
1 cup of red
cabbage: 54
4 brussel
sprouts: 50
½ cup of
kohlrabi: 47
½ cup of snow
peas: 41
½ cup of
cauliflower: 28
½ cup of kale:
28
½ cup of
rapini: 24
1 medium sized
potato: 21
½ cup of bok
choy: 23
1 medium sized
sweet potato: 22
6 spears of
asparagus: 22
½ cup of
turnip tops (greens): 21
½ cup of
collard greens: 18
1 medium sized
tomato: 16
½ cup of
tomato sauce: 15
Fruits:
1 regular
guava fruit: 206
1 large
papaya: 188
1 grapefruit:
95
1 large kiwi:
84
1 medium sized
orange: 75
10 lychees:
69
1 mango:
58
1 avocado:
52
½ cup
strawberries (not chopped): 52
½ cup
pineapple (chopped): 45
1 clementine:
36
½ cup of
cantaloupe: 31
½ cup of
fortified juices (apple, orange, grape, grapefruit, pineapple): 29-70
½ cup of
soursop: 25
1 medium
tangerine: 22
½ cup of
persimmon: 17
½ cup of
berries (blackberries, raspberries, blueberries): 17
Benefits of Vitamin C
Diabetes:
Vitamin C also reduces glycosylated hemoglobin levels (sugar adhering to red blood cells) which causes slow wound healing, high blood pressure, neuropathy and numerous other health problems.
Eye Health:
Asthma:
Asthma is a disease resulting from excessive inflammation in the lungs and airways. Vitamin C controls inflammation and has proved instrumental in treating and preventing symptoms (see study). Asthmatics can benefit from doses of 1000-2000 mg daily.
Faster Healing:
Because "C" reduces oxidative stress on cells and reduces inflammation, adequate levels in the body will also promote faster healing than would occur with those with poor dietary intake of the vitamin.
Cardiovascular Health:
Free radical damage inside the walls of our arteries leaves them vulnerable to plaque, which is caused by circulating cholesterol and fatty acids forming together (i.e., arteriosclerosis). Vitamin C is beneficial to prevent plaque formation and also helps to reduce it when plaque has already begun.
Cancer Prevention Treatment:
Cancer is caused by cumulative oxidative stress in the areas of the body affected by cancers of all kinds. Vitamin C is directly responsible for removing free radicals before they cause damage, making it essential for prevention and treatment of all types of cancer.
Weight Loss:
Obese people have lower levels of circulating vitamin C in their body; most likely due to a poor diet. Increasing your dose of vitamin C significantly lowers levels adiponectin, a fat-suppressing hormone shown to dramatically decrease waist circumference and over all body-mass-index numbers.
Learn more about vitamin C deficiency and its link to obesity here.
Summary
Our bodies do not manufacture vitamin C, putting it at the top of the list of 13 essential vitamins that we must get via diet to maintain optimal health.
Anyone who's taken a middle-school history class knows about scurvy and its effects on early sea-farers, but many of the effects caused by deficiency today are silent killers, slowly robbing us of our health and youthful exuberance.
At the very least, consider taking a quality supplement, chelated or liquid form, to ensure optimal health - now and in the future.
