Vitamin C is a water-soluble essential vitamin that is required by our body to fulfill its nutritional requirements as the body can’t synthesize it. It is also known as L-ascorbic acid and is essential in various body functions.
For instance, it is required for the synthesis of collagen, L-carnitine, and other neurotransmitters. In addition, vitamin C plays a crucial role in protein metabolism.
It plays an important part in immune function and improves the absorption of heme iron. Also, its deficiency leads to scurvy in which a person suffers from general weakness, anemia, gum disease, and skin hemorrhages.
Therefore, it is important to consume vitamin C according to its daily recommended intake. For women, it is 75mg and for men, it is 90mg.
You can get vitamin C from fruits and vegetables such as oranges, kiwi, strawberries, and from spinach, kale, broccoli, etc. While it is commonly advised to fulfill your vitamin C intake from foods, many people turn to dietary supplements to meet their needs if they are not sure they are getting enough through food.
For instance, you can buy vitamin c gummies to fulfill your requirements. Here are a few reasons why you need vitamin C dietary supplements.
1. Boosts Your Immune System
Vitamin C helps in boosting your immune system by encouraging the production of white blood cells also known as lymphocytes. White blood cells play an important part in fighting against any infection that occurs in our body. It also protects the white blood cells from damage by harmful substances such as free radicals.
Vitamin C intake fastens the wound healing process. In addition, it supports cell-mediated immune response, natural killer cell activity, detoxification of histamine, immune response to vaccination, the function of antibiotics, production of interferons, and much more.
2. Collagen Synthesis
Collagen comprises 25%-35% of the total protein content in the human body. And vitamin C is responsible for the synthesis and maintenance of collagen in your body. Collagen is found in the cornea, muscle tissue skin, ligaments, blood vessels, cartilage, the intestines, the disc between spinal vertebrae, and tendons.
Vitamin C has several skin benefits, one of which is it prevents wrinkles seen in premature aging. Also, vitamin C promotes the production and migration of fibroblasts that support normal wound healing.
In addition, a good concentration of vitamin C stimulates the synthesis of Type IV collagen which has a filtration role in the kidney, the blood-brain barrier, and the arterial lining.
3. Prevents Dementia
Dementia affects over 35 million people worldwide. In this disorder, the person starts to forget things and has a poor memory. Vitamin C intake helps to prevent dementia as it is a strong antioxidant and helps with oxidative stress and inflammation near the central nervous system that promotes dementia.
Also, studies have shown that low levels of vitamin c are linked to dementia. However, high vitamin C intake has been shown to have a supportive effect on thinking and memory as you age.
4. Reduces The Risk Of Anemia
Iron deficiency can lead to anemia. Iron is an important component of red blood cells and transports oxygen throughout the body. Vitamin C helps the absorption of iron from the diet that is how it reduces the risk of iron deficiency from the body.
It especially helps in the absorption of iron from plant-based sources and can be useful for solely vegetarian people.
According to research, 100mg consumption of vitamin C regularly can improve iron absorption by 67% and make you less prone to iron deficiency. Therefore, one should include vitamin C supplements in their diet if they can’t fulfill the nutritional requirement from food intake to improve blood iron levels in the body.
5. Promotes Assimilation of Calcium into Bones
Strong bones are a reflection of a healthy body. Bones need essential vitamins and minerals for their nourishment and maintenance of high-quality bone material.
One important component is vitamin C which promotes the assimilation of calcium into bones and also protects leaching out of calcium from bones. In addition, vitamin C intake also fights oxidative stress that works against the assimilation of calcium into bones.
Moreover, there are several other functions that vitamin C plays to keep the bones healthy, such as stimulating the formation of osteoblasts ( bone-forming cells) and inhibiting the development of osteoclasts( bone dissolving cells). Also, being a strong antioxidant helps to fight oxidative stress that works against the assimilation of calcium into the bones.
The Bottom Line
In a nutshell, vitamin C is an essential nutrient for a healthy body as the body itself can not synthesize it. Therefore, we must get it from either food or dietary supplements to cater to our body needs.
