What Does Vitamin C Do For Your Body

How To Choose A Supplement

The FDA licenses various supplements. However, some of them are not held to the same safety standards as pharmaceuticals. Therefore, if you wish to take a vitamin C supplement, you should ensure that its a high-quality one bought from reliable sources. You should also have a clear idea about the dosage and choose supplements that have been tested by reputable companies. It is best to consult your doctor before you opt for a vitamin C or a multivitamin supplement.

Vitamin C is an important nutrient that keeps the immune system functioning properly. Most adults need 90 mg of vitamin C per day. To get enough of it in your diet, ensure you eat a variety of vegetables and fruits. Fruits rich in vitamin C include cantaloupe, orange, grapefruit, and other citrus fruits, kiwis, mangos, papayas, pineapples, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, etc. Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflowers, certain peppers. spinach, tomatoes, and potatoes are some vegetables rich in vitamin C.

If you are suffering from vitamin C deficiency or need advice on increasing your immunity, visit the 8-2-8 Urgent Care walk-in clinic in Oceanside, CA. Our medical team will provide an effective solution to ensure an adequate vitamin C intake and strengthen your immunity.

Can Taking Vitamin C Prevent A Cold

Theres been a lot of debate about if vitamin C helps prevent the common cold. Its a topic that has been extensively researched, and theres some evidence that vitamin C may reduce how long your cold may last, says Dr. Radhakrishnan. But he says taking vitamin C on a regular basis doesnt reduce how often youll get a cold or how severe it will be.

Although the medical evidence is not overwhelming, this vitamin may help reduce the duration of common cold, Dr. Radhakrishnan concludes. This is why some healthcare professionals recommend vitamin C for the common cold.

Given how safe and relatively inexpensive vitamin C is, it may be alright to give your child a short course of vitamin C during a cold but this should be discussed with your childs physician, he says.

Like your mom always said, an apple a day keeps the doctor away!

Are Softgels Better Than Tablets With Vitamin D3

As such, capsules offer an ideal alternative, offering reduced gastrointestinal irritation. Capsules are often thought to be absorbed faster by the body than tablets. This may be the case, however, a faster absorption time isnt generally considered to offer a nutritional advantage with most supplements.

Recommended Reading: What Does Vitamin C Do For The Immune System

Protects And Supports The Nervous System

“Vitamin C is found in very high levels in the brain and neuroendocrine tissue suggesting important roles in these organs and tissues,”* says Carr. Indeed, “science indicates that the brain and its neurons literally crave vitamin C and are sensitive to its absence or deficiency,”* explains Ferira.

She goes on to say that “Vitamin C’s role in the brain is rarely discussed but massively important. For example, this nutrient is enabling neurons and the myelin sheath on nerves to form.”*

And the vitamin C/brain support actions don’t end there. Ferira shares that, “even the formation of blood vessels in the brain requires vitamin C,”* thanks to its aforementioned role in the collagen production pathway. “And if there was ever an organ where you would want a stellar antioxidant like vitamin C helping to battle free radicals and redox balance, it’s the brain,”* says Ferira.

“For example, could support mood through the synthesis of neurotransmitters and neuropeptide hormones,”* Carr notes. In addition to their impact on mood, neurotransmitters and neuropeptides both play a part in the way in which information is transferred.

Look At The Overall Formulation Of Your Product

There are different types of vitamin C that you might see pop up in different types of products. Some of these are more stable than others, meaning they wont oxidize as quickly, and some of them have different properties that can make them more suited to certain skin types.

For example, L-ascorbic acid and sodium ascorbyl phosphate are water-soluble, meaning theyre more likely to show up in products that are lighter and better suited to oilier skin. Check out BeautyBio the Daily Vitamin C Day Serum With Antioxidant Complex , Mad Hippie Vitamin C Serum , or SkinCeuticals Phloretin CF .

If you have dry, mature skin, Dr. Hogan recommends looking for more moisturizing products containing lipid-soluble forms of vitamin C, like ascorbyl palmitate and tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate. For something containing these ingredients, look into Biossance Squalane + Vitamin C Rose Oil , the Ordinary Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate Solution 20% in Vitamin F , or Obagi Clinical Vitamin C Eye Brightener .

Recommended Reading: Which Prenatal Vitamins Are Best Before Pregnancy

Is Vitamin C Serum Any Good Here Are The Seven Key Reasons To Give It A Try:

Know the seven key benefits of Vitamin C serum. Here is what it can do for you:

Of course, there is not a one-size-fits-all when it comes to skincare. But this product is well worth a look.

The Recommended Dietary Allowance

The recommended dietary allowance for vitamin C is based on the amount of vitamin C intake necessary to maintain neutrophil vitamin C concentration with minimal urinary excretion of vitamin C and is proposed to provide sufficient antioxidant protection . The recommended intake for smokers is 35 mg/day higher than for nonsmokers, because smokers are under increased oxidative stress from the toxins in cigarette smoke and generally have lower blood concentrations of vitamin C .

You May Like: What Is The Difference Between Vitamin D And Vit D3

Why Is Vitamin A Bad For Pregnancy

Given that vitamin A is fat soluble, your body stores excess amounts in the liver. This accumulation can have toxic effects on the body and lead to liver damage. It can even cause birth defects. For example, excessive amounts of vitamin A during pregnancy has been shown to cause congenital birth abnormalities.

How Vitamin C Helps Your Body

Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, is a vitamin found in many common foods like citrus fruits, apples, berries, potatoes and peppers. Its also readily available as a dietary supplement.

Vitamin C is important so your body can form:

• Collagen, blood vessels, cartilage and muscle. This helps to maintain many body tissues, including your skin. It also aids with connective tissue repair and wound healing according to one study.
• Neurotransmitters, the chemicals that are important for signaling in the nervous system.
• Carnitine, a chemical that supports the transport and breakdown of fatty acids to generate energy.
• Healthy bones and teeth, which are super important during your childs formative years.

But one of best known functions, of course, is its role in supporting the bodys immune system. Because vitamin C is an antioxidant and vital to maintaining overall health, it actually can help boost your little ones immune system if they have the sniffles, says Dr. Radhakrishnan. Antioxidants help reduce damage to cells from free radicals in the body. Vitamin C is also highly concentrated in immune cells, which suggests that its an immune-boosting agent.

Your childs growing body cant produce vitamin C on its own. So as a parent, you have to ensure that your child eats a wide variety of colorful fruits and vegetables every day sometimes easier said than done! Plant sources, including tomatoes, peppers, broccoli and kiwi, are the best sources of vitamin C.

Read Also: Is Vitamin C Necessary For Skin

What Do Vitamins Do For The Body Why Are Vitamins Important

Vitamins are organic compounds and essential nutrients that perform hundreds of roles within the body, making them necessary to sustain life. Most vitamins need to come from outside sources, like food or supplements, because the human body does not produce enough of them. While you may believe that youre eating a well balanced diet full of the nutrients you need, this is not always the case.

There are the 13 essential vitamins required for the body to work properly:

• Vitamin A
• Vitamin B12
• Folate

Vitamins are grouped into two categories: fat-soluble and water-soluble. Stored in the bodys fatty tissue, fat-soluble vitamins are more easily absorbed by the body when accompanied by dietary fat. Fat-soluble vitamins gain entry to the bloodstream via lymph channels in the intestinal wall. The fat soluble vitamins are vitamins K, A, D, and E. On the other hand, water-soluble vitamins are used by the body right away. Any leftover water-soluble vitamins exit the body via urine.

However, vitamins arent one-size-fits-all. In fact, every organism has different vitamin requirements.

For example, humans need to find food sources of vitamin C, but dogs dont because they can produce enough vitamin C for their own needs.

Heart Disease And Cancer

Research suggests that vitamin C may help prevent heart disease and cancer.

Antioxidants like vitamin C do seem to reduce the oxidative stress associated with these diseases. This can happen when there are too many free radicals in your body.

A 2013 review found that vitamin C may help prevent stroke. This was mostly true for people who had low intake of vitamin C before treatment or were at high risk for stroke.

The review only found this benefit for vitamin C from food sources, not from supplements.

A 2013 review noted that high intake of vitamin C does seem to be associated with a lower risk of certain cancers. It also noted that intravenous vitamin C has been shown to improve outcomes for cancer patients.

Many experimental cancer therapies include using vitamin C along with other treatments, however. This makes it hard to know how much of an impact vitamin C has on its own.

Don’t Miss: When Does Vitamin Shoppe Close

Use Your Vitamin C Products At The Right Point In Your Skin

The right moment to use your product depends on what kind of product it is, Dr. Hogan explains. For serums, you want to apply your vitamin C product to freshly cleansed skin, but before you moisturize. But antioxidant-containing moisturizers are also becoming more common, Dr. Lamb says, and youd want to use those at the end of your routine.

A Word About Using Vitamin C

As with all skincare products, its important you apply Vitamin C properly to feel the full effects. Start slowly and make sure you do a patch test before applying it to your entire face.

You can apply Vitamin C in the morning or at night however, its important to note that if youre heading out, then you need to make sure its fully absorbed into your skin, as it can become less effective when exposed to light.22

As for where it should fit with the rest of your skincare regime? Some people say Vitamin C serums should be applied to freshly-cleansed skin pre-moisturiser. However, moisturisers with antioxidant properties should be applied last.23

General word on the street is cleanse, tone, apply vitamin C serum, and then moisturise.24

You May Like: Which Fruit And Vegetables Contain Vitamin C

How Does Vitamin C Boost Your Immunity And Improve Your Health

Vitamin C is an essential nutrient that assists in the formation and maintenance of bones, blood vessels, and skin while strengthening your immunity. This nutrient is found naturally in several foods, especially in fruits and vegetables. Additionally, vitamin C supplements are also available.

As one could expect, COVID-19 has forced people to focus more on protecting themselves from illnesses and infections by strengthening their immunity. This article reviews the impact vitamin C has on your immunity and health.

Vitamin C An Essential Nutrient

Vitamin C or L-ascorbic acid is a water-soluble nutrient and antioxidant that can neutralize unstable compounds and help prevent or reverse cellular damage in our bodies. It is also involved in various biochemical processes related to immune health.

Major benefits of Vitamin C include:

The Impact of Vitamin C on Immunity

Vitamin C is a critical micronutrient. It contributes to your immune defense system by supporting multiple cellular functions of your bodys adaptive immune systems. Being an antioxidant, it can also fight free radicals in the body, thereby decreasing inflammation and boosting immunity. It can keep your skin healthy and enable it to act as a barrier against toxic compounds entering your body.

What Does Vitamin C Do

Vitamin C helps to repair and regenerate tissues, protect against heart disease, aid in the absorption of iron, prevent scurvy, and decrease total and LDL cholesterol and triglycerides. Research indicates that vitamin C may help protect against a variety of cancers by combating free radicals, and helping neutralize the effects of nitrites . Supplemental vitamin C may also lessen the duration and symptoms of a common cold, help delay or prevent cataracts, and support healthy immune function.

Recommended Reading: How Much Vitamin D Should I Take Daily

Are There Any Other Special Considerations

Adverse affects may occur between vitamin C and anticoagulant drugs such as warfarin , decreasing their action. Nicotine products, oral contraceptives/estrogens, tetracyclines, barbiturates, and aspirin may decrease levels of vitamin C.

Vitamin C may increase absorption of iron and lutein. Although some evidence suggests that large doses of supplemental vitamin C may interfere with the absorption and metabolism of vitamin B12 found in food, other studies have shown no such effects.

How Much D3 Vitamin Can You Take

Some people may need a higher dose, however, including those with a bone health disorder and those with a condition that interferes with the absorption of vitamin D or calcium, says Dr. Manson. Unless your doctor recommends it, avoid taking more than 4,000 IU per day, which is considered the safe upper limit.

You May Like: What Is The Normal Amount Of Vitamin D

How To Balance Your Iron Levels

Once you know the answer to your question, “what does iron do for the body?”and symptoms of iron deficiency and iron overdoes, you need to understand how to balance your iron intake. Taking iron with other nutrients like vitamin C help your body better absorb iron. Similarly, eating animal protein will also help boost iron absorption, especially if you are getting iron from plant sources.

At the same time, it is important to understand that certain foods and drinks can also affect the absorption of iron. For instance, eating soy protein will make it difficult for your body to absorb plant-based iron tannins from coffee, tea, and wine negatively affect iron absorption because they bind with the iron and take them out of your body. Other dietary sources that can reduce absorption of iron include fibers and phytates in whole grains, and diet containing food rich in phosphorus and calcium.

Common Sources of Iron

Knowing some common sources of iron helps to increase your iron intake. You can get it from different sources. For instance, you can get it from meat and poultry through pork, veal, lean beef, turkey, lamb, liver, and chicken.

Fish, shellfishand mussels are great choices if you want to get it from seafood. You can also include vegetables in your diet to increase your iron intake. The list includes kale, Brussels sprouts, tofu, sweet peas, lima beans, green beans, potatoes, tomatoes, beets, corn, cabbage, and greens of all kinds.

Facts About Vitamin C

Lots of animals can produce their own vitamin C, except humans, other primates and guinea pigs!

Vitamin C was first discovered in 1747 when James Lind trialed 6 different treatments for sailors suffering with scurvy. Only oranges and lemons were found to be effective.10

Taking vitamin C doesnt appear to prevent colds and flu but taking vitamin C before the illness sets in could help reduce the duration.

Also Check: How Much Vitamin D You Need

Iron Absorption And Vitamin C

Iron is a vital nutrient for our bodies. Most importantly, iron creates red blood cells. Red blood cells carry oxygen throughout our body. Vitamin C aids red blood cells by changing iron into an easier form for the body to absorb. Likewise, ingest 100 mg of vitamin C and you can enhance your iron absorption by 67%.

In addition, vitamin C is critical for reducing anemia or iron deficiency.

May Reduce Your Risk Of Heart Disease

Vitamin K2 may help prevent calcification that results from calcium buildup in your arteries. This accumulation is associated with atherosclerosis, a risk factor for heart disease. A 2009 study of 16,057 women found that for every 10 mcg of K2 that participants consumed each day, their heart disease risk was reduced by 9%.

Read Also: Is Vitamin E Good For Skin

Vitamin C Strengthens The Immune System

Perhaps vitamin Cs best-known benefit is the positive effect it has on the immune system. In a review published in November 2017 in Nutrients, vitamin C was found to support the immune system by protecting against oxidative stress, aiding in microbial killing, and decreasing the potential for tissue damage. A deficiency in this vitamin has been shown to increase the rate of infections. Its unlikely that loading up on vitamin C once you start sniffling will keep you from getting a cold, but it could help you recover more quickly, according to a prior review.

Does Taking Vitamin C Help Skin

Aside from contributing directly to the bodys production of collagen, vitamin C can also be used to keep our skin looking young. Theres some evidence that it improves aging skin, improves its appearance in some cases, and soothes broken or damaged skin. In addition to helping to repair skin, vitamin C should also be ingested regularly.

Recommended Reading: Can Too Much Vitamin D Cause Erectile Dysfunction