Vitamin C Supplements

What is Vitamin C?

Ascorbic acid, or vitamin C as it’s more commonly known, is a water-soluble vitamin that is found in vegetables and fruits. Vitamin C benefits the body by delivering heavy antioxidant support as well as promoting the health and maintenance of connective tissue within the body such as blood, bones and skin. While vitamin C is crucial to human health, our bodies are not able to create it on their own. Therefore it’s important to eat a vitamin C-rich diet and take vitamin C supplements.

Benefits

7 Benefits of Vitamin C

Immune support

There’s a reason why so many people swear by the power of orange juice when trying to fight off the winter blahs. It’s because orange juice is filled with vitamin C, which offers a considerable boost to immune health. Loaded with antioxidants, vitamin C strengthens the immune system and combats the unwelcome guests known as free radicals. Vitamin C is excellent for your system at all times but can be especially so during times of high stress where your immune system can become depleted or compromised.

Free radical neutralization

So how exactly does vitamin C help to neutralize free radicals? First, we must look at why free radicals are harmful. Free radicals cause damage to other cells by stealing electrons from healthy cells, which can either harm or even kill those cells. Antioxidants like vitamin C, however, can neutralize free radicals by donating electrons, eliminating the need for it to steal one from healthy cells, which promotes the body’s ability to fight off numerous potential health concerns.

Supports cardiovascular health

When people think of vitamin C, they don’t usually think of heart health, but they should. Vitamin C promotes the availability of nitric oxide (NO), which supports the widening of the heart’s arteries, also known as vasodilation, which improves blood flow. Plus, vitamin C’s ability to boost connective tissue doesn’t just benefit blood, bone and joint health, it also supports blood vessel walls, including arterial walls. Finally, vitamin C promotes higher glutathione levels within the body, which protects the arteries as an aggressive free radical scavenger.

Gives skin a healthy glow

Perhaps you’ve already noticed how vitamin C is a common ingredient in skin care products like creams and makeup. That’s because vitamin C has anti-aging properties, can defend against free radical damage from prolonged UV exposure and plays a vital role in collagen synthesis.

Promotes iron absorption

Getting enough iron in your diet is important, and so is making sure that the iron you get from food is properly absorbed into the body. Vitamin C and iron are a dynamic duo because vitamin C helps increase the amount of iron released from nonheme sources and fights off the negative effects of phytonutrients that work to inhibit iron absorption.

Boosts neurotransmitter function

Stored mainly within the central nervous system, vitamin C is critically essential for neurotransmitter function, as it stimulates the process in which enzymes synthesize the norepinephrine from dopamine. Known as “the stress hormone” norepinephrine is a chemical that is released by the sympathetic nervous system to help your body react to stressful situations.

Benefits men’s sexual health

Along with the benefits stated above, there is some research that indicates that taking vitamin C may have a positive impact on sexual health.

How is Vitamin C Used?

Vitamin C is a water-soluble antioxidant-packed vitamin that the body uses to neutralize free radicals and reduce oxidative damage. Though mostly known for its antioxidant power, vitamin C also supports collagen synthesis in the body, which benefits connective tissue health and the production of neurotransmitters like L-carnitine.

Often Paired With

Zinc

When the winter blahs come to wreak havoc on the immune system, it’s a no-brainer to load up on vitamin C for its antioxidant power. But the trace element zinc has gained tremendous momentum in recent years as a winter blah-buster in its own right. Zinc promotes T-lymphocytes (T cells) within the body, which are responsible for stimulating immune responses. Working in tandem, vitamin C and zinc are a formidable immune support duo.

Rose Hips

Rose hips are an excellent source of vitamin C, so taking them along with vitamin C can give you an extra kick of antioxidant support. But what makes rose hips a great addition to a vitamin C supplement is the fact that they deliver the bonus of phenols, flavonoids, lycopene, vitamin E and ellagic acid.

Vitamin C Food Sources

Vitamin C is found in many food sources, especially fruits and vegetables. Foods that are high in vitamin C include oranges, grapefruit, kiwifruit, strawberries, guavas, red and green peppers, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, thyme and parsley.

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