The latest facts about Vitamin C: uses, benefits, side effects, and sources

Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, is praised by many as a mysterious vitamin. Vitamin C has many wonderful properties such as strengthening immunity, promoting healthy skin and bones, fighting harmful free radicals, and promoting healthy gums.

Vitamin C

Benefits of Vitamin C

Vitamin C is one of the most important micronutrients that our body needs to function properly. It has many important features listed below in our body:

Powerful antioxidants

Vitamin C helps fight harmful free radicals that are known to cause aging It is harmful to the body. These free radicals, also known as ROS (reactive oxygen species), are caused by harmful environmental toxins and ultraviolet light. Many studies have shown that vitamin C can prevent such oxidative damage to macromolecules in the body that would otherwise have caused many acute and chronic illnesses.

Maintenance of physical function

It is also an important element required for the synthesis of important enzymes that play an important role in the biosynthesis and regulation of DNA (genetic material) in our body. It also helps produce special chemicals in the body called neurotransmitters that are essential for normal neurological and psychological functioning.

Immune booster

Vitamin C helps boost our immunity in many ways. It provides the basis for cellular activity that is essential for the proper functioning of the cell-mediated immune system. It also supports the epithelial system, promoting the integrity of the skin barrier against harmful environmental oxidative stress and pathogens. It is also an important component of phagocytes that swallow harmful bacteria that attack the human body. It also helps remove cell debris after infection, thereby preventing tissue damage and cell death. Some studies have also suggested that it may help antibody production as well as T and B cell proliferation.

Basics of cardiovascular health

Vitamin C is an important cofactor for the very important enzymes required for the cardiovascular response to infectious diseases such as vasopressin and norepinephrine. It also relaxes blood vessels and helps reduce blood pressure and high blood pressure.

Enhanced wound healing

Vitamin C promotes wound healing and contributes to the epithelial barrier by promoting keratinocyte differentiation and cell lipid layer synthesis.

Healthy skin

Vitamin C also plays an important role in the synthesis of collagen and elastin, which are essential for healthy and radiant skin.

Fight infectious diseases

Neutrophils are important cells that help fight infection, and vitamin C helps promote the migration of neutrophils to the site of infection in order to fight harmful pathogens early. It also helps regulate the overproduction of pro-inflammatory cytokines and reduce inflammation in the body.

Helps the function and absorption of other vitamins

Vitamin C helps the body absorb iron. It is also useful not only for the synthesis of bile acids from cholesterol, but also for the activation of B vitamins and folic acid.By converting bile acids to cholesterol Vitamin C also helps reduce the amount of cholesterol in the blood.

Benefits of cancer patients

Intravenous Vitamin C has been shown to be useful in advanced treatments cancer According to some studies.
The proposed mechanism is to help reduce oxidative stress, promote wound healing after chemotherapy, and neutralize some carcinogens.

Regulates blood sugar levels and prevents diabetes

Many studies have also helped vitamin C prevent insulin resistance, Diabetes By blocking endothelial dysfunction caused by hyperglycemia. Many studies have also suggested that vitamin C reduces the damage caused by diabetic retinopathy by reducing angiogenesis (formation of new blood vessels in the retina) and preventing retinal damage associated with oxidative stress. I have.

Lipid metabolism

Vitamin C helps regenerate vitamin E from the oxidized form, which is essential for lipid denaturation.

Reduce the amount of heavy metals in the body

Vitamin C also helps reduce the levels of harmful toxins such as lead in the body. Some studies suggest that vitamin C can reduce the amount of lead in the body at a dose of 1 g / day.

Preventive role in pneumonia

Some studies have also shown that vitamin C plays an important role in prevention and treatment. pneumonia..

Role in reproductive medicine

Several studies have also suggested that vitamin C helps men suffering from infertility by improving sperm quality.

Vitamin C deficiency can be fatal

Low Vitamin C is common in people living alone, with mental illness, and food lovers. A deficiency of vitamin C for about 3 months can cause a serious illness called scurvy, with frequent bleeding of the gums, tooth loss, anemia, body pain, malaise, arthralgia, pneumonia, etc. It can cause many symptoms such as infections and elevated levels. Harmful cholesterol in the blood. Scurvy can be seen when the level of ascorbic acid in the blood is less than 2.5 ml / L. A daily dose of 1000 mg of vitamin C can be treated for 15 days.

Source of Vitamin C

Unlike some vitamins like Vitamin D, Vitamin C cannot be synthesized by our body. Therefore, we need to meet the vitamin C requirements from our diet. Thankfully, Vitamin C is easily found in a variety of fruits and vegetables. The common sources of vitamin C are:

• Fruits such as oranges, lemons and mangoes.
• Vegetables such as broccoli, tomatoes and pepper
• Animal sources such as liver and whale skin

Recommended daily intake standard (RDA)

In the United States, the recommended nutritional requirements for vitamin C are 90-100 mg / day for men, 75 mg / day for women, and 85 mg / day for pregnant women. It is a well-known fact that smokers have low vitamin C levels. Therefore, it is recommended to add 35 mg / day. However, some recent randomized controlled trials have suggested giving adults 200 mg / day of vitamin C for full benefit.

Excessive Vitamin C Side Effects

Vitamin C is usually non-toxic, but high doses of 2-6 grams daily can cause stomach upset and diarrhea. These gastrointestinal side effects are generally well tolerated and can be easily remedied by reducing vitamin C intake.

Some studies suggest that high levels of vitamin C intake are associated with an increased risk of kidney stones, although the evidence is not substantive.

Some nutritionists also recommend avoiding excess vitamin C in people who are prone to kidney stones. Vitamin C and iron may increase the risk of iron overload in sensitive individuals. Patients with these conditions limit their iron intake rather than stop eating fruits and vegetables.

References

1. Carr AC, Maggini S. Vitamin C, and Immuno Function. Nutrients. 2017; 9 (11): 1211. Released on November 3, 2017. doi: 10.3390 / nu9111211 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5707683/

2. Chambial S, Dwivedi S, Shukla KK, John PJ, Sharma P. Vitamin C in Disease Prevention and Treatment: Overview. JClin Biochem from India. 2013; 28 (4): 314-328. doi: 10.1007 / s12291-013-0375-3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3783921/

3. Jens Lykkesfeldt, Alexander J. Michels, Balz Frei, Vitamin C, Advances in Nutrition, Volume 5, Issue 1, January 2014, pp. 16-18, https: //doi.org/10.3945/an. 113.005157.

4. Frei B, Birlouez-Aragon I, Lykkesfeldt J. Author’s Perspective: What is the Optimal Intake of Vitamin C in Humans? Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2012; 52 (9): 815-29. Doi: 10.1080 / 10408398.2011.649149. PMID: 22698272. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22698272/