7 Impressive Ways Vitamin C Benefits Your Body

 7 Impressive Ways Vitamin C Benefits Your Body

Vitamin C is an necessary vitamin, meaning your body can’t produce it. Yet, it has many roles and has been linked to impressive health advantages.

It’s water-soluble and found in many fruits and vegetables, containing oranges, strawberries, kiwi fruit, bell peppers, broccoli, kale, and spinach.

The recommended regular intake for vitamin C is 75 mg for women and 90 mg for men  

While it’s commonly advised to obtain your vitamin C intake from foods, many people turn to supplements to meet their requires.

Here are 7 scientifically proven advantages of taking a vitamin C supplement.

1. May reduce your danger of chronic disease

Vitamin C is a strong antioxidant that can strengthen your body’s natural defenses  

Antioxidants are molecules that increase the immune system. They do so by protecting cells from dangerous molecules called free radicals.

When free radicals accumulate, they can promote a state recognized as oxidative stress, which has been linked to several chronic diseases  

Studies show that taking more vitamin C can improving your blood antioxidant levels by up to 30%. This supports the body’s natural defenses fight inflammation

2. May support manage high blood pressure

Roughly one-third of American adults have high blood pressure (6).

High blood pressure puts you at danger of heart disease, the leading cause of death globally  

Studies have described  that vitamin C may support lower blood pressure in both those with and without high blood pressure.

An animal study explored that taking a vitamin C supplement supported relax the blood vessels that carry blood from the heart, which helped decrease blood pressure levels  

In addition , an analysis of 29 human studies found that taking a vitamin C supplement reduced systolic blood pressure (the upper value) by 3.8 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure (the lower value) by 1.5 mmHg, on average, in healthy adults.

In adults with high blood pressure, vitamin C supplements decreased systolic blood pressure by 4.9 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure by 1.7 mmHg, on average  

During these results are promising, it’s not clear whether the effects on blood pressure are long term. In addition , people with high blood pressure should not depend on vitamin C alone for treatment.

3. May lower your danger of heart disease

Heart disease is the leading reason  of death worldwide  

Many factors improve the risk of heart disease, containing high blood pressure, high triglyceride or LDL (bad) cholesterol levels, and low levels of HDL (good) cholesterol.

Vitamin C may support reduce these risk factors, which may decrease  heart disease risk.

For example, an analysis of 9 studies with a combined 293,172 participants explored that after 10 years, people who took at least 700 mg of vitamin C regular had a 25% lower risk of heart disease than those who did not take a vitamin C supplement  

Interestingly, another analysis of 15 studies searched that taking vitamin C from foods — not supplements — was linked to a lower risk of heart disease.

However, scientists were uncertain whether people who consumed vitamin-C-rich foods also followed a healthier lifestyle than people who took a supplement. Thus, it remains unclear whether the differences were because of  vitamin C or other aspects of their diet  

Another analysis of 13 studies looked at the effects of consuming at least 500 mg of vitamin C regular on risk factors for heart disease, like  blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

The analysis explored that taking a vitamin C supplement significantly decreased LDL (bad) cholesterol by approximately 7.9 mg/dL and blood triglycerides by 20.1 mg/dL  

In short, it seems that taking or consuming minimum  500 mg of vitamin C daily may reduce the danger of heart disease. However, if you already take a vitamin-C-rich diet, then supplements may not give additional heart health benefits.

4. May reduce blood uric acid levels and help stop gout attacks

Gout is a kind of arthritis that affects approximately 4% of American adults  

It’s incredibly painful and includes inflammation of the joints, mainly those of the big toes. People with gout experience swelling and sudden, grave attacks of pain  

Gout symptoms show when there is too much uric acid in the blood. Uric acid is a trash product produced by the body. At high levels, it may solidify and deposit in the joints.

Interestingly, many studies have shown that vitamin C may support reduce uric acid in the blood and, as a result, protect against gout attacks.

For example, a study containing 1,387 men found that those who consumed the most vitamin C had notably  lower blood levels of uric acid than those who consumed the least  

Another study followed 46,994 healthy men over 20 years to decide whether vitamin C intake was linked to improving gout. It found that people who took a vitamin C supplement had a 44% lower gout danger 

Moreover , an analysis of 13 studies found that taking a vitamin C supplement over 30 days notably reduced blood uric acid, compared with a placebo 

While there shows to be a strong link between vitamin C intake and uric acid levels, more studies on the effects of vitamin C on gout are required.

5. Supports prevent iron deficiency

Iron is an vital nutrient that has a variety of functions in the body. It’s necessary for making red blood cells and transporting oxygen throughout the body.

Vitamin C supplements can support improve the absorption of iron from the diet. Vitamin C assists in converting iron that is poorly absorbed, like  plant-based sources of iron, into a form that is easier to absorb  

This is mainly useful for people on a meat-free diet, as meat is a major source of iron.

In fact, simply taking 100 mg of vitamin C may develop iron absorption by 67%  

As a result, vitamin C may support reduce the risk of anemia among people prone to iron deficiency.

In one study, 65 children with mild iron deficiency anemia were provided a vitamin C supplement. Researchers found that the supplement alone supported control their anemia  

If you have low iron levels, taking more vitamin-C-rich foods or taking a vitamin C supplement may support develop your blood iron levels.

6. Improves immunity

One of the main causes people take vitamin C supplements is to boost their immunity, as vitamin C is include in many parts of the immune system.

First, vitamin C supports encourage the production of white blood cells recognized as lymphocytes and phagocytes, which support protect the body against infection  

Second, vitamin C supports these white blood cells function more effectively while protecting them from damage by potentially harmful molecules, like  free radicals.

Third, vitamin C is an necessary part of the skin’s defense system. It’s actively transported to the skin, where it can act as an antioxidant and support strengthen the skin’s barriers (22).

Studies have even shown that taking vitamin C may shorten wound healing time  

What’s more, low vitamin C levels have been linked to bad  health outcomes.

For example, people who have pneumonia tend to have lower vitamin C levels, and vitamin C supplements have been described to shorten the recovery time

7. Saves your memory and thinking as you age

Dementia is a broad term utilized to describe symptoms of poor thinking and memory.

It affects over 35 million people worldwide and typically happens among older adults  

Studies suggest that oxidative stress and inflammation near the brain, spine, and nerves (altogether known as the central nervous system) can improves the risk of dementia  

Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant. Low levels of this vitamin have been linked to an impaired capability to think and remember  

In addition , many  studies have shown that people with dementia may have lower blood levels of vitamin C  

Furthermore, high vitamin C intake from food or supplements has been described to have a protective effect on thinking and memory as you age  

Vitamin C supplements may aid against conditions such as dementia if you don’t obtain enough vitamin C from your diet. However, additional human studies are required to understand the effects of vitamin C supplements on nervous system health