Vitamin C Benefits to Health

1. May reduce your risk of chronic disease

Vitamin C is a great antioxidant that can increase your body’s natural defenses.

Antioxidants are molecules that promote the immune system. More so, they do so by defending cells from dangerous molecules called free radicals.

Additionally, when free radicals grow, they can promote a state known as oxidative stress, linked to many chronic diseases.

Researches reveal that eating more vitamin C can improve your blood antioxidant levels by up to 30%. This boosts the body’s natural defenses to fight inflammation.

Almost one-third of American adults have high blood pressure.

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

Furthermore, researches have revealed that vitamin C may help lower blood pressure in both those with and without high blood pressure.

An animal study discovered that getting a vitamin C supplement improved relax the blood vessels that carry blood from the heart, which helped reduce blood pressure levels.

Moreover, an examination of 29 human studies discovered that taking a vitamin C supplement decreased 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 reduced systolic blood pressure by 4.9 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure by 1.7 mmHg, on average.

3. May lower your risk of heart disease

Heart disease is presently taking shape in the world. Several factors enhance the risk of heart disease, including high blood pressure, high triglyceride or LDL (bad) cholesterol levels, and low levels of HDL (good) cholesterol.

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

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

In summary, it appears that consuming at least 500 mg of vitamin C daily may decrease the risk of heart disease. Nevertheless, if you already consume a vitamin-C-rich diet, supplements may not provide additional heart health benefits.

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

Gout is a type of arthritis that affects about 4% of American adults.

It’s painful and involves inflammation of the joints, particularly those of the big toes. People with gout encounter swelling and sudden, severe attacks of pain.

Gout symptoms arise if there is too much uric acid in the blood. Uric acid is a waste product composed of the body. At high levels, it may crystallize and deposit in the joints.

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

5. Helps prevent iron deficiency

Firstly, iron is an essential nutrient that has a variety of roles in the body. It’s necessary for producing red blood cells and transporting oxygen throughout the body.

Secondly, vitamin C supplements can assist enhance the absorption of iron from the diet. Vitamin C helps convert iron that is inadequately absorbed, such as plant-based sources of iron, into a form that is easier to absorb.

However, this is very helpful for people on a meat-free diet, as meat is a major source of iron.

In fact, simply consuming 100 mg of vitamin C may improve iron absorption by 67%. As an effect, vitamin C may aid decrease the risk of anemia among people prone to iron deficiency.

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

6. Boosts immunity

One of the main reasons people take vitamin C supplements is to improve their immunity, as vitamin C is involved in many parts of the immune system.

First, vitamin C aids encourage the production of white blood cells known as lymphocytes and phagocytes, which help protect the body against infection.

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

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

Studies have also shown that taking vitamin C may shorten wound healing time. What’s more, low vitamin C levels have been linked to poor health outcomes.

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