Vitamin C is also known as ascorbic acid. It is an essential nutrient that plays a crucial role in the human body. It helps the body in performing different vital functions. From boosting the immunity of the body to supporting the health of the skin, vitamin C is a nutrient that does wonders. In this article, we will write about the variety of benefits one can get with a sufficient quantity of vitamin C in the body. It will also help you know how you can choose a good vitamin C supplement.
Importance of Vitamin C Supplements
You might notice the wide variety of Top vitamin C supplements in the retail stores in winter. You will find a number of choices in them, which may make you confused about what supplement you should go for. Vitamin C is one of the water-soluble vitamins, and the human body needs it regularly to make sure there is enough of it. vitamin C works as an antioxidant in our body and may help to prevent damage to the body. It also helps improve the absorption of iron and keeps the immune system in good condition. Vitamin C is the essential nutrient for several aspects of everyday health. Moreover, it is crucial for the growth of the immune system.
Why do People Need Extra Vitamin C?
The human body is not able to produce vitamin C on its own. Also, vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin that cannot be stored in the human body. It means that this vitamin is required to be consumed regularly through diet or supplements. Several food items are rich in vitamin C, and daily consumption of these food items results in an insufficient amount of vitamin C. The deficiency of vitamin C in the body leads to chronic stress, illness and infection.
A Guide to Vitamin C Supplements
The human body needs an increased amount of vitamin C during illness or infection, so it is important to take enough vitamin C in a regular diet. Ascorbic acid is found naturally in food that has good bioavailability. It is found in citrus fruits as well. However, many people don’t consume enough of it through diet, which makes it important for them to intake vitamin C through supplements. Choosing the best vitamin C is something daunting because of the hundreds of options available in the market. here are the different types of vitamin C you might find:
- Ascorbic acid
- Bioflavonoids
- calcium ascorbates
- Time-release vitamin C
- Esterified vitamin C
- Sodium ascorbate
Which Supplement is Best?
According to researchers, 400mg of vitamin C daily does not increase the amount of vitamin C in the blood. Out of all the different types of vitamin C, such as esterified vitamin C, calcium ascorbate, vitamin C with sodium ascorbate, ascorbic acid, and vitamin C with bioflavonoids, the liposomes are thought to protect the antioxidant effects of vitamin C. High doses of calcium ascorbate and sodium ascorbate may increase the calcium or sodium intake. However, taking vitamin C in combination with bioflavonoids increases the vitamin C in the blood.
What to Look for in the Vitamin C Supplement Before Buying?
As we mentioned before, the different forms of vitamin C in the market. vitamin C usually comes in the form of ascorbic acid, while some other supplements contain other forms of vitamin C, such as calcium ascorbate, sodium ascorbate, or ascorbic acid with bioflavonoids. However, all forms of vitamin C are equally beneficial for the overall health of human being. To take an adequate amount of vitamin C, there are certain ways to take it. the various ways are:
- Capsules
- Sprays
- Chewable gummies
- Vitamin C powders
- Vitamin C liquids
- Effervescent tablets
Many people prefer the convenience of tablets as swallowing them is easy. While others prefer taking vitamin C powders that can be missed in drinks and plain water. Most people having the problem in absorbing nutrients may prefer sublingual supplements because the human body absorbs these supplements in the mouth rather than into the intestines.
How to Get the Best Vitamin C Supplement?
Cold and flu in the winter season calls for the stocking up of good vitamin C supplements. Vitamin C is believed to keep sickness at bay. Vitamin C is best for boosting immunity and is also a powerful antioxidant that fights inflammation and infections. As you know that vitamin C cannot be produced on its own in the body and needs to be obtained through diet or supplements, there are certain things you need to consider the different types of vitamin C available in the markets. Do look for the ingredients labeling on the bottle of vitamin C and select the one that features added bioflavonoids for increased absorption.
What are the Health Benefits of Vitamin C Supplements?
Vitamin C supplements can be super beneficial. Considering, your body cannot produce it, adequate vitamin C is often linked with having several impressive health benefits. While it is recommended to fulfill the daily vitamin C intake from your daily diet. A lot of people often refer to supplements instead to take care of their dosage requirements. We bet a lot of you are probably skeptical on whether vitamin C supplements could be just as effective as Vitamin C derived from s normal diet, or maybe even if they are effective at all. This article will walk you over some top health benefits associated with consuming vitamin C supplements.
Reduced Risk of Developing a Chronic Disease
Consuming vitamin C supplements regularly can strengthen YouTube body’s natural defense mechanism as Vitamin C is known to be a powerful antioxidant.
You can boost your immune system with the help of antioxidants like Vitamin C. These antioxidants are molecules that strengthen your immunity by protecting cells against harmful molecules, which are referred to as free radicals.
Chronic disease is born when free radicals gather and encourage a state known as oxidative stress, which can be quite harmful. However, many studies indicate that with more Vitamin C consumption, you can increase blood antioxidant levels by up to 30%, allowing your body’s natural defense mechanism to fight against inflammation.
High Blood Pressure Management
High blood pressure is something we or a family member has experienced at least once in their life. Research indicates that about one-third of American adults suffer from high blood pressure.
High blood pressure can lead to severe complications and puts you at an increased risk of heart diseases, which happen to be the leading cause of death globally.
Studies suggest vitamin C has the potential to lower blood pressure in individuals who have and do not have high blood pressure.
As per a blood pressure study conducted on animals, results have shown that Vitamin C can significantly help reduce blood pressure levels as vitamin C supplements were able to relax blood vessels that carry blood from the heart.
Similarly, 29 other human studies on healthy adults were able to find that consuming vitamin C supplements reduced diastolic blood pressure (the lower value by 1.5 mmHg and systolic blood pressure ( the upper value) by 3.8 mmHg, on average. In adults with high blood pressure, it was found on average that Vitamin C supplements had reduced systolic blood pressure by 4.9 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure by 1.7 mmHg. However, whether or not the effects are long-term remains unclear and for those suffering from high blood pressure, it is recommended to seek medical attention and not rely on supplements solely.
Potentially Helps Reduce Blood Uric Acid Levels and Helps Reduce the Risk of Gout Attacks
Approximately 4% of American adults suffer from gout. Gout is a type of arthritis. This can be a very painful disease as it involves inflammation of the joints, especially of the big toes. People who suffer from gout experience severe and sudden pain attacks along with swelling.
Gout happens when there is excess uric acid in the blood, which is a waste product the body produces. At high levels, it may lead to crystallization and could deposit in the joins.
However, several studies have interestingly found that Vitamin C can also help in reducing uric acid in the blood, which as a result is a great way to protect against gout attacks
Several studies conducted over healthy men indicated that those who consume vitamin C had significantly lower blood uric acid levels with lower gout risk, in comparison to those who did not consume vitamin C.
Lowered Risk of Heart Diseases
It may not surprise you to know that heart diseases happen to be the leading cause of death worldwide. There are several factors that could lead to or increase the potential and risk of heart disease. This includes LDL (bad) cholesterol levels and lower levels of HDL (good) cholesterol levels, high triglycerides, and high blood pressure.
Vitamin C can possibly reduce heart disease risk as it helps in reducing such risk factors. For instance, 9 studies conducted over 293, 172 participants (combined) found that individuals consuming at least 700 mg of vitamin C daily had a 25% lower risk of developing heart diseases in comparison to those who did not.
Helps in Preventing Iron Deficiency
Just like all other nutrients, iron too is a vital nutrient that plays an important role in a number of functions within the body. It is highly essential when it comes to creating red blood cells and aids in the transportation of oxygen throughout the body.
Vitamin C supplements can help to improve iron absorption from the diet. It is known to assist in converting poorly absorbed iron, such as iron that stems from plant-based sources into forms that are easier to absorb.
This can be quite effective and useful for those individuals who opt for a meat-free diet, considering meat plays a major source of iron. In fact, it is proven that just consuming about 100 mg of vitamin C can help to improve iron absorption by 67%.
As a result of this, Vitamin C helps to reduce the risk of anemia in younger adults and people who are prone to iron deficiency.
A study that was conducted on 65 children suffering from mild iron deficiency anemia were given a vitamin C supplement. Researchers were able to conclude that the supplement alone was enough to control their anemia.
Vitamin C supplements can be your go-to option in case you have low blood iron levels and wish to improve them.
If you are considering consuming vitamin C supplements to enhance the nutrients in your body, we strongly recommend you do so. With some of the many health benefits attached in this article, it is best to add vitamin C supplements to your daily diet. However, we do recommend you consult a physician or your doctor just to avoid any potential complications.