Every day, we are bombarded with new claims about the latest health trend. But how do you know what to believe? How can you tell if a vitamin or supplement is just hype or has legitimate benefits? While some of these trends come and go, you can always count on the classic vitamins. These vitamins will give you some of the most essential things you need; especially Vitamin C! Here’s everything there is to know about Vitamin C. Including why it’s one of the most important vitamins for your overall health!
Contents
- What Is Vitamin C?
- Where To Get Vitamin C
- Different Forms Of Vitamin C
- The Difference Between Types Of Vitamin C
- How Much Vitamin C You Should Have At Your Age
- Vitamin C is Important To Skin Health
- Vitamin C Can Improve Eye Health
- Vitamin C Is Good For Joints
- Vitamin C Is Important For Strong Bones
- Vitamin C Is Good For Your Memory
What Is Vitamin C?
Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin that is involved in many functions in the body, including tissue growth and repair, immune function, and iron absorption. This essential vitamin also helps to form collagen. Which strengthens your blood vessels and bones, keeps tissues healthy, and aids in wound healing. In addition, vitamin C plays a role in the synthesis of neurotransmitters and certain hormones. Which can help regulate energy production and blood sugar levels.
Where To Get Vitamin C
The best way to get vitamin C in your diet is through a variety of fresh produce. Foods high in this nutrient include oranges, grapefruit, lemons, strawberries, and raspberries. However, there are other ways to get the daily dose that you may not have considered! For example, vitamin C can be found in certain meats such as liver and oysters and in broccoli and brussel sprouts. You can also take a vitamin C supplements. However, be sure to read the label and understand the added ingredients and the suggested serving size.
Different Forms Of Vitamin C
There are actually 16 forms of Vitamin C that exist! The classic form of Vitamin C is Ascorbic Acid which is the purest form of Vitamin C and is found in most supplements. However, there are other types which include:
Sodium Ascorbate, Ester-C, Calcium Ascorbate, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate (MAP), Potassium Ascorbyl Phosphate (KAP), L-Ascorbic Acid, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Ascorbyl Dipalmitate, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate (SSL), Ferulic Acid, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Threonine-Lysine-Tocopherol Complex (TTC), Amorphous Ascorbic Acid, and Aescin.
The Difference Between Types Of Vitamin C
Each type of Vitamin C has a different shape and size. Which is why some forms are more bioavailable than others. For example, Ester-C contains calcium ascorbate and calcium carbonate. These will be broken down into ascorbic acid and then freely available to the body. However, other types like magnesium ascorbyl phosphate require the liver to break it down. In order to free up the ascorbic acid for use in the body.
How Much Vitamin C You Should Have At Your Age
Depending on your age and what is happening in your life, the amount of vitamin C you should get each day can vary. Here are the guidelines for how much vitamin C you should have each day. (mg=Milligrams)
- Ages 0-6 months: 40 mg
- ages 7-12 months: 50mg
- ages 1-3 years old: 15mg
- Ages 4-8 years old: 25 mg
- 9-13 years old: 45 mg
- 14-18 years old: 75mg
- 19+ years old males: 90mg
- 19+ years old females: 75mg
- Pregnant Women: 85mg
- Smokers: 120mg
Vitamin C is Important To Skin Health
Vitamin C is critical for keeping your skin healthy. The epidermis, or the outermost layer of the skin, contains cells that are rich in vitamin C, which is responsible for producing collagen fibers required to maintain a strong supportive network structure required for the underlying support structure of the skin. Vitamin C has also been shown to increase our body’s ability to produce natural antioxidants, helping keep our skin healthy and any damage from free radicals at bay.
Vitamin C Can Improve Eye Health
In addition to being essential for your skin’s health, Vitamin C is also important for eye health. The eye contains a high concentration of vitamin C, which helps protect the retina from oxidative damage. Vitamin C is also required for the synthesis of collagen, which holds your eye tissues in place. Vitamin C has been shown to be able to significantly boost your eye’s ability to fight against oxidative stress and free radicals.
Vitamin C Is Good For Joints
The elements that makeup cartilage, a material that gives our joints flexibility and mobility, contain a high concentration of Vitamin C. In fact, they’ve been found to have up to ten times as much as the surrounding tissue! Unfortunately, as we age, this cartilage begins to degenerate, which can cause pain and stiffness in our joints. Luckily for us, Vitamin C plays an important role in collagen synthesis, which is critical in the repair of cartilage, allowing our joints to function properly. This is especially important for athletes who are very active or have an existing condition that may be causing pain in their joints.
Vitamin C Is Important For Strong Bones
Another essential health benefit of Vitamin C is the way it helps build strong bones. Bones are composed of calcium and collagen, which both contain vitamin C. Vitamin C also encourages the absorption of dietary calcium to increase bone mineral density. This is because Vitamin C increases alkaline phosphatase activity, which promotes top-up biosynthesis in bones! Supplementing with Vitamin C has also been found to reduce age-related bone loss.
Vitamin C Is Good For Your Memory
Vitamin C is good for more than just your skin and bones! It can help keep your memory sharp as you age, too. Age-related cognitive decline may be the result of oxidative damage that occurs in our brain’s hippocampus region, leading to neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s. Fortunately for us, Vitamin C has been shown to be able to prevent this oxidative damage. It is especially important (and perhaps more critical) for older adults who are at an increased risk of developing age-related dementia. This study showed that individuals taking vitamin C supplements, specifically 500mg, had a higher score on their cognitive test than those taking placebos.
