Vitamin C: 10 Hidden Health Benefits You Need to Explore
Vitamin C, or ascorbic acid, is an essential vitamin that is not synthesized by our body at all, so it is either sourced from the diet we consume or from supplements.
It is a water-soluble vitamin, and our body is unable to store it. To prevent its shortage in the body, we need to have it daily in our diet or supplement it.
This Vitamin is very popular for its antioxidant properties primarily, which are required for the healthy functioning of all body parts.
Antioxidants are naturally good chemicals that block or cancel out the damage caused by free radicals in our body. These free radicals are the bad chemicals naturally synthesized in our body during normal functioning and create oxidative stress in the body.
Free radicals contribute to many chronic health problems such as cardiovascular and inflammatory disease, cataracts, and even cancer. If not blocked, these free radicals can also speed up the process of aging.
Therefore, the antioxidants in vitamin C scavenge them and assist their decomposition within the body.
Vitamin C can offer you much more than just boosting your immune system and skin collagen.
Here are the 10 hidden health benefits of Vitamin C that you need to explore:
1. Manage high blood pressure
Studies have shown that vitamin C may help reduce hypertension in both those with and without high blood pressure.1
According to research, Vitamin C supplementation of 500 to 1000 mg per day for up to 8 weeks ended in reduced systolic and diastolic blood pressure and reduce stiffness in arteries for smooth circulation of blood to the heart. 2
2. Lower your risk of heart disease
Vitamin C may help also reduce the risk factors that can cause heart conditions.3 It works for a healthy heart in the following manner:
- Helps wide open the blood vessels
- Improves nitric oxide production for improved blood circulation
- help reduce deposition of fats and cholesterol in arteries
- Improves left ventricular ejection fraction in patients with heart failure for proper pumping of oxygenated blood throughout the body.
- It is reported that Vitamin C supplementation of 500 mg per day, for a month, can reduce LDL or bad cholesterol and fatty acids.4
3. Help prevent Gout
Interestingly, Vitamin C can also prevent gout attacks by lowering uric acid to less than 6 mg/dl in blood.
A study conducted on 1,387 men reported that those who consumed the most vitamin C had lower uric acid levels in the blood as compared to those who were deficient in Vitamin C.5
4. Sharpens your memory and thinking
Low levels of Vitamin C can impair your ability to think and remember and even result in memory loss conditions, dementia, and Alzheimer's disease.6
However, adding Vitamin C-rich food or Vitamin C supplementation can improve your memory, and thinking skills and enhance your performance.7
5. Heal wounds
Vitamin C can also accelerate wound healing by boosting collagen and improving the tensile strength of skin, specifically during surgery or trauma, diabetics, and the elderly with leg ulcers.14
6. Prevents Cataracts and Muscular Degeneration
Regular supplementation with Vitamin C greater than 300 mg/day can reduce the risk of cataract formation by 70-75% and muscle degeneration in later life.8
Vitamin C lowers oxidative stress, which is a huge risk factor for cataracts and muscle degeneration in old age
7. Good for Diabetes
Studies have shown that Vitamin C supplementation can potentially lower blood glucose, increase insulin production and improve insulin resistance, and reduce the chances of complications of type 2 diabetes.9
A case study conducted on 31 people with type 2 diabetes reported a significant drop in blood sugar levels post-meal after supplementation for 4 months. 10
8. Cure Asthma and COPD
Vitamin C supplementation can also help cure chronic asthma and inflammatory COPD. The antioxidants in Vitamin C balance the free radicals that cause inflammatory abnormalities in the respiratory tract.11
Vitamin C supplementation can be a cost-effective approach for asthma management in long term.
9. Skin Allergies
Vitamin C supplementation is also reported to reduce skin inflammations, swellings, and allergic symptoms. Regular intake of Vitamin C can potentially decrease histamine levels that cause allergies.
Research proves that histamine levels may decrease by about 38% by daily intake of 2g of vitamin C.12
10. Motion sickness
Vitamin C supplementation before traveling can also reduce nausea and motion sickness.
A case study on 70 people reported a reduction in symptoms of motion sickness after having 2 gms of vitamin c supplement before exposing to a live raft. 13
Give yourself a daily dose of Vitamin C with DrTrust Vitamin C Amla Zinc sugar-free Tablets to get a free pass from your health problems.