It seems that we all know vitamin C We associate it with the colour yellow and lemons, but it turns out that this is not the whole picture. To understand where, how and when vitamin C can help you, and it is certainly extremely important for overall human health, it is necessary to understand how it works. It is also good to know which foods to consume.
An important property of vitamin C is that it is water soluble, which means that it can not be stored by the body in the long term – blog. This means that it is important to consume the right nutrients on a regular basis.
Sufficient amounts in the body are important because vitamin C affects many functions. It is involved in the formation of collagen, which is a key protein in the body and is responsible for the health of joints, teeth, bones, as well as skin and healthy scalp and nails. It is part of connective and muscle tissue.
Vitamin C is also an antioxidant, which means it helps to remove certain substances that are harmful to the body and whose build-up causes health problems. These are oxidative substances that are produced as a result of natural processes or after exposure to pollution. Oxidative stress has a negative effect on cells and can damage them. Vitamin C, on the other hand, limits this type of inflammation and thus prevents it from developing into more serious forms, sometimes even a form of cancer.
Scurvy is a well-known sailors’ disease, which caused sailors on long voyages to suffer from swollen joints, loose teeth and bleeding gums, increased exhaustion and anaemia due to a lack of fresh food with vitamin C. Vitamin C also helps iron absorption, promotes wound healing and, as is well known, helps to strengthen the immune system.
Benefits of vitamin C
In addition to the fact that people who consume enough vitamin C heal wounds faster due to better collagen production, the vitamin also has positive effects on the heart and the vascular system. These include the expansion of narrowed blood vessels, the prevention of high blood pressure, and may even have an effect on reducing the risk of heart disease. The vitamin has also shown some positive results in diabetes.
In fact, doctors have observed a reduction in blood sugar levels in patients when they regularly take a supplement of this vitamin. In addition to glucose levels, blood pressure has also fallen.
Some eye diseases, such as cataracts and macular degeneration, are age-related. Vitamin C is thought to reduce the risk and slow down the development of these conditions precisely because of its antioxidant properties. This anti-inflammatory effect also has a positive impact on other problems. The modern scourge of air pollution is bad for general health, but some research has identified that vitamin C, in combination with other substances, can alleviate pollution-related symptoms such as asthma or other lung diseases.
Vitamin C may also be beneficial in allergic reactions that trigger inflammatory responses, and the vitamin has a soothing effect. It has even been shown that people with allergies tend to have lower levels of this vitamin. Last but not least, vitamin C is also a popular ingredient in cosmetics, as it helps to counteract the effects of urban pollution on the skin.
Adequate vitamin C
To ensure sufficient vitamin C, which is the basis for the prevention of disease and inflammation, fresh vegetables and fruit should be consumed daily.
- Although you may prefer cooked vegetables, it is good to know that heat treatment, especially at high temperatures, can significantly reduce the vitamin content, so make sure you have some in their raw and raw form from time to time.
- Foods high in vitamin C include red peppers, strawberries, grapefruit and other citrus fruits, kiwifruit, pineapple, tomatoes, potatoes and a variety of green leafy vegetables.