Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, is an essential nutrient that the body doesn’t produce. This means everyone needs to meet their daily vitamin C requirements through their diet. Vitamin C appears in many fruits and vegetables, such as plums, cherries, guavas, yellow sweet peppers, cantaloupe, parsley, chili peppers, and many others. Vitamin C is vital to body function as it maintains skin, joint, immune, and cardiovascular health. Be sure to find out if you are consuming enough vitamin C and to learn about its amazing health benefits.
Benefits of Vitamin C
Vitamin C in any of its natural forms is believed to be involved in more biochemical reactions in the body than any other vitamin. It is necessary for some 300 functions in the body. It protects the cardiovascular system and prevents heart disease, balances cholesterol levels, and plays an important role in the body’s production of collagen. As the protein constituent of our connective tissue, collagen literally holds us together, maintaining our skin, muscles, bones, and blood vessels, and aids in the healing of wounds. Vitamin C is necessary for the operation of our immune systems; our white blood cells cannot function properly without an adequate supply. It is most widely known as an antioxidant that works to prevent and repair cellular damage caused by toxic metabolic byproducts. As explained, vitamin C has quite the repertoire for supporting the body and all of its functions, including brain health.
Mental Benefits
Vitamin C has been known to increase mood and decrease feelings of depression and fatigue. There have been multiple studies conducted that show people who have lower levels of vitamin C usually experience greater feelings of fatigue and depression that were improved by taking a vitamin C supplement. Other studies have shown that vitamin C supplements can increase attention and focus and also decrease fatigue. That said, there is still a significant amount of research to be done on the effects of vitamin C on mental health.
How to Consume
There are many different sources stating the correct amount of vitamin C to consume daily. The most common vitamin C daily dosage recommendations are 90 mg per day for healthy adult men and 75 mg for women, and smokers of both genders are urged to add 35 mg to each amount. If you regularly consume your daily dose of fruits and vegetables, chances are you get enough vitamin C each day.
Scurvy
However, there are many who have a vitamin C deficiency, and a chronic lack of vitamin C is known as scurvy. The beginning symptoms of scurvy can include
- corkscrew/kinky body hair
- small blood dots appearing around hair follicles
- bleeding gums
Scurvy is an ancient but rare condition that is very treatable when caught early. If you are worried about your vitamin levels, check with your doctor to ensure your vitamin levels are within normal limits.
If you do have a vitamin C deficiency, the most common recommendation is regularly taking a vitamin C supplement. They are easily accessible and can be found at most grocery and health stores in many forms.
Too Much Vitamin C?
On the other end of the spectrum, consuming too much vitamin C can also cause unpleasant symptoms, but this is much harder to do. The body doesn’t store vitamin C, so any excess usually just gets peed out. However, if you consume over 2,000mg a day of vitamin C, it can cause diarrhea, stomach cramps, and nausea.
Conclusion
Support your body in the best ways possible by ensuring you are consuming enough vitamin C. Its wide range of health benefits highlights the fact that it is a vitamin that cannot be ignored. If you have concerns about your vitamin C level, talk to your doctor about getting tested to make sure you are within a normal range.
References
Vitamin C supplementation promotes mental vitality in healthy young adults: results from a cross-sectional analysis and a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial – PMC
Do the benefits of vitamin C include improved mood? – Mayo Clinic
The role of vitamin C in stress-related disorders – ScienceDirect
20 Foods That Are High in Vitamin C
Vitamin C Deficiency – StatPearls – NCBI Bookshelf
15 Signs and Symptoms of Vitamin C Deficiency
Vitamin C and Cardiovascular Disease: An Update – PMC
