It seems like we’ve been told about the importance of Vitamin C our whole lives. If you have so much as a sniffle, chances are someone will ask if you are getting enough of it. But don’t discount this vital nutrient just because it isn’t the newest nutrition fad! Vitamin C is an oldy, but a goody. Check out these five ways it can benefit you.
Immune System
Supporting your immune system is vitamin C’s claim to fame. We have all absorbed decades of conventional wisdom about guzzling orange juice with our chicken noodle soup when we get a cold. More recent scrutiny of some of the original claims about the vitamin shows that, unless you are a marathon runner or someone else putting your body to extreme stress, it probably won’t help you not get sick in the first place. But a 2013 review of several dozen studies does show that it can reduce the duration and severity of the common cold. It is also unlikely to harm you, even at higher dosages, so go ahead and support your healthy immune function.
Prenatal Health
According to whattoexpect.com, vitamin C helps a baby’s bones and teeth to develop, helps your body repair tissue and heal wounds, and helps your body absorb iron and produce collagen. A 2012 study by the University of Copenhagen, done on guinea pigs, who, like humans, need to get vitamin C from their diet, suggests that even minor vitamin C deficiency during pregnancy can stunt the development of the fetus’ hippocampus, an important memory centre in the brain.
Cardiovascular Health
A majority of observational studies report an inverse relationship between plasma levels of vitamin C and risk of coronary heart disease. Vitamin C alone is not enough to prevent cardiovascular disease, but this suggests it may play a role.
Skin Health
Vitamin C is not a sunscreen – it doesn’t absorb UVA or UVB light. However, it can help to limit the damage caused by UV exposure. It also regulates the structural protein collagen, helping to fight wrinkles, both those caused by sun exposure and those that are just a part of aging. Scurvy, the disease caused by vitamin C deficiency, is characterized by poor healing of wounds. Vitamin C clearly plays a role in repairing damaged skin.
Eye Health
According to the American Optometric Association, vitamin C possibly reduces the risk of developing cataracts and can slow the progression of age-related macular degeneration and loss of visual acuity, when taken with other essential nutrients.
All this goes to show that it might be worth stocking up on a vitamin C supplement, since according to the Science Daily article on the Danish study, 10-20% of adults in the developed world don’t get enough of this vital nutrient. It may not be the cure-all it is sometimes cracked up to be, and it probably won’t keep you from getting sick. But it might just help you fight off colds faster, and your heart, eyes, and skin and (where relevant) unborn child may thank you.
