Vitamin C – Why is It So Important?

For some reason, people tend to think that vitamin C only plays a role in helping us get over a cold or flu. While this is true, it’s certainly not the whole story about vitamin C. Vitamin C is also called ascorbic acid, and it’s one of the vitamins crucial for maintaining good health as it participates in no less than 300 biological processes in the human body.

Vitamin C Advantages:

Improving the immune system

Vitamin C helps maintain the proper functioning of the immune system; it increases the production and activity of antioxidants and immune cells, and helps defend against external pathogens and infections. Furthermore, it’s vital for the functioning of white blood cells, which are an important part of the immune system. Supplementing with vitamin C may shorten the course of a viral or bacterial infection such as the flu or a cold. Vitamin C plays an important role in the building and maintenance of connective tissues, such as our skin, which is the primary defense against infections.

Improves the absorption of minerals: Vitamin C contributes to better and more efficient absorption of iron, calcium and zinc.

The allergies connection: Histamine is a substance that gets released when there’s an allergic reaction by mast cells that are part of the immune system. Vitamin C has antihistamine properties; it delays the release of histamine from the mast cells and at the same time increases the evacuation of histamine from the body. That’s the reason why people who are prone to allergies tend to take vitamin C supplements, in order to reduce the severity of allergic reactions.

Antioxidants: In addition to the many roles it fulfills in our body, vitamin C also has important antioxidant qualities and it is vital to defending the body against free radicals damage. Vitamin C is especially crucial in smokers, since it reduces the damages done by smoking. Smoking causes increased waste of vitamin C and so smokers need a much higher dosage of vitamin C than usual. Each cigarette one smokes causes one to lose 25mg of vitamin C!

Protecting blood vessels: Vitamin C contributes to the production of collagen, the same protein that forms our connective tissues and is also a part of our blood vessel walls. This is the connection between vitamin C and blood vessel health. A severe vitamin C deficiency can lead to a disease called scurvy. This disease is caused by vitamin C deficiency, and it manifests in the direct harm to the production of collagen. In the first stages of the disease, scurvy damages the small blood vessels and causes bleeding gums. Constant and sufficient consumption of vitamin C protects and strengthens blood vessel walls. Another aspect of blood vessel health connected to vitamin C, is that vitamin C aids in the production of bile salts from cholesterol and reduces the oxidization of cholesterol, which tends to sink.

Protecting the skin: As mentioned before, vitamin C is part of the synthesis process of collagen, and therefore we need to have a sufficient amount of vitamin C in order to properly produce collagen and maintain a healthy skin.

Protecting the eyes: Vitamin C may reduce the risk of developing cataracts, an eye disease that is caused by clouding in the eyes’ lenses, and disrupts one’s vision. Vitamin C plays an important role as an antioxidant that delays the processes that lead to the formation of cataracts.

What are the most common factors leading to vitamin C deficiency?

• A diet poor in vitamin C is the main reason for being deficient. A diet that includes eating few fresh vegetables and fruit as well as a high consumption of processed foods. The emphasis here is on fresh fruit and vegetables; vitamin C is heat sensitive and is easily destroyed by heat, and therefore any type of cooking and processing damages it.
• Stress and tension cause an increased utilization of vitamin C since it participates in the production of stress hormones (steroidal hormones) in the adrenal gland.
• Poor absorption. As we age there is a decreased in our ability to absorb minerals and vitamins, including vitamin C.
• Coffee and alcohol. The high consumption of coffee and alcohol causes an increase in the utilization of vitamin C by the body, as well as an increase in its secretion in urine.
• Medications. There are a number of commonly used medications that increase the secretion of vitamin C in urine.
• Smoking can lead to a sharp decline in vitamin C levels in bodily tissues, due to increased utilization.

Who is vitamin C for?

Vitamin C is important and recommended for all ages and all populations, but it is especially vital to the following:

1. Vitamin C is vital for children since it participates in many processes that are involved in growth and development, and since it’s vital for the healthy functioning of the immune system. It’s important to make sure that children get enough vitamin C in their diet. There are children who are very picky eaters and whose diet is very limited and includes few fresh fruit and vegetables. In those cases, it’s recommended to use nutritional supplements that are formulated specifically for children, in order to get the required levels of vitamin C.
2. Vitamin C for pregnant women. It’s known that keeping a balanced and healthy diet is extremely important during pregnancy. It’s important that pregnant women consume enough vitamin C since it participates in the building of connective tissues in the body and contributes to the absorption of iron.
3. Vitamin C for people who take medications. Certain medications, such as NSAIDs and Aspirin increase the loss of vitamin C through urine. As a rule, people who take medications should consult a doctor or a pharmacist, and check whether there are any chemical interactions between the medications.
4. Vitamin C for smokers. Aside from the fact that smokers lose a certain amount of vitamin C with every cigarette they smoke, they are also more exposed to free radicals and the damage they cause to cells and bodily tissues. Smokers need to increase their consumption of vitamin C in order to both prevent deficiency as well as reduce damages from smoking.

Vitamin C deficiency

A vitamin C deficiency can be characterized by a high frequency of colds and various infectious diseases, bleeding gums (that is not a result of gingivitis), frequent nosebleeds, a long recovery of skin wounds, and long-lasting fatigue. These symptoms are not related to a vitamin C deficiency alone, and therefore if you experience any of these symptoms, you should consult a physician.

Important! Since vitamin C is water soluble, it’s not stored in the body, and its levels in the body vary. In order to maintain your health, you should consume the vitamin on a daily basis through such sources as fresh fruit and vegetables, as well as high quality vitamin C supplements.

Vitamin C – Side Effects

A possible vitamin C side effect is irritation of the intestinal mucosa. This phenomenon appears mainly in individuals who suffer from such conditions as GERD, ulcers, and esophagitis, and the chances of this side effect rise the more one increases their vitamin C dosage. The solution in these cases is to take a form of vitamin C that is not acidic, such as Ester C. In some rare cases, the consumption of an especially high dose of vitamin C can cause diarrhea and skin irritation.