The majority of us are well aware of how crucial vitamin C is for our immune systems. However, if you are aware with any of the information about mbg’s supplements, you may have already realized that vitamins occasionally surprise us with all that they can achieve.
It turns out that vitamins play a variety of vital roles in our bodies, and vitamin C is no exception. Your body needs adequate vitamin C each day to support its functions as a potent antioxidant, a catalyst for numerous enzymes, an aid in the absorption of iron, and many other things.
Advantages of vitamin C intake.
Vitamin C helps more than simply your immune system. It is involved in a wide range of bodily activities, and taking a high-quality vitamin C supplement helps support the optimal function of various cells, tissues, and organs.
What does vitamin C actually do? First of all, according to Anitra Carr, M.D., director of the Nutrition in Medicine Research Group at the University of Otago, it serves as a cofactor—a substance necessary for the activity of an enzyme—”for a number of biosynthetic and regulatory enzymes”.
At least 15 distinct enzymes in our body depend on vitamin C for normal activity, “influencing such things as neurotransmitter generation and fat metabolism,” according to Alexander Michels, Ph.D., clinical research coordinator at the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University.
Vitamin C serves as an enzyme cofactor and is also a potent antioxidant that fights reactive oxidative species to safeguard biomolecules throughout the body, including proteins, DNA, RNA, and cellular organelles (ROS).
According to registered dietitian nutritionist Emily Achey, M.S., R.D., INFCP, “Vitamin C has various vital activities inside the body—including correct immune system function, tissue healing, collagen synthesis, preservation of bones and cartilage, and effective absorption of iron.”
Multiple body systems benefit from daily vitamin C intake, and supplementation can bring about a variety of advantages, including the six we go through in more detail below.
Both Comprimé stéroides anabolisants innate and adaptive immunity depend on it.
Vitamin C supplementation can keep your immune system in peak condition by promoting the generation and operation of white blood cells, or the cells that work hard for our innate and adaptive immune systems to keep us healthy.
Joanna Foley, R.D., CLT, a nutritionist, previously discussed with mindbodygreen how vitamin C encourages lymphocyte growth and aids in the neutralization of pathogens by immune cells like neutrophils and white blood cells (e.g., lymphocytes).
And that’s only the start. Research on this crucial water-soluble micronutrient and immunity shows that vitamin C is fighting on our behalf2 in a variety of and targeted ways, from skin barrier functions (our first defense) and phagocytosis to neutralizing microbes, cleaning up worn-out immune cells, and gene regulation, according to mbg’s vice president of scientific affairs Ashley Jordan Ferira, Ph.D., RDN.
Encourages the health of our bones, joints, skin, and other body parts.
Did you know that vitamin C is essential for the synthesis of collagen?
Vitamin C is responsible for keeping your skin healthy and strong.
Vitamin C has been discovered to support radiant and healthy skin3, both orally and topically (typically in the form of vitamin C serums). In fact, a higher consumption of vitamin C is linked to a more youthful-looking complexion and fewer wrinkles, according to an observational study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
A sufficient intake of vitamin C is necessary for healthy skin, bones, and joints even though collagen is undoubtedly a buzzword in the skin care industry (and for good reason), since the structural protein is also crucial to bone and joint health5.
Ferira continues, “Collagen is the most prevalent protein in the human body, so yeah, while that’s skin, joints, and bones, it’s also muscle, tendons, cartilage, blood vessels, the gut, and so on.” Collagen is also found in skin, hair, nails, and other connective tissues. She continues, “Getting vitamin C everyday has tremendous, whole-body ramifications since it is necessary for appropriate collagen synthesis and its prevention and maintenance from oxidative stress.”
Supports and defends the nervous system (think brain).
Vitamin C is present in very high concentrations in the brain and neuroendocrine tissue (such as the pituitary and adrenal glands), suggesting that these organs and tissues play significant functions, according to Carr. Because of this, Ferira claims that “research indicates6 that the brain and its neurons literally need vitamin C and are sensitive to its absence or deficiency”*.
She continues by saying “Although it is crucial, vitamin C’s significance in the brain is rarely emphasized. For instance, this nutrient promotes the formation of neurons and the myelin sheath on nerves.”
The benefits of vitamin C for supporting the brain don’t stop there. Because vitamin C plays the aforementioned role in the collagen manufacturing pathway, Ferira claims that “even the creation of blood vessels (angiogenesis) in the brain requires vitamin C.” The brain is one organ, according to Ferira, “where you would want a superb antioxidant like vitamin C helping to battle free radicals and redox balance.”
For instance, vitamin C may improve mood by assisting in the production of neurotransmitters and neuropeptide hormones, according to Carr. Neurotransmitters and neuropeptides both contribute to the flow of information in addition to their effects on mood.
When considered collectively, it is evident that vitamin C plays numerous, important roles in the neurological system. In fact, studies show that adequate vitamin C levels are required to promote cognition and memory. This is likely the reason why published science6 found that improving your vitamin C status proactively can benefit your brain and cognitive health.
Helps maintain hormonal balance and adrenal function.
In order to assist balance hormones, vitamin C plays a role in neuroendocrine pathways that originate in the brain. As an illustration, vitamin C is crucial for the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis (think fight-or-flight stress response).
Actually, according to Achey, “the adrenal glands are essential for appropriate cortisol secretion and house the body’s highest concentration of vitamin C.”
As adrenal glands are essential in regulating metabolism and healthy blood pressure, bolstering the immune system, and more, vitamin C helps emotional well-being and a variety of other physiological processes by assisting the oxidant vs antioxidant balance in the adrenals.
Improves the gut’s absorption of iron.
Sometimes nutrients are friends and work together to support one another. This is true of iron, a necessary mineral, and vitamin C.
More iron can be absorbed in the gut thanks to vitamin C’s ability to support iron’s solubility in the small intestine. Ferira says that humans need iron on a regular basis to make DNA, maintain immune system function, and maintain the health of red blood cells, which carry oxygen throughout the body.
And those are only a few examples of what this material is capable of. Since practically every cell in your body requires iron to operate properly, those who have trouble getting enough iron may want to increase their daily vitamin C intake.
Provides antioxidant advantages for the entire body.
Vitamin C is leading the charge to help neutralize free radicals and fight ROS in both intracellular and extracellular compartments (i.e., inside cells and outside cells) throughout the body as the body’s main water-soluble antioxidant.
In addition, vitamin C not only functions as an antioxidant in and of itself but also helps vitamin E, its fat-soluble “partner” antioxidant, regenerate. Vitamins C and E cooperate to safeguard a variety of cells and tissues throughout the body, including the skin, eyes, heart, brain, and more thanks to this restorative function.
Taking a high-potency vitamin C pill has unique advantages.
The research presented above makes it abundantly evident that vitamin C is absolutely essential to our physiology on a 360-degree basis. We must obtain the vitamin C we require each day from food and supplements because it is water-soluble and cannot be stored in large quantities in the body like fat-soluble vitamins.
Taking vitamin C daily for immune support may be helpful for people who frequently call in sick to work. When you’re not feeling your best, your body’s levels of vitamin C drop, and you need to consume more of it to get back to where you should be, according to Carr. Your tissues and cells will receive the vitamin C they require when they require it if you replenish those vitamin C stores everyday.
High-quality supplements are a terrific addition to your daily routine if you’re wanting to boost your skin health from the inside out because vitamin C also helps collagen synthesis. A high-potency vitamin C supplement can actually promote all of the health pathways and benefits described above, even though focused nutrition solutions for beauty are an expanding field of study (and we’re here for it)!
Is daily vitamin C consumption okay?
While most animals can produce vitamin C on their own, humans require some assistance. We must regularly eat vitamin C because we cannot produce it and cannot even store it.
Putting things in even more perspective, licensed dietitian and nutritionist Ferira says, “Nearly 50% of American adults9 lack enough vitamin C in their diets. As a country, we fall short of fulfilling these minimal requirements, or baseline levels, let alone receiving therapeutic amounts.” She continues by stating, “We can’t just expect that getting enough vitamin C will happen to us every day of the week. It must be a deliberate nutrition approach that includes planning and strategy.”
This suggests that you should certainly include foods high in vitamin C on your shopping list (now!) and think about the incremental advantages of including a high-quality oral vitamin C supplement in your daily routine.
To be more precise, a high-potency C supplement guarantees you’re getting all the C you need (and then some) to support your overall health to the best of your ability.
Since vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin, your body will eliminate any excess through urination, making it exceedingly safe and posing very little toxicity risk (more details on this below).
How much vitamin C must one to consume each day?
The National Academies recommend 75 milligrams for women (and considerably more if pregnant or nursing) and 90 milligrams for men as the daily dietary intake to prevent vitamin C deficiency, which 42% of U.S. adults1 fail to meet.
Despite this, the objective is not merely to prevent deficiency. Ferira recommends that such a strategy “would be underestimating this miracle nutrient’s full potential and shooting low. In actuality, “your objective is to attempt to optimize the levels of vitamin C in your blood. A recommendation of 400 milligrams per day from a combination of food and supplements is supported by the Linus Pauling Institute “affirms Michels.
And while 400 mg of vitamin C is undoubtedly nothing to laugh at, research shows that greater C dosages (i.e., concentrated doses like 500 mg, 1,000 mg, etc.) can improve our performance in terms of immune response11, cardiovascular benefits12, and other areas.
To assist bridge the nutrient gap, attain vitamin C adequacy, and utilize the complete body full potential of this nutrient, mbg’s vitamin C potency+ formula supplies 1,000 milligrams of vitamin C in a formulation with enhanced absorption. Madiha Saeed, M.D., a family doctor, describes this as a “very effective dose.”
Can food provide enough vitamin C?
If you consume at least five servings of fruits and vegetables daily, including one with a high vitamin C content, such as guava, kiwi, or these other veggies and fruits, you should be able to get enough vitamin C, according to Carr.
The need for vitamin C can, however, be increased by a few things. According to Achey, “it is always important to consider an individual’s health story, including their digestive health, bone health, stress levels, immune function, and whether they smoke—all of which may increase needs for vitamin C and may make it more challenging to reach optimal needs through food.”
Ferira continues, “We know from nationally representative research1 that men, overweight or obese people, young adults, African Americans and Mexican Americans, lower-income, and people with food insecurity are all experiencing disproportionately higher levels of vitamin C insufficiency and deficiency.
What time of day is ideal for taking vitamin C supplements?
No time of day is more effective than another, claims Michels. The best moment, in reality, is whenever you remember to take it!
You can feel comfortable taking vitamin C in any time of day, with or without meals, as long as you select a high-quality, effective supplement that optimizes absorption and retention.
It is crucial to take your water-soluble vitamin C with some water every time, regardless of the time of day, to help with absorption. If you take an iron supplement, you may want to take your vitamin C supplement at the same time to help the body absorb iron more effectively.
Supplemental vitamin C’s potential adverse effects.
Taking too much vitamin C has a few possible negative effects. Vitamin C has an excellent safety profile, and dosages up to 2,000 milligrams per day have been shown to be safe for adults, according to Ferira. In fact, research on vitamin C frequently uses even greater doses with little adverse side effects noted.
The average adult should not consume more than 2,000 milligrams of vitamin C per day because unabsorbed vitamin C has an osmotic effect in the intestines as your body attempts to eliminate the excess. This may show up as gastrointestinal problems as bloating, nausea, or loose stools.
It’s important to keep in mind that excess doses of unabsorbed vitamin C frequently cause negative effects, so finding a supplement that is highly absorbable is crucial.
Of course, work with your doctor to be sure if you have important health concerns or issues with iron overload.
The final result.
Although our immune systems must function effectively and efficiently (perhaps more than ever), we must not disregard or undervalue the various physiological roles that vitamin C plays throughout the body.
Vitamin C exerts significant exertion throughout your body, assisting collagen in the formation of healthy skin, joints, and blood vessels as well as ensuring that our neurons fire properly and providing overall antioxidant protection. We are truly appreciative. Remember the numerous ways that vitamin C nourishes the body and works hard for us the next time you’re eating a kiwi or taking your regular vitamin pill, and perhaps even say a short “thank you.”