Advantages of Vitamin C

Vitamin C also known as ascorbic acid, dehydroascorbic acid, L-ascorbic acid, and it is the most consumed vitamin in North America. It is one of those vitamins that have been increasingly researched and its benefits are found to be amazing. Of course Vitamin C was found to be necessary by sailors due to scurvy. The long time it took to sail meant that fresh fruits and vegetables were not consumed for a long time. Since then more is known about vitamin c.

Human beings don't have the ability to produce vitamin C so have to consume it from food or nutrients. The best source of Vitamin C being fruits like oranges, strawberries, cantaloupe, watermelon, and currants. Vegetables also provide Vitamin C, these are Brussels sprouts, and green leafy veggies, collard greens, lettuce, cabbage, peas, asparagus and so on.

I will attempt to describe as many uses of vitamin C as I can which means you should be ready to be blown away by what is known about Vitamin C.

1) Antioxidant- Vitamin C is an antioxidant which damages free radicals. Free radicals form during cell synthesis and can do a lot of damage to the body by reacting to proteins and fat cell walls. The process is called oxidation. Antioxidants protect our cells from damage and it is used in skin care for the antioxidant it provides which protects the skin from sun damage and other environmental contaminates. Dark spots and sun damage which causes uneven skin tone is taken care of by Vitamin C.

2) Collagen formation- What is collagen? It is a connective tissue in our bodies that binds tissues and organs together like glue. We find collagen providing structure to skin, blood vessels, muscles, arteries, tendons and ligaments and bones. Vitamin C is necessary for the formation and maintenance of collagen. Some of the functions of collagen are in the blood vessels which need to contract and expand for the blood to flow after every heart beat, so we can conclude that since the structure of the blood vessel is collagen, Vitamin C is very important for cardiovascular system by assisting in the metabolism of fat. Vitamin C aids in the healing of wounds and burns.

3) Absorption of iron is also another benefit of Vitamin. Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin that is used in many tissues throughout the body. It helps the body absorb iron, necessary for the synthesis of red blood cells and the transportation of oxygen through the body It also aids in the regulation in the body's ability to absorb, transport, and store iron.

4) Vitamin C has antihistamine activity which helps fight allergies. Deficiency in Vitamin C is connected with the increased asthma attacks or risk of developing asthma. Vitamin C is also an anti inflammatory so helps with many illnesses. Common colds are not as severe with vitamin C.

5) The adrenal gland sits on top if the kidneys and it’s a endocrine gland which produces different kinds of hormones. The main function is to regulate stress through synthesis of dopamine, noradrenalin and adrenaline which need Vitamin C for synthesis. The adrenal gland has the highest concentration of Vitamin C. Vitamin C is also necessary for the production of carnitine, which aids in the oxidation of fatty acids.

6) Vitamin C dramatically lowers blood lead level which is usually high in smokers. Cigarettes contain 11% lead and half enters the lungs of the smoker by means of smoke. Children in urban areas also have problems with lead.”High dosages of Vitamin C are associated with reduced blood levels of lead in both young children and adults, the researchers reported. Dr. Joel A. Simon and Dr. Esther Hudes, both at the University of California at San Francisco, have revealed their findings in the current issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA)."by kid source online.