Top 10 Health Benefits of Vitamin C

Vitamin C benefits the body in different ways. It is beneficial to almost all-body systems. It provides multiple health benefits ranging from the synthesis of collagen to boosting the immune system. As it is a water-soluble vitamin, it cannot be stored in the body. To get the health benefits of vitamin C, we need to take enough amount of it daily.

What Are the Health Benefits of Vitamin C?

Vitamin C benefits the body in different ways. In this article, we will discuss the top 10 health benefits of vitamin C. 

1. Collagen Production

Collagen is the most abundant and common structural protein in our body. It is present in the skin, bones, joints, and muscles. Vitamin C benefits the body by assisting in the synthesis of collagen protein. Collagen helps maintain the firmness of the skin and also improves bone strength.

2. Wound Healing

As vitamin C helps in collagen production, it boosts the wound healing process. There are four phases of wound healing such as hemostasis, inflammation, proliferation, and remodeling. Vitamin C is involved in all the phases and facilitates the anti-inflammatory process. During the proliferation and remodeling phase, vitamin C helps in the synthesis of collagen, its maturation, and eventually rebuilding of the new skin tissues that have been lost during injury. 

3. Iron Absorption

Another important health benefit of vitamin C for our body is boosting iron absorption. Iron is an essential mineral for our body and is mainly required by hemoglobin. And hemoglobin is a carrier protein that carries oxygen and delivers it to every single cell of the body. Vitamin C helps in iron absorption by making chelate with ferric iron at acidic pH and makes it easily absorbable through the small intestine.

4. Boosts Immunity

Vitamin C boosts both innate and adaptive immunity by facilitating the cellular functions of these immune systems. It boosts the performance of immune cells to fight against foreign pathogens and also facilitates the anti-inflammatory process.

5. Skin Health

Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin and it benefits the body by maintaining the optimal hydration status of the skin. If we intake an adequate amount of vitamin C daily, it prevents our skin from becoming rough & dry. Being a potent antioxidant, vitamin C particularly protects the skin from free radicals which can cause premature aging of the skin such as the formation of wrinkles and dark spots. Vitamin C also maintains the firmness, elasticity, and strength of skin, and gives a natural glow.

6. Antioxidant Support

Vitamin C is a strong antioxidant which means that it helps the body in reducing oxidative stress. Vitamin C reduces oxidative stress by neutralizing the free radicals present in the body, thus protecting us from their harmful effects.

7. Bone and Joint Health

Vitamin C is beneficial for our bone and joint health. Because bones and joints contain collagen, which gives them elasticity & flexibility and also helps in remodeling the bone tissues that had been lost. Vitamin C helps improve joint mobility by boosting collagen production which is necessary for healthy cartilage.

8. Gut Health

Another important health benefit of vitamin C is that it maintains gut health by providing a barrier to harmful pathogens. It also makes the digestion process smooth by providing antioxidant support to the body. 

9. Reduces the Risk of Heart Diseases

According to the WHO NCD countries profile 2014, Pakistan is bearing the 49% burden of non-communicable diseases such as heart diseases, stroke, cancer, and diabetes mellitus. 

Vitamin C may help lower the risk of heart diseases by supporting the smooth functioning of the blood vessels and maintaining their elasticity. Vitamin C acts as a diuretic and removes the extra fluid from the body, hence reducing high blood pressure.

10. Helps Reduce the Risk of Gout

Gout is a type of arthritis that is very painful. It causes inflammation of the joints and intense pain in the toes, knees, ankles, wrists, and elbows. The main cause of gout is the deposition of uric acid crystals in the joints which causes stiffness of joints. Vitamin C helps reduce the risk of gout by reducing serum urate in the blood and facilitating its removal through the kidneys. 

To enjoy every single benefit of vitamin C, we need to intake a healthy amount of vitamin C each day by every possible means, either through vitamin C-rich foods or consuming a good quality vitamin C supplement just like Nutrifactor’s Nutra-C Plus, Extra-C, and Nutri-C 1000.

These food supplements contain a good amount of vitamin C, along with plant extracts that increase vitamin C absorption in the body. You can add any of these supplements to your routine for getting plenty of health benefits from vitamin C.

References: 

•    https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/vitamin-c-foods

•    https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/collagen-benefits

•    https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/6940487/

•    https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24796079/

•    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5707683/

•    https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/vitamin-c-benefits

•    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6942884/