Vitamin C also known as ascorbic acid is the most consumed vitamin. It is a vitamin that has been widely researched on and its benefits are quite a lot and amazing. Due to the fact that people cannot produce vitamin C, they need to consume it from food or nutrients. The best sources of vitamin c are currants, oranges and watermelon among others. Vegetables are also a good source of vitamin c and they include cabbage, lettuce, greens and peas. Below are some benefits of vitamin c.
Vitamin c is essential for immunity. It is also essential for collagen which is the main structural protein that is found in connective tissue. Vitamin c will protect your body from getting infections and you will be able to have healthy teeth, bones and your body will be able to repair wounds very quickly. Besides the immune benefit of vitamin c fighting against bacteria, infections and viruses, they also act as antihistamine which reduces the effects of common cold which includes blocked nose, aches and inflammation.
Vitamin c is also an effective antioxidant which helps to protect our bodies from free radicals which cause oxidative stress. A lot of oxidative stress often leads to severe medical conditions such as atherosclerosis which causes heart diseases and stroke. It is also linked with very many types of cancer such as mouth, stomach, lungs and colon. Vitamin c helps in the regeneration of the bodies supply for vitamin E which is another essential antioxidant. Antioxidants are helpful by protecting cells from being damaged and it is used in the skin to protect it from sun damage. Sun damage and dark spots which causes uneven skin are treated by vitamin c.
Vitamin c helps in lowering blood pressure and this lessens the chances of getting hypertension as well as other serious health complications including cardiovascular disease. Besides lowering blood pressure, vitamin c also makes sure that blood vessels are well dilated. Dilation of blood vessels prevents diseases such as high cholesterol, congestive heart failure and angina which is a condition that occurs when there is inadequate blood supply to the heart which causes severe chest pains.
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Vitamin c lowers lead toxicity significantly. This is essential more so for children who are living in urban areas. Lead toxicity severely affects the development and behaviors of people. It often leads to problems such as learning disabilitiesand low IQ level. In adults, it causes blood pressure and kidney damage.
The human eye needs vitamin c to function well. Deficiency of vitamin c leads to cataracts a condition whereby the lens becomes opaque causing one to have a blurry vision. High intake of vitamin c fights cataracts and increases the amount of blood flow to the eye.
Vitamin c also helps in absorption of iron. Vitamin c is soluble in water and it is used in many tissues in the body. It assists the body to absorb iron which is essential for the synthesis of red blood cells and also transportation of iron to all parts of the body. This vitamin assists the body to absorb, transport and store iron. Vitamin c also has antihistamine which is useful in fighting allergies. When one lacks vitamin c, they are prone to an increase in asthma attack or even develop it.
It is worth realizing that vitamin c is essential for the human body. It is essential for everyone to include this vitamin in their diets. If it is possible for you to be eating foods in vitamin c, you will not need to take supplements. In case you decide to take them, make sure that they are not counterfeit.