The Impact of Vitamin C In Human Body.

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We cannot all deny the fact that vitamins are essential nutrients required for body functionality. There are different types of vitamins, ranging from;

  • Fat-soluble vitamins, which include Vitamins A, D, E, and K.
  • Water-soluble vitamins, which include Vitamins B and C.
    These vitamins have their functions and each of them is subdivided into different categories. However, in this post, I want to concentrate more on vitamin C and the impact it adds on the body.


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Let's discuss the role of vitamin C in the human body.

Vitamin C is a very important micronutrient needed by humans. It contributes greatly to immune deficiency through the support it renders to different cellular functions of both the innate and adaptive immune systems.

The body is unable to produce vitamin C on its own, but it has lots of benefits and roles to add to the body. Vitamin-C, falls under the category of water-soluble vitamins, it can be found in lots of fruits and vegetables, examples of these fruits and vegetables include; Bell peppers, kale, spinach, strawberries, orange, and broccoli. It is medically recommended that on a daily basis; 75 mg of vitamin C should be taken by women while 90 mg of vitamin C should be taken by men, in order to meet the daily dose of vitamins taken into the body, some people seek it from food, while others simply look to take supplements to meet the required dosage. The benefits of vitamin C in the body include;

Manages high blood pressure: High blood pressure is not good for any human because it puts individuals at the risk of developing heart disease, it would be good to note as well, cases of heart disease are a global problem, causing global death.
There was confirmed research carried out, that shows that vitamin C supplements taken help to relax blood vessels, note that blood vessels are completely responsible for the movement of blood from the heart. Although vitamin C helps to control blood pressure, those with high blood pressure should not rely on vitamin C alone for the treatment of the condition.

Reduction of blood uric acid levels: Gout is arthritis affecting around 4% of American-based citizens. Arthritis is extremely painful, contributing to joint inflammation, especially for people who have big toes. The symptoms of gout, come clear when there is excessive uric acid in the blood, and uric acid on its own is not useful to the body since it is a waste product produced from the body, but when produced at a high level, it may get crystallized and begin to get deposited in the joints.


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Reduces the possibilities of chronic disease: Vitamin C contains strong antioxidants that would build up strength for the body's natural defense. Antioxidants are extremely needed for the body to function based on the fact that antioxidants are molecules required for the build-up of the molecules required to help boost the immune system.

According to proper research carried out, vitamin C has the ability to increase the level of blood antioxidants by up to 30%, therefore, increasing the natural ability of the body to fight inflammation.

Reduces the risk of heart disease: Heart disease has been a great cause of death worldwide, and it still is. There are several factors responsible for heart disease, some of them are; high levels of triglyceride, low levels of good cholesterol (LDL), as well as high levels of good cholesterol (HDL). Consuming 500 mg of vitamin C supplements on a daily basis would reduce the possibility of developing heart disease. However, if you are already consuming vitamin-C- rich meals on a regular basis, the supplements may not give additional heart health.

** Prevents iron deficiency**: Iron in the body is responsible for the production of red blood cells and the transportation of oxygen through the body. Vitamin C supplements serve the purpose of absorption of iron from diets, this is much more needed and necessary for those on a meat-free diet. Consuming 100 mg of vitamin C on a daily basis could improve the level of iron absorption by 67%.

Boosting immunity: Boosting immunity is one of the common reasons behind the consumption of vitamin C. Vitamin C as well boosts the production of white blood cells lymphocytes and phagocytes,, responsible for the protection of the body against every form of infection.
Vitamin C as well increases the functionality of white blood cells while they are been protected from the damage caused by potentially harmful molecules.

Vitamin C serves as a defense system to the skin, it gets transported to the skin where it then begins to act as an antioxidant, and it also gives strength to skin barriers.

Memory protection: It is widely believed that advancement in age comes with poor memory, a scientific condition known as Dementia. According to medical research, oxidative stress and inflammation occurring close to the central nervous system have the ability to increase the possibility of dementia.
The intake of vitamin C has proven to have some sort of protective effect on the brain.

Myths about Vitamin C.

There are common claims about the use of vitamin C, but not all these claims are real, let's get through some of these common untrue beliefs about vitamin c.

  • Prevention of a common cold: Most of us grew up believing that vitamin C capsules could prevent cold but it is one myth that has not to been proven.

  • Prevents eye diseases: There is a wild belief that vitamin C has the ability to reduce the risk of developing an eye disease, but proper research has proven that vitamin C supplements, contribute no effect on the eyes.

  • Reduces cancer: There have even been some type of published studies to link the use of vitamin C to lowering the risk of cancer, but there have also been studies to prove that, the intake of vitamin C has no effect on cancer development.

For the fact that vitamin C is easily accessible, and can be purchased without a prescription, an overdose isn't impossible. However, an overdose of vitamin C does not create any life-threatening condition, but it would create certain side effects, such as;

  • Sleeping issue.
  • Headache.
  • Cramps.
  • Abdominal pain.
  • Nausea.

Those with hemochromatosis often get into danger of vitamin C overdose, which makes their body store excessive iron.

Conclusion.

Vitamin C is really good for the body and has lots of scientific benefits as well, but the overuse of vitamin C would come with its own downsides, which is of course, not a life-threatening condition.

References.

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/195878

https://www.karger.com/Article/Abstract/90495

https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2020.574029/full

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

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29099763/

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



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8 comments
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I have really learnt alot on this post especially how vitamins plays a crucial role in our body

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I am glad you have, thank you so much.

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Can you please tell more about the downside of taking too much vitamin C? You mentioned issues for those with hemochromatosis (which I didn't know what it was). But what about people with a standard health condition? Thanks in advance for your clarifications.

Cheers!

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Hello @lemouth, I apologize for the late response.
Although, it is a rare case, but when overdose of vitamin C is taken, there could be a build up of negative downsides.

It is advisable not to go beyond the daily dosage of vitamin C.

Age Male Female
1–3 years 15 mg 15 mg
4–8 years 25 mg 25 mg
9–13 years 45 mg 45 mg
14–18 years 75 mg 65 mg
19+ years 90 mg 75 mg
Source

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Thanks. However, what are those downsides? Thanks in advance for answering.

(I cannot access the website you quoted from the train. Cookie issues. I will check it for home. Sorry if it contains the answer to my question.)

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Thanks. However, what are those downsides? Thanks in advance for answering.

(I cannot access the website you quoted from the train. Cookie issues. I will check it for home. Sorry if it contains the answer to my question.)

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