Vitamin C is an essential vitamin with many health benefits. Your body can’t produce it, which means you need to consume the recommended daily amount. This water-soluble vitamin is found in many fruits and vegetables, including citrus fruits, kiwis, strawberries, broccoli, spinach, kale, and bell peppers. Though it's commonly recommended to try to get your daily vitamin C from foods, many people benefit from taking supplements to meet their needs. Keep reading to find out scientifically-proven benefits of taking vitamin C supplements.
1. Reduce Risk of Chronic Disease
Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that protects cells from harmful molecules called free radicals. When these molecules accumulate, they cause oxidative stress, which has been linked to many chronic diseases. These include heart disease, kidney disease, rheumatoid arthritis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and possibly certain cancers. As an antioxidant, vitamin C helps reduce or prevent oxidative stress to help boost your immune system, lower inflammation, and keep your cells healthy, lowering your risk of developing chronic diseases.
2. Manage High Blood Pressure
Another benefit of taking vitamin C supplements is they may help manage high blood pressure. About a third of American adults have high blood pressure, and this condition puts you at risk of heart disease, which is the leading cause of death worldwide. Research has shown that vitamin C could help lower blood pressure by relaxing the blood vessels that carry blood from the heart. Lowering your high blood pressure could reduce your risk of heart disease and other health complications.
3. Prevent Iron Deficiency
Iron is a nutrient that your body uses to make red blood cells and transport oxygen throughout your body. Taking vitamin C supplements can help improve your body’s ability to absorb iron from your diet. Some types of iron are poorly absorbed, such as iron found in plant sources. Vitamin C converts this iron into a form that is more easily absorbed. This is an especially helpful benefit for individuals on a meat-free diet, as meat is a primary source of iron. By improving iron absorption, taking vitamin C may help reduce the risk of anemia in people prone to iron deficiency.
4. Boost Immunity and Healing
One of the primary reasons why people take vitamin C supplements is to boost immunity. This vitamin is involved in many parts of the immune system, including the production and function of white blood cells, protecting white blood cells from free radicals, and strengthening the skin’s barriers to keep invaders out. Studies show that taking vitamin C may help wounds heal faster and shorten the recovery time of illness. This is due to both vitamin C’s antioxidant activity as well as its ability to promote collagen production in the skin.
5. Protect Brain Health
As a powerful antioxidant, vitamin C could play a role in protecting brain health. Studies suggest that taking vitamin C supplements regularly could protect the brain from neurodegeneration related to aging and diseases such as Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, Huntington’s disease, multiple sclerosis, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Research also suggests that vitamin C supplementation could help alleviate symptoms if a deficiency is present. It’s even thought that vitamin C may help treat or lower the risk of mental health disorders such as anxiety, depression, and schizophrenia.
6. Prevent Gout Attacks
Gout is a type of arthritis that affects an estimated 4 percent of adults in America. It involves inflammation of the joints and sudden, severe attacks of pain. Symptoms of gout appear when there is too much uric acid in the blood. This waste product can crystallize and deposit in the joints. Several studies have shown that vitamin C may help reduce blood uric acid levels to protect against gout attacks. This is likely due to its antioxidant activity, as uric acid levels are often higher in people with significant oxidative stress. This means taking vitamin C supplements could be a safe and effective way to help prevent gout attacks.
Shop for Vitamin C Supplements at Hines Street Pharmacy
These are just some of the many health benefits that vitamin C may provide. Are you interested in seeing how vitamin C supplements could benefit your health? Here at Hines Street Pharmacy, we offer multiple forms of vitamin C supplements to suit your needs, including Vitamin C Chewables, Vitamin C Gummy, Liposomal Vitamin C Liquid, and Vitamin C + Bioflavonoids. If you have any questions about taking supplements or you need health advice, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us and we’ll be happy to help!
