Vitamin C , What are the benefits of taking it? , We’ve all heard of it many times. But do we really know him? Are we aware of the benefits it brings to all of us?
Table of Contents
What is vitamin C?
Vitamin C or ascorbic acid performs many important functions in the human body. It significantly increases the absorption of iron (Fe), participates in the formation of bones, teeth and tissues. It plays a significant role in wound healing, maintains skin elasticity, is necessary for the production of stress hormones, improves resistance to infections, helps with high blood pressure, atherosclerosis and cancer.
It is very important to know that this vitamin cannot be formed in the human body, which is why it needs to be imported through food or tablets.
The foods that are richest in vitamin C are rose hips – 1250 mg per 100 g, while citrus fruits contain only 50 mg per 100 g of fruit. Other good sources of this vital vitamin are: peppers, strawberries, potatoes, cauliflower, and many other fresh fruits and vegetables. It is very important to know that when getting vitamin C from fruits and vegetables, it is recommended that they be consumed raw. Much of the vitamin is destroyed by heat treatment, freezing and even longer storage.
Action of vitamin C
We all know the main effect of the vitamin on the body’s resistance. In the first place, it improves the activity of white blood cells, which in turn have the function to detect, destroy and eat viruses, bacteria and cancer cells. The white blood cells of people who take vitamin C in the range of 2 to 3 g per day are significantly more active.
Vitamin C is an extremely important oxidant. In turn, it enhances the action of other antioxidants such as our well-known vitamins A and E. It can be argued that these three vitamins are vital to each other (they have a synergistic relationship) because each of them has the ability to enhance and significantly support the action of the other two. It has a very important role in relation to the brain. It maintains it by protecting it from oxygen deficiency. After research, the highest concentrations of vitamin C in the human body were found in the nervous tissue, which shows that this part of the body needs it the most.
Years ago, experiments were conducted that found that vitamin C, A and selenium were able to prevent the development of cancer cells. In particular, vitamin C itself significantly interferes with the conversion of certain substances into crustaceans. Nitrites can be mentioned as such, which are mostly found in fruits and vegetables, as a result of their fertilization with nitrogen fertilizers, which we, by bad circumstances, cannot avoid and consume more or less.
Once in the human body, they are converted to nitrosamines, which are a major cause of stomach and intestinal cancer. Large amounts of vitamin C have been shown to block the conversion of nitrates and nitrites to nitrosamines.
The benefits in athletes
For fitness enthusiasts, vitamin C is vital for keeping bone connective tissue in good condition. Without vitamin C, the synthesis of collagen, which is a major protein for building connective tissue, is impossible. Taking the necessary doses of vitamin C helps to heal wounds on the skin faster and to keep it in good condition. In addition, vitamin C is involved in the absorption of calcium, which makes it clear that it helps bone formation, growth and timely and trouble-free healing in case of fracture.
We have all heard and know about the crucial importance of the cardiovascular system. But it is good to know about the beneficial effects of the vitamin on the heart and blood vessels. Studies of people who have had a heart attack have shown that white blood cells carry vitamin C from other parts of the body to the heart, helping to repair damaged heart muscle cells. There is an inverse relationship between blood pressure and vitamin C – ie, the less of the vital substance, the higher the pressure.
It is vital for people who suffer from allergies. Also in combination with vitamin B1 and the amino acid cysteine can prevent the damaging effects of formalin, formaldehyde and acetaldehyde. Vitamin C counteracts other toxic and carcinogenic processes in the body. These are caused by cigarette smoke, nicotine, car gas, heavy metals … all things that we are subjected to in our daily lives.
Research shows that the blood of smokers and alcoholics contains an average of 20 to 40% less vitamin C. The reason for this is that the reserves of the vitamin are constantly depleted by these aggressive influences.
If it is not obtained daily and in the required quantities, it can lead to many permanent damages.
Recommended doses
The recommended dose for an adult is 60 mg. Nevertheless, this dose is the subject of a number of controversies. There are many factors that increase the need for vitamin C. An example is the high heat or cold. Smoking, taking contraceptives and other drugs, undergoing heavy physical exertion at work or sports. Many medical professionals prescribe large doses for the treatment of cancer or cardiovascular disease. Professional athletes in their tips and diets recommend taking about 2 to 3 grams per day.
To date, no case of vitamin C overdose is known, therefore the mentioned doses of 2 to 3 g per day cannot be considered an overdose. But at much higher doses, stomach problems can occur, especially for those suffering from gastritis and ulcers. For such cases, it is recommended to take the vitamin after a meal or through soluble variants of the same. A dose of about 3 g is recommended for trainees, but it is important to know that this dose needs to be reached consistently and carefully. Abrupt intake of large amounts of vitamin C can lead to stomach disorders. The same goes for stopping it.
When taking high doses, it is necessary to consistently and carefully reduce the doses in order to avoid concussions and sudden exposure of the body to vitamin C. For beginners it is enough to adhere to the dose of 1 g. V.C. intake can and even is recommended to be combined with bioflavonoids, as there is reason to believe that they improve its absorption by the body.
In conclusion
These are, in general, the basics around vitamin C. To conclude this useful information, I consider it necessary to draw attention to a little-known fact. Vitamin C has the property of being easily oxidized. This oxidation turns it into dehydroascorbate. This is a substance with diametrically opposite properties. This means that, unlike vit. C, it does not protect the cell, but damages it. Therefore, I draw your attention to the fact that if you accidentally forgot vit. C dissolved in a glass of water in the morning, it is better not to drink it, but to throw it away. In about 2 to 3 hours, half the amount of the vitamin dissolved in water is oxidized to dehydroascorbate.
