Vitamin C Benefits

Vitamin C is one of the most beneficial vitamins in nature. It fights free radicals, prevents colds and flu and and provides protection from a number of cancers. Vitamin C also prevents diseases of the cardiovascular system.

Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin. Most other vitamins with the exception of B-vitamins, are fat soluble. Our body cannot synthesize vitamin C and so it has be obtained from foods that are rich in it. Vitamin C plays a vital role in maintaining our body’s immune system and so fights infection. People who consume a healthy dose of vitamin C every day are at a significantly lower risk of getting cancers and diseases of the cardiovascular system.

Vitamin C–a potent weapon against free radicals

Vitamin C is undoubtedly one of the best antioxidants available in nature. Vitamin C connects fat soluble antioxidants with water soluble ones. It recharges the fat soluble vitamin E when it gets transformed into a free radical. There are other antioxidants such as lipoic acid which can also regenerate vitamin E. However, vitamin C is much more powerful and does the job better.

Cancer fighting properties of vitamin C

Currently, very little amount of data exists which concretely proves that antioxidants can reverse cancer. However, antioxidants are known to provide protection from cancer. This means that consuming foods rich in antioxidants can prevent cancer.

Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant and so it prevents a number of cancers. Studies indicate that consuming foods rich in vitamin C can prevent gastrointestinal cancer. Vitamin C also prevents oral cancer. Vitamin C neutralizes a group of cancer causing compounds called nitrosamines. Nitrosamines are known to cause oral, gastrointestinal and colon cancer.

Vitamin C can prevent cardiovascular disease

Vitamin C prevent oxidation of lipoproteins. Oxidation of lipoproteins causes the walls of the arteries to lose their elasticity and become hard, thereby causing cardiovascular disease. Thus vitamin C reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease. A recent study conducted by researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles confirms that vitamin C can prevent cardiovascular disease.

How effective is vitamin C against colds and flu?

Vitamin C is known to be effective in reducing the intensity and duration of common cold. Studies conducted in the recent years indicate that vitamin C reduces the intensity and duration of common cold, but it cannot prevent it. Vitamin C is not a cure to common cold.

The effectiveness of vitamin C against colds and flu was first brought to mainstream attention by Dr. Linus Pauling, the Nobel Prize winning world famous chemist.

Vitamin C–how much of it is beneficial?

Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin. This means, our body can expel it via the urine. Since our body can easily flush out excessive amounts of vitamin C, taking large doses of vitamin C is not at all harmful to the body.

However, vitamin C should not be taken in extremely large doses. Doing so can cause cramping in the abdomen. It can also result in diarrhea.

Our body can utilize around 250 mg of vitamin. Anything more than this will get expelled via urine. For this reason, it is necessary to take vitamin C supplements regularly throughout the day for maximum absorption.