This vitamin is so abundantly available that it is rare to be deficient in it. And what is rarer is finding someone who knows all about this wonder vitamin – the benefits of vitamin C. And that’s true, isn’t it?
Not all of us know what this vitamin has to offer us. Hence, this post. Keep reading.
What Is Vitamin C And What Does It Do?
Also known as L-ascorbic acid, vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin that is naturally present in some foods and added to a few others. And unlike most animals, humans cannot synthesize this vitamin – which is why it is an indispensable dietary component.
There are different forms of vitamin C –
Ascorbic acid – The purest form of vitamin C.
Sodium ascorbate – 1000 mg of this vitamin contains 111 mg of sodium.
Calcium ascorbate – 1000 mg of this vitamin contains 90 to 110 mg of calcium.
Magnesium ascorbate – Daily intake of magnesium must not exceed 350 mg.
Potassium ascorbate – Daily intake of potassium must not exceed 11 grams.
Manganese ascorbate – Daily intake of manganese must not exceed 11 mg.
What Are The Amazing Benefits Of Vitamin C?
1. Improves Heart Health
As per one American study, vitamin C has a Amazing Benefits that might play a role in reducing heart disease risk. Multiple cohort studies have demonstrated that higher plasma levels of vitamin C could be linked to reduced heart disease risk.
More studies state that vitamin C could be as good as exercise for your heart. A regular dose of vitamin C can hinder the activity of a protein named endothelin-1, which leads to the constriction of small blood vessels – and this eventually causes heart attack. The vitamin can also lower your blood pressure and keep your arteries flexible.
2. Regulates Blood Pressure Levels
As per a report by Johns Hopkins Medicine, large doses of vitamin C has a Amazing Benefits that can lower blood pressure. This function of vitamin C could be attributed to its physiological and biological effects. Vitamin C acts as a diuretic and causes the kidneys to remove more sodium and water from the body – this relieves the pressure on blood vessel walls.
Vitamin C also protects your body’s supply of nitric oxide, a molecule known to relax the blood vessels. The blood pressure lowering effect can be attributed to supplements as well – consuming vitamin C supplements in a dose of 500 mg in a day could reduce systolic blood pressure by 4 points and diastolic blood pressure by 1.5 points – in a period of 2 months.
3. Maintains Healthy Gums
Deficiency of vitamin C can also cause periodontal disease, a severe form of gingivitis (gum disease). This is because low levels of vitamin C can weaken the connective tissue and easily break down the capillaries. In fact, one early sign of vitamin C deficiency is bleeding gums. And the vitamin is responsible for the health of teeth and gums.
4. Helps Regulate Blood Sugar
Regular intake of supplementary vitamin C (1000 mg) was shown to regulate blood sugar levels in patients with type 2 diabetes. Vitamin C can also prevent diabetes-related damage to your blood vessels.
Another Japanese study states that diabetes can be controlled by vitamin C treatment. The vitamin was found to stimulate insulin mechanism, thereby aiding in the treatment.
Vitamin C was also found to reduce fasting blood glucose in patients with type 2 diabetes. So was the case with postmeal blood glucose.
5. Treats Viral Infections
According to a study, high dose intravenous vitamin C can be effective in treating allergies. In the past, such doses were used to treat infections like measles, herpes, mumps, and viral pneumonia. This shows the efficacy of vitamin C as an antibiotic. Also, since vitamin C is an antioxidant, it combats the harmful free radicals and helps treat viral infections.
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