What is Vitamin C Good For?

Vitamin C has gained a reputation as one of the safest and most effective supplements. It's diverse abilities to protect and repair an array of health concerns from eye disease to skin ageing. But what is it about this vitamin that is so effective and what benefits can you expect to see when introducing it into your daily routine?

This is one factor will be focusing on in today’s blog post, and don’t worry if you are still confused by what vitamin C and what it does for the body as this next part is for you.

What is vitamin C?

• Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid and is found naturally in some foods.
• You can find it is developed synthetically and added to supplements, skincare products, and other products.
• It is an essential vitamin to help with the growth, development, and repair of all tissues in the body.
• Vitamin C also helps with the absorption of iron.
• It stimulates the production of collagen and maintenance of cartilage, bones, and teeth.
• Can protect against exposure to harmful free radicals that can contribute to some health conditions such as heart disease, and arthritis.
• Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin meaning it is not stored by the body.

What are the health benefits of vitamin C?

We have explained what vitamin C is and how it works in the body and skin, now we will explore its health benefits.

• Although it is not the best supplement to have to when suffering from a cold, you’ll find taking vitamin C shows evidence it is able to prevent the increased risk of infection after having a cold.
• Vitamin C is one of the nutrients that is sensitive to stress meaning it is able help maintain the correct levels of vitamin C and help with your overall health and wellbeing.
• Helps to slow down the results of skin ageing. Vitamin C can do this thanks to the high levels of antioxidant properties. These work at keeping the skin barrier at its healthiest state, keeping signs of premature ageing at bay.

Now that we have had a quick refresher, we can move on to finding out more about how vitamin C, and what it’s good for in the body.

How much vitamin C should a diabetic take? 

With results found from recent studies, it is understood that taking up to 500mg of vitamin C twice a day will help to lower elevated blood sugar levels. This is particularly important for those suffering from the condition of type 2 diabetes. With a regular intake of vitamin C on a daily basis, there was a significant improvement at how quickly the body is able to minimise the spikes in blood sugar levels after each meal. Many found with the research results that there was a significant drop of 36 percent in blood sugar levels spikes. This leads to people with type 2 diabetes living comfortably without suffering from hyperglycaemia as well as combating the high levels of free radicals. 

Which vitamin is responsible for hair growth?

The best vitamin to help with hair growth is the B vitamin known as biotin. When there is a deficiency in biotin there is a strong connection to hair loss, although this is something that is quite rare. This is because there is a vast amount of foods rich in biotin and so ensuring you always have the right levels of the B vitamin is easier than you expect. The foods that are rich in B vitamins are as follows.

• Almonds
• Meat
• Fish
• Seafood
• Dark Leafy Greens
• Whole Grains

The reason B vitamins, especially biotin, help with stimulating hair growth is the fact they create red blood cells. These helps carry oxygen to the scalp and work the nutrients into the hair follicles. For those following a vegan and vegetarian, they may find it difficult to consume the right amount of biotin in their diet, which is why many should consider introducing a B vitamin supplement into their diet.

You can find out more about B vitamins and how they work in the body over on our dedicated blog post.

Can you take vitamin C and vitamin D together?

In a word, yes, you can take vitamin C and vitamin D together. You will often find that both vitamins are combined in multivitamin without any concerns of side effects. Having said that, you need to continue taking both vitamins with caution as the increase of calcium can increase the risk of developing kidney stones. My advice would be to seek the advice from a doctor, especially if you plan on taking vitamin C and D at high volumes to prevent any side effects.

What happens due to lack of vitamin C? 

It is vital for your overall health and wellbeing to ensure you have the right levels of vitamin C in the body. This is because it is needed to repair various tissues, such as bones, teeth, cartilage, and skin. If you find you suffer with a vitamin C deficiency you will often find symptoms scurvy will occur. This condition is famously associated with sailors from many years ago suffering from scurvy due to the lack of fresh fruit and vegetables on their long voyages. To prevent the ship’s crew from suffering from the condition, sailors were known for taking lemons to eat to keep the condition away. Suffering from scurvy is a rare condition nowadays, and the groups of people who have the highest risk of suffering from vitamin C deficiency are as follows.

• People who follow extremely restrictive diets.
• Those who suffer from medical conditions that affect the body’s ability to absorb food, such as Crohn’s disease.
• Pregnant or breast-feeding mothers due to needing higher volumes of vitamin C.
• Those suffering from alcohol and drug abuse.
• Anyone with a poor diet with limited amounts of fresh fruit and vegetables.

There you have some examples of the groups of people most likely to suffer from lack of vitamin C. We’ll now share with you what the first symptoms are of vitamin C deficiency which tends to be the following.

• Muscle and joint pain
• Tiredness and weakness
• Bruise easily
• Dry skin
• Nosebleeds
• Swelling and discolouration of your gums
• Weight loss
• Trouble fighting infections

If any of these symptoms cause you some concern, you must seek the advice of your doctor or GP for a diagnoses of vitamin C deficiency.

Which vitamin is good for dark spots?

Vitamin C is the best vitamin for combating dark spots on the skin. You’ll find that most skincare products that are formulated to target hyperpigmentation, dark spots, and sun damage contain potent levels of vitamin C. Once the powerhouse formula is applied to the skin you will find that the pigment of the dark spots and areas are significantly improved. Your skin will appear brighter, the complexion will look healthier, and your skin tone will become improved all over.

How does vitamin C boost your immune system?

The way vitamin C works at boosting the immune system is by supporting the multiple cellular functions, this contributes to the vitamin’s ability to keep the immune system strengthened and able to ward off any environmental aggressors that can cause any form of illness.

Packed with antioxidants it will also fight against free radicals that encounter the body helping to reduce any inflammations and boosting the immunity.

There you have some answers to the questions about vitamin C and what it’s good for in the body. If you have any further questions, pop over to our Instagram and ask us in the messages, looking forward to seeing you there.