Vitamin C is one of the outstanding nutrients in popular health culture, often credited with stopping colds, boosting immunity, and even fighting serious illnesses.
But while it's essential for our bodies to operate, its advantages are sometimes misunderstood or overstated. Before stocking up on supplements, here's something to contemplate.
What is vitamin C and why does my body need it?
Vitamin C, also often known as ascorbic acid, plays many vital roles within the body.
This is a strong one. AntioxidantsProtect cells from damage. Vitamin C supports the body's immune function, helps absorb iron, and is involved in wound healing.
Vitamin C also helps synthesize collagen, which holds tissue together and is a structural component of gums and skin. A severe deficiency of vitamin C results in a health condition called ScurvyWhere the body produces insufficient collagen and can't hold the tissue together. Eventually, the gums can not support the teeth and so they fall out, and the blood vessels rupture, causing internal bleeding.
Humans cannot synthesize vitamin C. We must take it through ourselves. food. Most of our vitamin C comes from vegetables (about 40%), fruit (19%) and vegetable or fruit juices (29%).
Chemically, vitamin C in supplements is analogous to vitamin C in food. Your body cannot tell the difference.
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What supplemental types of vitamin C are missing are the fiber, flavonoids, other vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals that include food, and that may work synergistically with vitamin C.
These other compounds aid absorption, provide complementary antioxidants, and mix with vitamin C to supply health advantages that the vitamin itself doesn't.
Historically, The sailor Often had a really limited eating regimen and infrequently succumbed to scurvy. But in case your eating regimen is balanced, you do not need vitamin C supplements.
What does vitamin C treat and what doesn't?
General cold
Vitamin C has been promoted as a technique to boost the immune system. It is taken into account a technique to prevent and treat the common cold and flu.
However, findings from a review of All the evidence Regular supplements of 200 mg or more of vitamin C don't reduce the incidence of the common cold.
Regular vitamin C supplementation shortens this era, and at doses of 1,000 mg or more, intensity Common cold symptoms.
When vitamin C is used to treat the common cold and is taken only on the onset of cold symptoms, it doesn't affect the duration and intensity. Some studies have shown a really limited profit when taken every day before getting sick, however the profit was small. Overall, the authors concluded that routine supplementation with vitamin C will not be helpful.
Heart disease and stroke
Research have shown that vitamin C supplementation doesn't change the danger of heart disease, including heart attack (myocardial infarction), stroke, or angina.
A study Supplementation of greater than 200 mg of vitamin C every day can lower systolic blood pressure (the highest number within the reading) by about 4 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure (the underside number) by about 2 mmHg. These are very small changes.
These effects are comparable with regular aerobic exercise and is probably not clinically meaningful in comparison with treatment. Traditional medicinewhich normally lowers systolic blood pressure by no less than 12 mmHg.
Cancer
A variety of studies have consistent results showing that vitamin C supplementation fails to forestall cancer, including for Stomach, The lungbreast, prostate and Colorectal Cancer
Is it possible to take an excessive amount of vitamin C?
The Recommended Daily Intake (RDI) of vitamin C for adults is 45 mg per day. You can get it from one. A small glass of orange juice.
gave Tolerable upper intake level The really useful every day intake of vitamin C for adults is 2,000 mg.
Vitamin C is water soluble and is excreted within the urine, so the body cannot store it. This signifies that mega-dosing provides no profit, and should actually cause health problems.
In high doses (over 2,000 mg every day), vitamin C may cause Mild to serious side effects. Known to cause excessive diarrhea, nausea and abdominal pain. may contribute to the formation of Kidney stones in men, but not in women.
For those that have Chronic kidney diseasevitamin C will be especially problematic because vitamin C is excreted from the body through the kidneys. But when the kidneys don't work properly, it may well form and cause kidney stones.
Should you are taking a vitamin C complement?
A vitamin C pill is unnecessary for most individuals. You'll get enough from a well-balanced eating regimen, reminiscent of citrus fruits, berries, tomatoes, capsicum, broccoli and bananas.
Evidence doesn't support claims that vitamin C supplements prevent colds, heart disease, or cancer. In fact, the risks may outweigh the advantages.