It’s not just orange juice anymore
It seems like everyone is talking about vitamin C these days. Most of us associate vitamin C with oranges, but this water-soluble vitamin can also be found in other fruits such as: papaya, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, cranberries, watermelon, kiwi, pineapple and cantaloupe. What you might not know is there are many vegetables that are a great source of vitamin C like bell peppers, broccoli and cauliflower.
The fact is we all need vitamin C. There are many ways vitamin C helps your body, but if you don’t have enough bad things can happen. Severe vitamin C deficiency causes scurvy. Lower levels of vitamin C can even negatively impact your hair, skin and joints. It’s important to understand how vitamin C helps your body.
Five exciting ways vitamin C helps your body
- Feeling stressed – Vitamin C is sensitive to stress, and is one of the first nutrients to be depleted in alcoholics and smokers. If your immune system is being weakened by stress, vitamin C can help. A study has shown vitamin C is beneficial to individuals whose immune system was weakened due to stress.
- Need a healing hand – Band-Aids just cover up an owie. Scratches, cuts and burns aren’t any fun, but luckily vitamin C helps with wound healing, and consuming vitamin C increases the amount of iron we can absorb from plant sources.
- Change your mind – How do you feel today? Are you looking for some energy or need an attitude adjustment? Vitamin C deficiency can cause you to feel fatigued or depressed. Some studies show vitamin C can have mood-elevating effects.
- Improve your skin – Vitamin C is an essential part of skin health and helps the body form and maintain connective tissue. Vitamin C is an antioxidant that can be used topically to improve the appearance of skin and can also be used for the treatment of hyperpigmentation.
- Added hydration – Dry skin can lead to future wrinkles and isn’t very comfortable. Keeping skin adequately moisturized can be a challenge. Higher intakes of vitamin C may decrease the risk of dry skin.
Can you have too much vitamin C?
Let’s just say you won’t accidentally overdose on vitamin C anytime soon. Even if you take a high dose of vitamin C, your body should excrete it in your urine. There’s no need to test this yourself. Large doses of vitamin C can give you diarrhea, stomach pain and possibly increase the risk of kidney stones. Remember there are other medical issues and illnesses that can impact your health. None of the information included in this post should replace the independent judgment of a physician for any given health issue.
Let us know your thoughts on vitamin C. What is your favorite source of vitamin C?
