I’m sure you’ve all heard how vitamin C can help prevent colds, but it does so much more than that. In fact, it’s probably the most under-appreciated vitamin. While you reach for an orange, read on to learn more about this incredible vitamin!
Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin our bodies cannot make on their own. And we use it up in four hours, so it’s important to frequently dose ourselves with food or supplementation. There are plenty of supplements to choose from, but with it being readily available in so many yummy fruits and vegetables, it’s more fun to get it from food!
There are a few things that can cause a deficiency in vitamin C, including a diet low in fruits and vegetables, excess stress, smoking, alcohol, prescription drugs, and exposure to pollutants. If you experience listlessness, nosebleeds, bloating in the face, anemia, fragile bones, or excessive hair loss, you may want to stock up on vitamin C! Those are some common signs that you need more in your diet.
Citrus fruits are known for their vitamin C, but there are a lot of other great sources we can choose from. Bell peppers, parsley, broccoli, strawberries, cauliflower, lemon juice, and romaine lettuce are all excellent sources. If you’re looking for something more exotic, the Kakadu plum and Camu Camu are the best sources for their high concentration of the vitamin. It’s easy to get enough vitamin C in your diet if you eat a variety of fruits and vegetables every day.
Now onto the important stuff, what can this incredible vitamin do for you? There are too many benefits to list now, but here are some of the best ones:
Antioxidants: Vitamin C contains antioxidants that protect us from free radical damage. Environmental toxins, processed foods, smoking, stress, and exercise can all cause free radicals in our body that can do damage to our cells. This damage can lead to cardiovascular disease, cancer, and joint diseases. In other words, vitamin C can help protect you against these diseases! It’s impossible to avoid free radicals, so it’s important to eat food high in antioxidants to protect yourself.
Immune Support: Vitamin C helps boost your immune system, providing protection from infection. This makes it ideal to take in the fall and winter to prevent colds and flu. It can also help speed up wound healing and will help you get over that cold quicker.
Detoxification: Vitamin C is needed to make glutathione, one of the most important antioxidants in the body responsible for the elimination of toxins from your body. It also helps recycle antioxidants in your body, so it helps protect us from free radical damage too.
Adrenal support: Vitamin C helps support and stimulate our adrenals, which are responsible for our stress response. When the adrenals aren’t functioning properly, you can experience mood swings, fluctuating blood pressure, allergies, body tension, cold sweats, and an inability to cope with stress. Since we can’t prevent stress, stock up on vitamin C to help manage it better.
Increases absorption of iron: This is especially important for menstrual age women. A deficiency in iron will really drop your energy levels and lessen your ability to concentrate. It’s a common deficiency that vitamin C may help prevent as long as you’re getting enough iron in your diet.
Production of collagen: Collagen is needed for healthy skin, hair, teeth, bones, blood vessels, and joints. So vitamin C can help us look and feel younger!
