What is Vitamin C?

Vtamin C Supplements: Benefits, Usage, Pros, Cons

Vitamin C, also known as Ascorbic acid, helps with many important functions in the human body. It is very important to know that this vitamin cannot be formed inside the human body. Therefore, it has to be taken as a supplement (either by food or tablets).

First, it improves the function of white blood cells, which has the function to detect, destroy and devour viruses, bacteria, and cancer cells. The white blood cells of people, who take vitamin C in the range of 2 to 3 g daily, show higher activity.

Vitamin C is an essential antioxidant. It enhances the action of other antioxidants, such as vitamin A, and vitamin E. Vitamin C has a very important role in the brain. It maintains its functions and also protects it from oxygen deficiency. 

Vitamin C is vital for the maintenance of the connective tissue of the bones in good condition in people that practice fitness. Without vitamin C, collagen synthesis is impossible, because collagen is the main protein for the building of the connective tissue.

Top 5 Best Selling Vitamin C Supplements

What Is Vitamin C

Vitamin C, also known as Ascorbic acid, helps with many important functions in the human body. It greatly increases the absorption of iron (Fe) and also takes part in the formation of bones, teeth, and tissue.

It has a significant role in the healing of wounds; maintaining skin elasticity; it is needed for the production of stress hormones; improves resistance to infections; helps in hypertension, atherosclerosis, and cancer.

It is very important to know that this vitamin cannot be formed inside the human body. Therefore, it has to be taken as a supplement (either by food or tablets). Foods that are rich in vitamin C include rose hips - 125 mg per 100 g, and citrus fruits. 

However, citrus fruits contain only 50 mg per 100 g of Vitamin C/per fruit. Other good sources of this vital vitamin are peppers, strawberries, potatoes, cauliflower, and many other fresh fruits and vegetables. 

It is important to know that fruits and vegetables that contain Vitamin C are recommended to be consumed raw. Much of the vitamin is destroyed by heat treatment, freezing and even longer storage.

The Effect of Vitamin C

All of us know the main influence of the vitamin on the body's resistance forces. First, it improves the function of white blood cells, which has the function to detect, destroy and devour viruses, bacteria, and cancer cells. 

The white blood cells of people, who take vitamin C in the range of 2 to 3 g daily, show higher activity. Vitamin C is an essential antioxidant. It enhances the action of other antioxidants, such as vitamin A, and vitamin E. 

It could be said that these three vitamins are vital for each other (they have a synergistic relationship) because each one of them has the ability to amplify and to contribute to the other two. Vitamin C has a very important role in the brain. 

It maintains its functions and also protects it from oxygen deficiency. Studies have indicated that the highest concentrations of vitamin C in the human body can be found in the nervous tissue, suggesting that this part of the body has the greatest need for it.

Years ago attempts were conducted and they revealed that vitamin C, vitamin A, and selenium are able to prevent the development of cancerous cells. Vitamin C, in particular, significantly interferes with the conversion of certain substances into cancerogenic ones. 

Nitrates are a perfect example of these substances. They are located mainly in fruits and vegetables as a result of fertilization with nitrogen fertilizers. Unfortunately, people cannot avoid these circumstances by consuming more or less of the above-mentioned fruits and vegetables. 

When getting into the human body, these nitrates turn into nitrosamines, which are a major cause of stomach and intestine cancer. It has been shown that large amounts of vitamin C block the conversion of nitrites and nitrates into nitrosamines.

The Benefit of Vitamin C by Athletes

Vitamin C is vital for the maintenance of the connective tissue of the bones in good condition in people that practice fitness. Without vitamin C, collagen synthesis is impossible, because collagen is the main protein for the building of the connective tissue. 

Taking the necessary doses of vitamin C promotes faster wound healing on the skin and keeps it in good condition. Furthermore, vitamin C is involved in the absorption of calcium, which helps with bone formation, growth and timely and proper healing of fractures. 

We have all heard and know about the critical importance of the cardiovascular system. Studies of stroke survivors have noted that white blood cells carry Vitamin C from other parts of the body to the heart, thereby assisting the recovery of injured cells of the heart muscle.

There is an inverse correlation between blood pressure and vitamin C - that is, the less of the vital substance, the higher the pressure. Vitamin C is vital for people who suffer from allergies. 

Also, the combination with vitamin B1 and the cysteine amino acid may prevent the damaging action of formalin, formaldehyde, and acetaldehyde. Vitamin C counteracts the toxic and cancerogenic processes in the body. 

They are caused by cigarette smoke, nicotine, car exhaust, heavy metals...all things that come to us in our daily lives. Scientific studies have shown that the blood of smokers and alcoholics contains an average of 20 to 40% less than vitamin C. 

The reason for this is that the vitamin reserves get constantly exhausted by these aggressive influences. When taken as a daily preventative, vitamin C can ward off the common cold. 

Taking high doses of vitamin C at the beginning of an illness will not reduce the severity of symptoms. Active people are the most likely to benefit from vitamin C’s ability to reduce illness frequency. 

If you do not regularly exercise, vitamin C supplementation will not prevent you from getting sick. Vitamin C has the most research done on it in the context of alleviating upper respiratory tract infections, like the common cold.

Recommended Dosages

The recommended adult dosage is 60 mg. Despite that, the above-mentioned dose is subject to a number of disputes. There are many factors that increase the need for vitamin C.

Example: great heat or great cold, smoking, intake of contraceptives and other medicines, major physical exertion at work or sports, etc. Many medical specialists prescribe large doses of Vitamin C to treat cancer or cardiovascular diseases.

Professional athletes recommend 2 to 3 grams a day in their tips and diets. There has not been known a case of an overdose of vitamin C up to this moment. That is why those doses of 2 to 3 grams per day cannot be considered as an overdose.

Taking larger doses, however, may cause stomach problems, especially for those suffering from gastritis and ulcers. For such a case, it is recommended to take vitamin C after food or its soluble versions.

Athletes are recommended a dose of about 3 g, but it is important to know that this dose needs to be reached consistently and carefully. The sharp taking of large amounts of vitamin C may cause gastric irritation.

The same applies when stopping it. When taking the vitamin in high doses, you have to consistently and carefully reduce the dose to avoid shock and sharp subjecting of the body's hunger for vitamin C.

Beginners are recommended a dose of 1 g. The intake of vitamin C may even be recommended to be combined with bioflavonoids, as there is a reason to believe that they improve its absorption by the body.