Hey there viewers!
Have you ever heard that drinking lemon tea can fight against your cold?
Vitamin C is an important nutrient needed by our body for optimal functioning.
It fights off infections and helps in other biofunctions.
In today’s video we will be discussing this essential nutrient.
What role does it play in boosting immunity?
What are the other benefits of vitamin C?
How do you identify the early signs of a deficiency?
We will be discussing all of this and more...
How vitamin C boosts immunity?
One of the most important reasons why people are fixated on vitamin C is that it’s believed
to be an immunity booster.
Is this true?
Absolutely!
There are multiple ways Vitamin C helps your body’s immune system.
It boosts the production of lymphocytes and phagocytes.
These are white blood cells that protect your body against infection.
Vitamin C protects these white blood cells from damage caused by free radicals.
This means white blood cells are able to do their tasks more effectively.
Another way Vitamin C helps your body is by strengthening skin barriers.
It is a very crucial part of your skin’s defense system.
Vitamin C acts as an antioxidant and is actively transported to the skin.
Research has shown vitamin C shortens wound healing time.
Studies have found that people who had pneumonia were also low in Vitamin C. After being supplemented,
their recovery time shortened.
Vitamin C boosts immunity by shortening the wound healing time, helping white blood cells
work more effectively, and strengthening the skin’s defense system.
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Other Benefits of Vitamin C
#1 Reduces the risk of chronic disease
Vitamin C itself is an antioxidant.
It boosts the antioxidant level in the blood.
These protect the body from oxidative stress caused by free radicals.
Researchers have found a direct link between oxidative stress and chronic disease.
Experts say vitamin C can increase the antioxidant level in your blood by up to 30%.
So your body can fight inflammation better and reduce the chances of illness.
#2 Promotes brain health
Being a strong antioxidant, vitamin C combats oxidative stress and prevents inflammation
in the body.
Studies have linked inflammation near the brain, nerves, and spine with increased chances
of developing dementia.
Dementia is an illness typically found in older adults and is characterized by loss
of memory and poor thinking.
Experts say that without adequate vitamin C your brain finds it difficult to think and
remember properly.
So, for a protective effect on your memory and brain, eat more vitamin C!
#3 May prevent iron deficiency
Iron is a very important vital nutrient.
It’s deficiency causes anemia.
Iron is crucial to make red blood cells that transport oxygen throughout the body.
So what does Vitamin C have to do with this.
Turns out, a lot!
Not all types of iron are bioavailable.
Vitamin C converts this poorly absorbed iron into a form that the body can absorb easily.
Research even found that consuming 100 milligrams of vitamin C improved the absorption of iron
by 67%.
If you have low iron levels in the body, try vitamin C along with eating iron-rich foods.
#4 Prevents gout attacks
Around 4% of Americans are affected by a specific type of arthritis known as gout.
This painful inflammation of joints is characterized by too much uric acid in the blood.
People with gout disease experience sudden severe attacks of pain.
Uric acid is a metabolic waste generated by the body.
If there is too much of it, it crystallizes and gets deposited in the joints.
Vitamin C helps in reducing uric acid in the blood.
As a result, it prevents gout attacks.
There have been studies to analyse the effect of vitamin C in preventing a gout attack.
One such study followed 46,994 healthy men over a period of twenty years and monitored
their vitamin C intake.
It was found that people who took vitamin C supplements were at a 44% lower risk of
developing gout.
#5 Lowers the risk of heart disease
The leading cause of death worldwide is heart disease.
The main risk factors for heart disease are hypertension, high (bad) cholesterol, low
(good) cholesterol, and high triglycerides.
Experts believe vitamin C helps in reducing these risk factors, which further reduce the
chances of developing heart disease.
An analysis of nine studies, which included a combined 293,172 participants, concluded
that taking at least 700 milligrams of vitamin C daily reduced the risk of heart disease
by 25% in comparison with those who have none.
In short, if you want a healthy heart, try including vitamin C in your daily diet along
with adopting a healthier lifestyle.
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Symptoms of Vitamin C Deficiency
Although rare, you can still develop vitamin C deficiency through anorexia, poor diet,
alcoholism, and smoking.
It takes months to develop severe symptoms, but look out for these signs.
#1 Dry rough skin
Vitamin C is crucial for the production of collagen.
Collagen is a structural protein found in skin, hair, bones, joints, and blood vessels.
Vitamin C deficiency can cause a skin condition called keratosis pilaris.
Keratosis pilaris is characterized by bumpy ‘chicken’ skin on the back of the upper
arms, buttocks, and thighs.
This happens due to the build up of keratin protein inside skin pores.
Lack of collagen can also give you rough, dry skin that appears dull.
Vitamin C is a strong antioxidant that protects skin from oxidative stress caused by free
radicals.
These free radicals are produced by constant sun exposure, or pollutants like cigarette
smoke.
#2 Red lines or spots on nails
Do you have thin and brittle nails?
Chances are high that vitamin C deficiency is the issue.
Though more common due to iron deficiency, spoon-shaped nails carrying red spots or lines
on them have been linked with lower levels of vitamin C.
Red lines and spots are known as splinter hemorrhage.
They are caused by rupturing of weak blood vessels.
Lack of vitamin C results in poor collagen.
This weakens the blood vessels further, and results in easy rupturing in the form of red
spots on the nails.
#3 Swollen joints that are painful
Joints contain connective tissues that are rich in collagen.
There have been various studies linking lower levels of vitamin C with severe joint issues,
making it difficult to walk.
This could give the person a limp.
Experts say that vitamin C deficiency can cause bleeding within the joints, resulting
in more pain and swelling.
#4 Bleeding gums and tooth loss
Do you struggle with swollen red gums that bleed way too easily?
Maybe you need to watch your vitamin C intake.
If your diet is inadequate in vitamin C, there are high chances your gum tissues may become
inflamed and weak.
The blood vessels inside will bleed easily.
In fact, if the deficiency is severe, you may notice purple gums that appear rotten.
It is necessary to treat vitamin C deficiency, or else it will eventually result in tooth
loss.
#5 Persistent iron deficiency and fatigue
Iron and vitamin C deficiencies often go hand in hand.
Low levels of vitamin C cause a drop in the absorption of iron from plant-based sources
affecting metabolism negatively.
Poor levels of vitamin C may cause iron deficiency, particularly in people who are dependent on
plant-based foods for their iron intake.
If your anemia has been persistent without any apparent cause, you may need to look into
your vitamin C intake.
How to incorporate vitamin C in your daily diet?
It is recommended that the daily intake of vitamin C for women is 75 milligrams.
For men, it is 90.
To increase your vitamin C intake, include lemon juice in your diet.
Do this by drinking lemonade, or squeezing it over a bowl of fresh salad.
Broccoli is an excellent source of vitamin C.
You can also prepare a vitamin C power punch of fruit salad by including generous helpings
of oranges, strawberries, and kiwis.
I prefer adding lychee and papaya, as they are also great sources of the vitamin.
Have you noticed any signs of vitamin C deficiency?
Let us know in the comments below.
We would love to hear from you!