Vitamin C benefits for overall health are plenty. It is that one necessary vitamin that your body needs daily. It is often advised to get Vitamin C from foods, but doctors turn to supplements to meet their requirements.
What is Vitamin C?
Vitamin C or ascorbic acid is a common ingredient in many immunity boosters or other health-related supplements. As it is a potential component for immune health. According to Harvard T.H. Chan, even before Vitamin C’s finding in 1932, doctors believed that something in citrus fruits can treat scurvy. It was a disease that took the lives of millions of sailors back then.
Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin which means it gets dissolved in water and then goes to our body cells. It is present in citrus fruits like orange, rosehip, blackcurrants, etc. You can also find it in other food sources like chilli peppers, thyme, kale, and broccoli, to name a few. Here are some vitamin C benefits for body, skin & hair.
Vitamin C benefits:
1. Reduces the risk of serious diseases
Vitamin C is a strong antioxidant that helps to neutralize free radicals or harmful substances inside your body. They can damage body cells leading to a serious risk of infections and other injurious diseases. Vitamin C strengthens the body’s natural defence system to fight against them.
Researchers say that taking Vitamin C daily can improve the antioxidant levels of our body that aids our natural defences to fight infections effectively.
2. Helps in collagen production
Among many Vitamin C benefits, the most important is collagen synthesis. Collagen is the building block of our skin, nails, muscles, and hair. It is the most richly found protein in our body. Sadly, as we age, collagen production decreases. This may result in saggy skin, joint aches, brittle nails, and thin hair.
Vitamin C accelerates collagen production and saves the body from such damage. And keeps the skin feeling youthful and the hair stronger.
3. Heals burns and wounds
Vitamin C is rich in antioxidant properties. It can boost wounds and burn the healing abilities of our bodies. Science suggests that the vitamin promotes new tissue growth. It can also help treat skin lesions. A lesion is a skin condition that can abnormally change the skin. A person may develop it in the form of cysts, patches, red bumps, etc.
4. Reduces hair fall
One of the many Vitamin C benefits, it can help fight dandruff. Our hair follicles get jammed due to dryness and flakiness. If not cured right, it can stop hair from growing. Vitamin C can also keep off bacteria from the scalp. All these factors promote the growth of new hair.
5. Increases Iron
Vitamin C benefits our whole body. One of the major functions is to grow the amount of iron that gets absorbed in our bodies.
Our body needs iron to perform many important functions such as energy generation, development, growth of tissues, and balancing hormones. It also keeps our immune system strong.
6. Protects from sun rays
Vitamins are generally present in between skin layers namely the epidermis (outer layer) and dermis (beneath the epidermis). This is where essential nutrients are taken from the bloodstream. Various external factors like pollution and exposure to sun rays may decrease the vitamin availability in the epidermis. Vitamin C intake is very beneficial in such a situation.
Also, prolonged UV rays exposure can impact your skin awfully. It can cause tanning, sunburns, redness, discolouration, etc. Being an antioxidant, Vitamin C prevents the skin from excessive sun damage.
7. Reduces Inflammation
Vitamin C also has great anti-inflammatory properties. It can lower the signs of inflammation marks, rashes, redness, and swellings. The vitamin can also treat various skin conditions like psoriasis, etc.
Vitamin C Benefits: Conclusion
To conclude, Vitamin C benefits are impressive. It is an essential nutrient that our body requires daily. Not getting enough of it can have negative effects on your skin, hair, and overall health. An everyday diet may not cover your daily requirements. Therefore, doctors suggest intaking it in a different form like immunity tablets, etc.
