Vitamin C
Vitamin C or ascorbic acid is a water-soluble vitamin and is one of the most effective and safe foods. It plays an important role in maintaining the health of the connective tissue in the body, as well as being a powerful antioxidant. The body does not produce vitamin C on its own and does not store it either. , So it is recommended to eat heavily through supplements or natural sources of food such as fruits and vegetables; to avoid the lack of which increases the risk of infection, or cardiovascular disease, and the advantage of vitamin C benefits of the many that go to the body, especially the skin, and this It is touched upon in detail in this article.
Sources of vitamin C
Vitamin C can be obtained by taking dietary supplements, but according to the Dietetic Association of America, you should do as much as possible to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables rich in vitamin C before starting to take supplements, the most prominent of these foods are as follows:
- Melon.
- Citrus fruits and juices.
- Kiwi.
- Manga.
- Papaya.
- Pineapple.
- Strawberries, raspberries, blue berries, and cranberries.
- Watermelon.
- Broccoli, broccoli and cauliflower.
- Green pepper and red.
- Spinach, cabbage, turnip, and other leafy vegetables.
- Sweet and white potatoes.
- Tomato and Tomato juice.
- Yellow Pumpkin.
Benefits of Vitamin C
Benefits of vitamin C for skin
The most important benefits of vitamin C for the skin:
- Protect your skin against sun and UV damage, sunburn, harmful free radical development, and skin cancer.
- Reduce wrinkles and other signs of aging by stimulating the skin to produce hydroxylpropyl and hydroxylizine, which are needed to bind molecules that produce the collagen necessary to renew the skin and make it more youthful.
- Helps heal wounds quickly, it replaces damaged tissue to speed up the healing process.
- Protect the skin from dark spots, pigmentation and swelling, as well as lighten the dark areas such as age spots or freckles and make the skin look smoother and younger.
- Improve skin structure, appearance and flexibility. Vitamin C increases the production of elastin, which helps to treat, protect, and increase skin thickness. This helps keep the skin moisturized and increases the circulation of the skin.
Benefits of vitamin C for the body
- Reduce colds and prevent any more serious complications such as pneumonia.
- Reduce the risk of stroke.
- Prevention of the disease of spasticity or scorpion, resulting from a severe lack of vitamin C, and the most prominent symptoms of weak connective tissue, bones and blood vessels.
- Reduced blood pressure in the body.
- Helping to dilate blood vessels in cases of atherosclerosis, congestive heart failure, high cholesterol, or angina, or high blood pressure, which improves cardiovascular health as well.
- Treat some eye disorders such as cataracts, as vitamin C intake increases the blood supply to the eye area.
- Reduce the chances of several types of cancer such as lung cancer, mouth, vocal cords, throat, colon, rectum, stomach, or esophagus.
- Improve mood, as vitamin C plays an important role in the production of neurotransmitters, in addition to its role in the proper functioning of the brain.
- Promote the health of the body’s immune system.
- Relieve asthma symptoms, and protect against pollution damage which often leads to asthma.
- Diabetes treatment, where several studies have shown that one of the main causes of diabetes is low levels of vitamin C, in addition to its role in the processing of glucose and insulin.
- Anti-free radicals and their health effects include: cancer, heart disease, or arthritis, these roots are formed when exposed to radiation, or smoking, etc.
- Improve physical performance and increase muscle strength.
- Improve the absorption of minerals in the body.
- Reduce the risk of gout, which is a condition of arthritis and often affects the big toe, where it becomes painful and severe and inflamed.
Symptoms of vitamin C deficiency
Vitamin C deficiency can cause the following symptoms:
- Inflammation of bronchitis or scurvy, a rare disease that severely affects older people who suffer from malnutrition.
- Anemia.
- Bleeding of gums or nose.
- Inability to combat infection and wound healing.
- Dry and brittle hair.
- The skin is dry, peeling and rough.
- Bruises.
- Gingivitis.
- Weakness in tooth enamel.
- Weight gain due to slow metabolic process.
- Pain in the joints and swelling.
- Red spots appear on the skin.
- Weakness in the immune system.
- Digestive disorders such as intestinal leakage and autoimmune diseases.
Side Effects When Taking Vitamin C Supplements
Symptoms that may occur when taking vitamin C supplements are as follows:
- Redness of the skin and its heat.
- Headache.
- Nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea.
- Stomach disorders during or after eating.
- Feeling of public weakness.
Tips and precautions before taking vitamin C supplements
Tell your doctor if you have any of the following conditions before taking vitamin C or ascorbic acid supplements:
- Pregnancy, planning for pregnancy, or breastfeeding.
- Take prescription or over-the-counter medications, other supplements, or herbs.
- Sensitivity to certain medications, foods, or other substances.
- Diseases such as diabetes, or kidney stones.