Everyone talks about vitamin C and its importance for immunity. L-ascorbic acid, or vitamin C, is an important water-soluble nutrient that the human body cannot produce internally. Therefore, vitamin C must be obtained from food or supplements to sustain normal physiological function. It serves many crucial functions, including immune health, skin integrity, and antioxidant protection.
Your body needs vitamin C for healthy functioning. But present-day stressors, pollution, and poor nourishment may hinder the absorption of vitamin C from your regular diet. Inadequate vitamin C absorption may also be due to smoking, extreme dieting, or digestive disorders. During such times, vitamin C supplements act as a trusted plan to fill the nutritional gap, thereby promoting the well-being of individuals.
Apart from taking a healthy diet, these supplements, vitamin C, provide the added nourishment to meet the immune support needs of your body. They can be taken regularly based on the dosage instructions.
What is Vitamin C?
Vitamin C is a naturally occurring antioxidant found in many fruits and vegetables-it is most concentrated in citrus fruits, bell peppers, strawberries, and broccoli. It aids tissue repair and iron absorption and takes part in many enzymatic functions. It plays several roles in immune system pathways to help your body become resilient to diseases. Moreover, it can also be useful for cardiovascular and neurological health.
Vitamin C deficiency leads to a disease called scurvy, which in turn causes weakness in connective tissue and tiredness. Around 70%-90% of vitamin C can be absorbed by the body with moderate intakes of 30-180 mg/day. Men require an intake of 90 mg of vitamin C, while women need 75 mg for adult specifications. The requirements increase for women during their pregnancy and lactation phases.
While both fruits and vegetables are excellent sources, they tend to lose most of their vitamin C during cooking and storage. Hence, vitamin C supplements are the best way to guarantee constant intake. Many parents provide vitamin C supplements to their kids to boost their immunity.
Even at high doses of up to 2000 mg, vitamin C would not cause major negative side effects for most people. Some people experience side effects like diarrhea, abdominal cramps, nausea, and GI issues, but primarily due to unabsorbed vitamin C. Such effects can be avoided by using high-quality supplements from reputable brands. You should consult a health expert to ensure that you take the right vitamin C for your body.
Vitamin C Supplement Benefits
Vitamin C is essential for healing and overall well-being. A healthy diet forms the basis, but sometimes needs supplements to provide all the nutrients. Especially in that cold and flu season, when one is really stressed out, or has deficiencies caused by restrictive dieting, your body may not have enough vitamin C for a strong immune system. Moreover, vitamin C also has a number of health benefits for other bodily functions:
Immune System Support
Vitamin C supports and assists various aspects of immune functions. It helps white blood cells function more effectively, protects them from oxidative damage, and supports skin barriers, which are the natural first defence against pathogens.
For gut health also Vitamin C supplements can be helpful as it aid in the protection of intestinal cells in the GI tract. Supplementation of Vitamin C is associated with reduced inflammation in the body and may help relieve symptoms in inflammatory diseases, such as joint inflammation. It also helps in ensuring that the immune system is always activated.
Disease Fighting Support
Vitamin C exhibits immunomodulatory and antimicrobial effects, thus potentially reducing susceptibility to infections. Vitamin C supplements could be most effective for the common cold as studies have proved that severity from respiratory infection could be reduced as much as 15% with oral vitamin C supplements.
In another study, vitamin C was shown to be beneficial for reducing the incidence of the common cold for those with extreme physical exercise. It also helps elderly individuals and chronic smokers. Vitamin C has been beneficial in general populations in reducing common cold duration and severity due to antihistamine effects. So many people, during those allergy seasons, take vitamin C supplements for protecting themselves against allergies and colds.
Antioxidant Protection
Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant. It has non-enzymatic antioxidant properties. It protects cells from harmful molecules known as free radicals. This function is essential in reducing inflammation and preventing chronic diseases linked to oxidative stress.
Skin Health
Collagen, the protein that supports skin, joints, and connective tissues, needs vitamin C for production. With age, collagen levels drop. A consistent supply of vitamin C helps maintain skin elasticity and reduces the appearance of ageing. Also, vitamin C maintains the collagen network as it ensures that key enzymes for collagen production don't become inactive automatically.
Vitamin C can also help with skin depigmentation, giving a lightening effect due to its potency to lower the synthesis of melanin and melanin intermediaries. Three types of melanin help protect the skin from UV damage, but too much of melanin results in dark patches on the skin. Vitamin C helps block these free radicals and controls an enzyme called tyrosinase, which plays a key role in melanin production. Vitamin C reduces the activity of this enzyme to even out the So, many treatments for skin hyperpigmentation include vitamin C.
Iron Absorption
Vitamin C enhances iron absorption from plant-based foods. For vegetarians or people with low iron levels, vitamin C supplements can support better iron uptake and help prevent anaemia. In that aspect, iron with a vitamin C supplement can be helpful.
Vitamin C for Oral Health
Vitamin C is beneficial for gums and teeth and also helps with bone health. Periodontal disease is a condition where bone resorption occurs, leading to tooth loosening and loss. Vitamin C supplements can reduce gum bleeding and optimise healing in patients with periodontal disease.
Importance of the Best Vitamin C Supplements
Not every supplement is made the same. Absorption and effect may differ in forms and quality of vitamin C. Buffered forms may be much easier on the stomach, while liposomal forms will be more bioavailable.
The actual vitamin C content varies considerably in foods, which depends on the processing, storage, and cooking methods. In contrast, vitamin C supplements deliver amounts consistently. The number of delivery systems for each vitamin supplement differs depending on the quality standards set by a brand. For example, liposomal vitamin supplements do so much better for the body's absorption due to the involved liposomal technology. Chewable vitamin C gummies are easy for the kids.
Ascorbic acid may be in most dietary supplements, but some supplements may provide vitamin C as calcium ascorbate, sodium ascorbate, ascorbic acid with bioflavonoids, and other mineral ascorbates. For example, Source Naturals Vitamin C Sodium Ascorbate Crystals has 275 mg of sodium ascorbate, while Pure Encapsulations Ester-C & flavonoids has a calcium ascorbate blend along with flavonoids.
Choose products made in certified facilities to ensure purity, potency, and safety. At Nutriessential, we have curated some of the best non-GMO vitamin C supplements from leading supplement brands.
How to Choose Vitamin C Supplements?
To suit your lifestyle, Nutriessential provides an extensive range of vitamin C supplements in different formats such as tablets, capsules, powders, chewables, and liquids. Simply choose the one that matches your lifestyle.
For gentle daily use, look into Pure Encapsulations Buffered Ascorbic Acid. Genestra Ascorbate C is a high-absorption formula intended for people wanting it in liquid form. Dr. Mercola Liposomal Vitamin C provides an easy-to-take-chewable formula with higher absorption for those looking for that form of supplementation.
For consumers with sensitivities, Allergy Research Group Vitamin C would be an answer since it is free from these common allergens. New Chapter Vitamin C Complex has vegetable sources, bioflavonoids added for better absorption, and it is a source of whole food.
FAQs
1. How much vitamin C should I take daily?
Men can take 90 mg and for women, it is 75 mg. During pregnancy or sickness, the needs can be raised. Most supplements generally have higher amounts for promoting optimal health. Always consult a health expert for personalization of the dosage.
2. What is vitamin C good for?
Vitamin C is good for the immune system, collagen fibre production, antioxidant defence, and iron absorption. Vitamin C is important for wound healing and protects cells from damage.
3. Do vitamin C supplements work?
Yes. Vitamin C supplements correct deficiencies, maintain an immune system, and provide health to the skin and other body tissues. When dietary intake fails to provide sufficient amounts, they provide a reliable and safe way to take adequate vitamin C.
4. Can I take vitamin C with other medications?
Vitamin C is generally considered safe. It may also, in high doses, interact with certain medications-such as increasing the absorption of iron or reducing the effect of some blood thinners. Always consult a healthcare provider before starting supplements.
6. Where can I buy the best vitamin C supplements?
Visit Nutriessential to buy the best quality vitamin C supplements provided by Pure Encapsulations, New Chapter, Genestra, and other brands. Capsules, chewables, or liquid formats are available. Our health expert can assist you in making the correct choice as per your needs.
