Health Benefits of Vitamin C

Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, is a water-soluble vitamin. It could be called the hub of the antioxidant network because it is the link connecting the fat-soluble antioxidants to the water-soluble ones. One of the main benefits of Vitamin C to the antioxidant network includes the important job of recharging fat-soluble vitamin E and beta-carotene when they become oxidized by free radicals. This is yet another example of the network antioxidants working together to produce results that are much greater than any one of them working alone could accomplish.

Vitamin C in the body. Vitamin C is very similar in molecular structure to glucose, the simple sugar in your bloodstream that is used to make fuel for your body. This gives it a distinct advantage over the other network antioxidants, as we shall see.

Because your body needs energy all the time, the glucose that is needed for fuel is readily absorbed up by your cells. When vitamin C neutralizes a free radical and needs to be rejunevated, it needs to get into a cell — and so it hitches a ride with the glucose in your bloodstream. Once inside the cell, the oxidized vitamin C is recycled into antioxidant vitamin C and is returned to your bloodstream to once again provide antioxidant protection there.

Vitamin C inside the cell. Another of the benefits of vitamin C, once it penetrates the cell membrane, is that it while its swimming around in there, it also working to protect your mitochondria from free radical attacks. This means that your mitochondria is left free to do its primary job of providing your cells with energy, which means that you have more energy, too. Everybody's happy!

Linus Pauling and the Common Cold

Some thirty years ago, Linus Pauling made vitamin C a household topic with his book, Vitamin C and the Common Cold. Dr. Pauling claimed that taking 1 gram of vitamin C daily would prevent the common cold. Whether he was right or wrong, Dr. Pauling created a new field — orthomolecular medicine — that was based on the premise that nutrients and vitamins should not only be used to prevent deficiency diseases, but could be also used at higher doses to achieve optimal health, and even treat diseases.

The missing piece of the puzzle. At the time that Dr. Pauling presented his theories, science did not know much about the antioxidant network. We now know that many of the benefits Dr. Pauling attributed to vitamin C are actually a result of its enhancing effects on vitamin E and the other network antioxidants. To his knowledge, the story began and ended with vitamin C.

Specific Benefits of Vitamin C

The benefits of vitamin C include much more than its ability to fight infections. Here, we'll take a look at some of the more significant ones.

Heart disease. Vitamin C plays a very important role in protecting the health of your cardiovascular system. By boosting the vitamin E in your system, C protects against the oxidation of LDL cholesterol in your bloodstream that leads to atherosclerosis, the first step in cardiovascular disease.

The benefits of vitamin C in lowering high blood pressure have been demonstrated in many studies. Individuals with high blood pressure (hypertension) are at increased risk of developing cardiovascular diseases.

Cancer. The benefits of vitamin C as a powerful cancer fighter are well documented. Dozens of studies show that vitamin C protects against cancer in two ways: first, as a powerful antioxidant, it works by protecting your DNA from free radical damage, the first step to a cancerous growth. Secondly, vitamin C feeds your lymphocytes, part of your body's main defense system against cancer.

Vitamin C also offers protection from the harmful effects of nitrosamines, carcinogenic chemicals added to food, mainly processed meats. Nitrosamines have been associated with cancer of the mouth, stomach and colon.

Diabetes. Diabetics have problems with low levels of ascorbic acid and other antioxidants in their tissues. At the same time, these nutrients need insulin to transport them to your cells. Since diabetics don't produce enough insulin, they have problems with antioxidant levels in general.

This lack of antioxidant activity results in poor control of diabetes. The antioxidants don't circulate when the insulin is low, and then the insulin tends to crash because there are not enough antioxidants. It is a vicious circle that leads to a more rapid progression of the disease.

Wide swings in blood sugar level, either high or low, result in excessive free radical production and depletion of your antioxidant reserves. Being aware of this fact and supplementing with vitamin C and the other network antioxidants may slow the progression of diabetes.

Skin aging. The benefits of vitamin C in the body goes well beyond its role as a network antioxidant. Vitamin C is needed for the production of collagen, the connective tissue that supports your skin. Collagen is necessary for the formation of ligaments, bones and blood vessels. It is essentially the cellular glue that holds your body together.

Several studies suggest that the topical application of ascorbic acid skin creams and lotions can actually simulate the production of collagen and make skin look younger and smoother. Other antioxidants have also been used for these benefits, specifically, vitamin E and pycnogenol. There is evidence, again, that the entire antioxidant network may be more effective in this regard than any one of its components alone.

Here's a great resource to learn more about Natural Remedies for Skin Care. K.I.S.S. is the theory behind beautiful skin! Use natural ingredients and a holistic philosophy to address skin issues and achieve the healthiest skin of your life.

Other Benefits of Vitamin C. Vitamin C may provide additional health benefits for these specific conditions:

• acne
• alcoholism
• Alzheimer's
• asthma
• arthritis
• autism

• cataracts
• depression
• gallstones
• Parkinson's disease
• irritable bowel syndrome

Best Food Sources of Vitamin C

Vitamin C is present in many fruits and vegetables, including berries, citrus fruit, red peppers, cherries, pineapple, broccoli, corn, parsley, cantaloupe, papaya, peaches, cranberries, cabbage, potatoes and tomatoes.

Daily consumption of 5 servings of these would provide about 250mg., but statistics show that less than 1 in 10 people get this much from their diet. The richest food sources and their vitamin C content are listed here:

Papaya 1, 187mg.
Red pepper 1/2 cup, 137mg.
Brussels Sprouts 1 cup, 97mg.
Grapefruit 1 medium, 88mg.
Strawberries 1 cup, 82mg.
Orange juice 6 ounces, 75mg.

Orange 1 medium, 70mg.
Cantaloupe 1 cup, 67mg.
Broccoli 1/2 cup, 62mg.
Grapefruit juice 6 oz., 60mg.
Tomato 1 medium, 34mg.
Pineapple 1 cup, 24mg.

How Much Do You Need?

Human beings are one of the few animals, along with apes, that do not produce vitamin C in their body and must rely on dietary sources. The reason for this has been the subject to much speculation and debate over the years. Some scientists think that it may have stemmed from a genetic mistake related to the diet of early primates millions of years ago, but it is not known for sure.

Scurvy. A deficiency of vitamin C in your diet results in scurvy, a disease characterized by bleeding gums, skin hemorrhages, weakened bones, and eventually, death. Scurvy was a common occurrence on long sea voyages when sailors endured months on the ocean without any fresh fruits or vegetables. Once they discovered the cause, they began to take along citrus fruits, mostly lemons and limes, to provide the benefits of vitamin C on long voyages.

Are there benefits to vitamin C megadoses? Proponents of megadoses (1 gram or more a day) of vitamin C point to the fact that animals that make their own vitamin C can manufacture much more than normal when under stress. Some alternative practitioners routinely prescribe several grams daily to patients suffering from conditions such as heart disease, arthritis, and cancer, and contend that it is helpful either alone or with other supplements.

Is there a consensus on how much vitamin C we need? Despite 30 years of research on the benefits of vitamin C, there is still not any consensus about what the optimal daily amount is. It's most likely that individual needs will vary widely. People who are in poor health and under a great deal of oxidative stress may require higher amounts, but we don't know how much more. Smokers in particular suffer from low levels of vitamin C. Since this is a water-soluble vitamin, there's no need to be concerned with over-dosing; any excess that you take will just be eliminated in your urine.

More Resources for Vitamin C

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