All you need to know about Vitamin C
Sources | Deficiency | Symptoms | Benefits | Conclusion
Vitamin C is also known as ascorbic acid, is one of the safest and most effective nutrients. Experts even recommend taking vitamin C after exercise. You might have seen, many athletes or professional body builders eat oranges after an exercise. Oranges are a good source of vitamin C. Vitamin C is an essential vitamin for the body. It is not produced in the body, so it has to be taken through food or supplements.
Sources of Vitamin C
The body does not need to work hard to supply vitamin C. It can be obtained from daily diet. Deficiency can also be seen in people who follow a very strict diet. Eating crude vegetables and fruits provides more vitamin C than cooked vegetables. Actually, cooking vegetables in water reduces the vitamin C content.
Here are some good sources of vitamin C:
- Citrus fruits
- Tomatoes
- Potatoes
- Red peppers
- Oranges
- Strawberries
- Spinach
- Guava
Deficiency:
Vitamin C Deficiency is often seen in people who reduce their intake of fruits and vegetables. Vitamin C is needed to make a substance called collagen which is required for the health and repair of various tissues in the body, including:
- Skin
- Bone
- Cartilage
- Ligaments and tendons
- Blood vessel walls
- Teeth
Vitamin C deficiency can cause swollen joints, loose teeth and bleeding gums and loose teeth. Apart from this, such persons may suffer from anemia, tiredness etc.
Symptoms:
The first symptoms of vitamin C deficiency tend to be:
- Tiredness and weakness.
- Muscle and joint pains.
- Easy bruising.
- Spots that look like tiny, red-blue bruises on your skin.
Other symptoms can include:
- Dry skin.
- Splitting hair.
- Swelling and discoloration of your gums.
- Sudden and unexpected bleeding from your gums.
- Nosebleeds.
- Poor healing of wounds.
- Problems fighting infections.
- Bleeding into joints, causing severe joint pains.
- Changes in your bones.
- Tooth loss.
- Weight loss
Benefits:
- Vitamin C helps in faster healing of wounds and cuts
- Acts as the skin’s defense system. Hence it is beneficial in maintaining glowing skin.
- Good source of antioxidants. It helps a lot in getting rid of chronic diseases.
- It can help prevent acute respiratory infections. Along with this, it can also help physically stressed people.
- Beneficial in controlling blood pressure
- Vitamin C helps boost the immune system. Along with this, it also helps in the production of white blood cells. It protects the body from infection.
- Helps a lot in cardiovascular health. It widens the blood vessels. This can save you from problems like heart disease or high blood pressure
- Vitamin C also keeps cholesterol levels under control.
Conclusion
Based on this article, you will understand how beneficial vitamin C is for the body. You can also consult a doctor for taking supplements etc.
(This information is given on the basis of various researches and studies. Before consuming any food, consult a doctor.)