Vitamin C and The Benefits It Has

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What is Vitamin C?

Vitamin C is more than ever a vitamin people are turning to. Due to stress in our lives, environment, or rampant cases of flu that circulate, people are looking for ways to combat symptoms they are now experiencing.

Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid and L-ascorbic acid, is found in food and used as a dietary supplement. Vitamin C is an essential nutrient involved in the repair of tissue and the making of certain neurotransmitters. It is required for the functioning of several enzymes and is important for an immune system function. It is within the class of chemicals known as antioxidants. 

Keep reading as we will go further into detail about each of the elements vitamin C impacts in your body and the impact it has to prevent and eliminate the coronavirus.

In what type of foods is Vitamin C found?

The top 10 foods containing V.C. include citrus fruits, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, raw bell peppers, kale, snow peas, and strawberries.

Note: Prolonged storage or cooking may reduce V.C. content in foods. In other words, fresh and raw is ideal.

Deficiencies

Like vitamin D, when people become deficient in it, unwelcome things start to happen first internally to our bodies and then when the symptoms are bad enough, externally.

The same goes for Vitamin C. When people do not receive enough, their bodies can not function at their peak. By not functioning, I mean people may experience brain fog, memory loss, lack of concentration, and even strokes.

A more serious symptom of V.C. deficiency “(known as scurvy) appear once plasma concentrations of the ascorbic acid drop below” ten micromolar (μM). A person can prevent this by consuming as little as 10 mg of ascorbic acid daily. Cutaneous manifestations of scurvy result from declines in collagen synthesis, leading to disruption of connective tissue and fragility of blood vessels.

Early symptoms in the skin include a thickening of the stratum corneum and spots of small subcutaneous bleeding. As scurvy progresses, wound healing is impaired due to the loss of mature collagen, allowing wounds to remain open. An adequate intake of V.C remediates skin lesions caused by vitamin C deficiency.

Health Benefits of Vitamin C

It is shown that people who have enough vitamin C are less likely to develop Alzheimer’s as C helps restore the brain’s cognitive function.

As our stressful lives deplete or overtake our bodies by canceling out good antioxidants, people’s health declines. First, to balance the decline or prevent it, we need to remove unnecessary stress. Two, you need to keep your body balanced by countering stress-related symptoms with a nutrient antioxidant diet that includes getting enough V.C.

C is also a cofactor in creating serotonin and dopamine, which are the body’s neurotransmitters, providing physical and motivational energy, which include your feelings of reward and satisfaction. This is important as “Depression may have a relationship with vitamin C deficiency. When a group of patients were deprived of Vitamin C, they experienced symptoms like sad mood, reduced concentration, reduced energy, fatigue, and hypochondriasis.” -International Journal of Scientific Study

Vitamin C isn’t just a vital antioxidant useful for boosting the immune system for cold and flu season; it is a brain and emotional healer.

Coronavirus/Flu and Vitamins to Combat

For the coronavirus, a flu virus, some people are experiencing different side effects like swelling of the feet, caused by lack of blood flow/clotting, which can cause a stroke or heart problems. C is a powerhouse that removes the arteries’ blockage and keeps your blood channels open, preventing stroke, heart attacks, and clots, resulting in a life saved.

Certain vitamins or foods, when combined and a person has sufficient amounts, can prevent and heal the coronavirus with a 90% plus rate. So what are these vitamin and food?

Vitamin C, D, and magnesium are the three vitamins people of all shapes, ages, and sizes NEED to be taking on a daily basis, for optimum health and prevention of the coronavirus. You can get these through the foods you eat and also in supplement form.

Caution: Be SURE you know where your supplements are coming from and what ingredients are being used. For instance, vitamin C can have a lot of oils and fillers that to help your body, in fact they can harm it.

These are the companies where I get my vitamins, and I am listing them for your convenience. However, I would still advise you to do your own research to know what to look for in a supplement.

1. Essential C complex from paleovalley
2. Vitamin D from Amway
3. Magnesium powder from Rootcology
4. Omega 3 is a natural blood thinner so if you have covid toe I would recommend taking it to lessen the pain and help prevent clotting. From Amway.

I have known for years and have studied and listened to multiple doctors talk about the importance of having sufficient amounts of Vitamin C, D, and others, but sometimes it gets confusing as there are so many benefits in each food source, mineral, and vitamins to fully grasp the importance of them individually.

This is where checking your vitamin levels can give you a lot of insight as to what you are deficient in and what you need.

Detoxing

No matter who you are, your bodies need some type of detox to remove toxins. Using a pure form of vitamin C along with other key foods and vitamins is one way to detox the brain, gut, and adrenal.

Is V.C Safe?

FROM THE WEBMD ARCHIVES

“Vitamin C is one of the safest and most effective nutrients, experts say. It may not be the cure for the common cold (though it’s thought to help prevent more serious complications). But the benefits of vitamin C may include protection against immune system deficiencies, cardiovascular disease, prenatal health problems, eye disease, and even skin wrinkling.

A recent study published in Seminars in Preventive and Alternative Medicine that looked at over 100 studies over ten years revealed a growing list of benefits of vitamin C.”

Oregon State University Study Shows

“Vitamin C has received a great deal of attention, and with good reason. Higher blood levels of vitamin C may be the ideal nutrition marker for overall health,” says study researcher Mark Moyad, MD, MPH, of the University of Michigan. “The more we study vitamin C, the better our understanding of how diverse it is in protecting our health, from cardiovascular, cancer, stroke, eye health [and] immunity to living longer.”

How Much Vitamin C Should I Take?

Different sources say different things, but your body will discharge what it does not need. A good suggestion is to start with a smaller dose and work your way up until your body says no more. The body usually does this by giving you loose bowels.

“For adults, the recommended daily amount for V.C. is 65 to 90 milligrams (mg) a day, and the upper limit is 2,000 mg a day. Although too much is unlikely to be harmful, megadoses of vitamin C supplements might cause: Diarrhea.” -Mayo Clinic

Vitamin C limits the damage induced by ultraviolet (UV) light exposure. V.C. is not a “sunscreen” because it does not absorb light in the UVA or UVB spectrum. Rather, the antioxidant activity of vitamin C protects against UV-induced damage caused by free radicals. Vitamin C transport proteins are increased in keratinocytes in response to UV light, suggesting an increased need for V.C. uptake for adequate protection.

UV light decreases the vitamin C content of the skin, an effect that is dependent on the intensity and duration of UV exposure. In cultured keratinocytes, the addition of V.C. reduces UV-related DNA damage and lipid peroxidation, limits the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines, and protects against apoptosis. Vitamin C also modulates redox-sensitive cell signaling in cultured skin cells and consequently increases cell survival following UV exposure.

Boost the Effectiveness of Sunscreen

Sunscreen protects your skin against sun damage because UV rays are incredibly harmful, and you want to give your body as much protection as possible.

Vitamin C is worth applying with or before the application of your sunscreen. Why? Well, vitamin C for the skin will boost the effectiveness and help it get into your skin’s lower layers, protect your cells from future damage, and treat ultraviolet (UV) induced photodamage.

Many sunscreens will now come with vitamin C added to them. You can make your own, How to make Homemade Sunscreen, or you can opt for your normal sunscreen. Just apply some homemade vitamin C skin cream before your sunscreen application to help boost the effectiveness.

Serum For the Skin

There are natural serums you can make and apply to your skin or buy from a store. Here is a link to one I have used TruSkin Naturals Vitamin C Serum. If you like to make your own, then see the recipe below.

 Author Kristin Marr

Ingredients

• Vitamin C Powder 1 tsp.
• 1 tsp filtered water
• 1 TB Organic Aloe Vera Gel  + 2 tsp. I think aloe juice may also work in this recipe. I haven’t personally tried aloe juice in my serum yet.
• 1/4 tsp  Organic Vitamin E Oil (optional)

Instructions

1. In a small bowl, combine the vitamin C powder and filtered water. Whisk the ingredients until the vitamin C powder is completely dissolved. Once dissolved, stir in the aloe vera gel and vitamin E oil.
2. Pour the serum into a dark amber bottle (a funnel helps). Store the serum in the fridge for 1-2 weeks. Around the two-week mark, you may notice the serum’s pH level change*. Your serum may have a different color and consistency, depending on the vitamin C powder and aloe used to make this recipe. My V.C. powder is pink, but many are white.

Now that you’re aware of C’s importance try to include it in your daily routine or diet to see its full impact on your health.

Until next time, friends, stay healthy and free.

Heather Earles

Heather is married to a retired Special Forces Officer, and they live on a sustainable farm with their four children. She is an established author of inspiration, fiction, and children’s books; a journalist, a stay-at-home mother, and an advocate for healthy living. She publishes a weekly blog and podcast (Herb ‘N Wisdom™) and writes for two newspapers to aid and inspire others. “I want to make people feel good about life.”

Learn more about the author

Ending Notes: I am not a doctor and the advice in this article is my opinion and that of the quoted sources. You are free to use it as you will.