What are the Powerful Health Benefits of Vitamin C?
Health benefits of vitamin C extend beyond keeping colds at bay, although this powerhouse vitamin does that too. When cold and flu season rolls around, most of us boost our vitamin C intake. Then, when the season is over, we figure we’re out of the woods, and we go back to our normal routine. However, the health benefits of vitamin C make it a supplement we should be taking year round, not just when the cold and flu season hits.
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Year Round Health Benefits of Vitamin C
Vitamin C plays an incredibly important role in the body. Most people don’t realize it, but this vitamin is required for the growth, development, and repair of all body tissues. It’s also involved in important body functions like collagen formation, iron absorption, wound healing, and maintenance of cartilage, bones, and teeth, just to name a few. Today, we’re going to take a look at the health benefits of vitamin C and how they aren’t just limited to seasonal cold prevention.
Stress
Vitamin C is sensitive to the body’s reaction to high stress levels. What this means is that a high stress level will deplete your vitamin C. In fact, vitamin C is the first nutrient to be depleted in the bodies of alcoholics, smokers, and obese people. This reduction in vitamin C can lead to a weakened immune system. People who are highly stressed or have one of these health conditions can benefit from daily vitamin C supplementation.
Colds and the Flu
We all know that one of the major health benefits of vitamin C is keeping sickness at bay. However, some studies have shown that vitamin C can also help reduce the risk of developing serious complications like pneumonia and lung infections.
Stroke
While not fully understood, studies have shown that people with the highest vitamin C concentrations in their bodies had a 42% lower risk of stroke.
Hypertension
Another important health benefit of vitamin C is helping lower hypertension, otherwise known as high blood pressure. Supplementing with vitamin C can help lower blood pressure.
Cataracts
Low levels of vitamin C in the lens of the eye has been associated with cataracts, leading some doctors to recommend vitamin C supplementation to increase levels within the eye.
Cataracts
Research has shown that high levels of vitamin C in the body decreases the risk of lung, mouth, vocal chord, throat, colon, rectum, stomach, and esophagus cancers.
Mood
Vitamin C helps improve mood and brain function because it plays a critical role in the production of neurotransmitters, which are responsible for everything the brain does.
Reap the Many Health Benefits of Vitamin C
The health benefits of vitamin C go far beyond preventing colds and the flu. This one vitamin plays a key role in almost every function in the body and helps prevent major health problems like stroke, heart disease, and cancer. And because it’s easily absorbed by the body, it’s an effective supplement to take. If you’re not supplementing with this powerful vitamin, talk with your doctor, and start reaping the health benefits of vitamin C now.