Vitamin C is one of the most versatile vitamins there is. Most people are familiar with its immunity-boosting perk. While that is certainly a trait to be celebrated, it is not the only thing that sets vitamin C apart. Consuming foods or use products that contain this nutrient provides a wealth of health advantages, from the defense against free radicals to the rejuvenation of your skin. To learn more about how vitamin C can improve your overall health, see the information below.
What Exactly is Vitamin C?
Vitamin C is a critical mineral that your body uses throughout its growth and development over your lifetime. It is a water-soluble nutrient, meaning that it will dissolve as you consume and digest it, exiting your body through your urine. Although it is expelled this way, your body still retains a portion of what you consumed. Besides its use as an immune-boosting supplement, vitamin C has numerous applications to the sustenance of your body’s general health:
- Assists in the production of collagen – a vital component in maintaining skin health and healing wounds. (This is also important for the production of tendons, ligaments, and blood vessels.)
- Boosts iron absorption. (Iron is necessary for helping your body make hemoglobin, the protein that allows your red blood cells to carry oxygen throughout your body).
- Fights off free radicals – these are reactive molecules in your body, mostly formed as a byproduct of the metabolic process, or as a result of exposure to smoke or radiation. These molecules play a significant role in the aging process, and possibly the development of heart diseases, cancers, and arthritis.
As you can see, vitamin C’s benefits are not limited to immunity alone. This is a dynamic nutrient, one that serves your body both on the inside and out.
How You Can Get Your Daily Vitamin C
How you get your daily vitamin C depends heavily on what exactly you are attempting to supplement. For instance, if you are working to improve your immunity, you may want to eat foods such as those listed below:
- Kiwis
- Strawberries
- Cantaloupe
- Papaya
- Grapefruit
- Tomatoes
- Red bell peppers
- Cauliflower
- Broccoli
However, there may be more effects that you are attempting to gain from increasing your vitamin C intake. Those who wish to capitalize on the vitamin’s skin-focused advantages should consider choosing both vitamin C-rich foods as well as topical products. For example, serums are some of the most effective items that supply your skin with an abundant helping of vitamin C. This serves not only to boost your skin’s production of collagen but also to protect you against UV rays.
If you choose not to use a serum, know that creams, salves, and many other types of moisturizers are available to you as well. Fortunately, the market is overflowing with amazing products full of this multifaceted nutrient. Your well of choices will never run dry. As long as you see “ascorbic acid” – another name for vitamin C – on the Ingredients label, you can rest assured that your chosen skincare product will give you the maximum protection, all because of this awesome nutrient.
