WHAT ARE VITAMINS?
They are organic nutrients required for living. Our bodies need vitamins to operate. We can’t make most vitamins, or at least not enough to fulfil our requirements. So they must be gotten from eating. Vitamins are distinct and irreplaceable because they perform specialized roles in the body. No one item includes all vitamins. Therefore deficits emerge from insufficient dietary consumption. A wide range of meals is required to satisfy the body’s vitamin needs.
WHAT IS VITAMIN C?
Vitamin C, also called Ascorbic acid, also known as L-ascorbic acid, is a water-soluble vitamin found in naturally occurring amounts in certain foods, added to others, and obtained via dietary supplements. Because humans, unlike other animals, are unable to generate vitamin C on their own, so it is considered an important nutritional component.
WHAT DOES IT DO?
Free radicals are also present in the environment, and people are exposed to them via cigarette smoke, air pollution, and UV radiation from the sun. Vitamin C benefits the body to produce collagen, a protein that aids in the healing of wounds. In addition, vitamin C enhances the absorption of iron from plant-based meals and aids in the efficient functioning of the immune system, which helps to keep the body free of sickness.
THE PRIMARY SOURCES OF VITAMIN C
Fruits (especially citrus fruits), cabbage-type vegetables, green leafy vegetables, lettuce,
tomatoes, potatoes, and liver (ox /calf).
SOUCRS OF VITAMIN C;
Vitamin C is plentiful in natural sources like fruits and vegetables. Ascorbic acid is found in the Indian gooseberry, citrus fruits like limes and oranges, and green leafy vegetables like broccoli, fortified cereals, and juices. Animals also contain vitamin C. They produce their vitamin C and are concentrated in the liver. The recommended daily intake of vitamin C varies with age.
FUNCTION OF VITAMIN C:
Wound healing is one of the many physiological processes in which vitamin C plays a vital role. Every area of the body need it for tissue healing, and it is essential for this. The formation of protein, which is required for the formation of skin, tendons, ligaments, and blood vessels, the healing and formation of scar tissue, the repairing and maintenance of cartilage, bones, and teeth, and the aiding in the absorption of iron are just a few of the important vitamin C benefits and functions. The manufacturer may also be used as a reducing and capping agent for metal nanoparticles.
MECHANISM OF VITAMIN C;
Vitamin C may help to protect the body from the damaging effects of free radicals. The most important Vitamin C benefit is that it is an antioxidant. Antioxidants neutralize free radicals by transferring one of their electrons to them, so putting a halt to the electron-stealing process that was taking place. By providing an electron to free radicals, antioxidant nutrients do not themselves become free radicals. Instead, they remain stable in either form or function as scavengers, helping to prevent cell and tissue damage that may otherwise result in cellular damage and illness.
VITAMIN C AND HEALTH:
Vitamin C is being studied for its antioxidant properties since doctors have discovered that the vitamin may neutralize free radical molecules, which, when present in large quantities, can cause cell damage because it stimulates the functioning of white blood cells; vitamin C benefits by playing an important role in the body’s immune system.
RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH INSUFFICIENT VITAMIN C CONSUMPTION;
According to the National Institutes of Health, those who do not eat appropriate amounts of fruits and vegetables are in danger of having insufficient vitamin C intake. Because smoking creates free radicals, those who smoke have higher vitamin C needs than those who do not. An inadequate intake of vitamin C and give may result in scurvy, which manifests itself in the form of bleeding gums, tiny haemorrhages under the skin, exhaustion, loss of appetite and weight, as well as reduced resistance to infections.
HOW MUCH IS VITAMIN C NECESSARY FOR MY BODY?
Vitamin C requirements vary by gender and age. According to the RDA, a kid aged 1 to 3 requires 15 mg, a child aged 4 to 8 requires 25 mg, and a child aged 9 to 13 requires 45 mg. (3, 4). For example, a 14- to 18-year-old adolescent girl need 65 mg of vitamin C, whereas a woman requires 75 mg and a man requires 90 mg. (3) Pregnant women need 85 mg, while nursing mothers need 120 mg. (5).
VITAMIN C ABSORPTION AND MEGADOSING;
The intestines can only absorb so much vitamin C. Studies reveal that ingesting more than 1000 mg of vitamin C benefits and reduces absorption by half. Megadoses of vitamin C are not hazardous to healthy humans because once tissues are saturated, absorption declines and any excess is eliminated in urine. Increased uric acid levels (a risk factor for gout) and increased iron absorption and overload in those with hemochromatosis, a hereditary condition causing excessive iron in the blood, are all possible side effects of daily intakes above 3000 mg.
VITAMIN C DEFICIENCY:
Vitamin C deficiency is uncommon in industrialized nations. However, it may occur when a person consumes a restricted diet that delivers fewer than 10 mg of vitamin C daily for one month or more. People in industrialized nations who consume a diet low in fruits and vegetables, smoke or are exposed to secondhand smoke for an extended period, and misuse drugs and alcohol are at the highest risk of deficiency.
CONCLUSION;
Vitamin C benefits our body in many different ways. It is essential in the process of bodybuilding as well as in the prevention of diseases. A discussion was held on the various functions of vitamin C. These included its antioxidant activity, the formation of protein and tendons, ligaments and blood vessels, the ability to heal wounds and form scar tissue, the ability to repair and maintain cartilage, bone and teeth, and the ability to aid in the absorption of iron.
