We all know that vitamin C supplements can be effective in treating acne. However, did you know that there are certain vitamin C levels in everyone’s body that determine their “fate” in life? If you think that you’ll get sick and die without vitamin C, then think again – your body has many ways to get the vitamin without you having to make it yourself.
Vitamin C deficiency often occurs through a deficiency in the function of collagen and elastin. Basically, collagen and elastin are two proteins that are responsible for keeping the skin smooth and elastic. When these two proteins are not produced to the highest possible level, wrinkles and fine lines appear and the complexion begins to look older than it should. Ascorbic acid is the acid found in fruits, vegetables, and fish that allows for higher production of collagen and elastin – which is what causes wrinkles to form and how they can be avoided.
Another way that vitamin C can help fight wrinkles and fine lines is through its ability to inhibit free radical formation. Free radicals are chemical molecules that roam around the body, damaging healthy cells. Some common causes of free radical formation include radiation exposure, overexposure to sunlight, smoking, and air pollution. Ascorbic acid lowers the risk of being subjected to these kinds of rays, which means that people who get up under the sun a lot might be doing themselves some good, as getting lower levels of free radicals may be one of the most important things that will keep them living a long and healthy life.
Finally, vitamin c supplements are known to lower the risk of heart muscle disease. This comes from how vitamin c allows for better circulation of oxygen-rich blood through the body. The more efficient the transport of oxygen to the heart, the less likely it is that a heart muscle will break down and cause a heart attack. There have also been studies done that show that high plasma vitamin c levels can reduce the chances that a person is going to develop high blood pressure, something that can cause a person to feel tired all the time and eventually make him/her feel weak.
So now that we’ve discussed some of the ways that vitamin c supplements can benefit us, let’s look at some of the different varieties of this nutrient. The easiest way to get these nutrients into our bodies is through eating natural foods that are high in this mineral. Green leafy vegetables (i.e., spinach, collard greens, kale) are good sources of vitamin c, as are dark green meats like liver, heart, turkey, and bison. Other great sources of this nutrient are berries (i.e., strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, pineapples, and others) as well as orange juice.
As stated above, taking vitamin c on a regular basis is critical to our health. However, there are some people who should only be taking these supplements on a monthly basis. For instance, pregnant women, children, people with high cholesterol levels, and athletes who want to increase their stamina and muscle mass should limit their intake of vitamin c. One thing to keep in mind here is that because vitamin c has antioxidant properties, it may help prevent the formation of clumps of fat within the body. If you are someone who wants to lose weight, you should discuss your goals with your doctor before taking any type of vitamin or supplement. While it does help increase your metabolism and burn calories more efficiently, it may also prevent you from losing too much weight.
If you are taking a vitamin c supplement and you feel that your antioxidant status has depleted, you may need to take more. Antioxidants are substances that neutralize free radicals. Basically, free radicals are molecules that have electrons missing, and then bond together with other molecules. Once these molecules bond, the electron becomes very vulnerable and can be broken down into smaller particles, and this process leads to aging. The process of oxidation may be accelerated by the presence of toxins in the body, so any excess vitamins would do you good.
In fact, researchers have found that people who have a higher amount of vitamin C in their systems, especially in the form of juices, appear to have fewer signs of age than those who have a low intake of this substance. So if you want to look younger, you might want to think about donating electrons. In fact, if you have a DNA with a lot of abnormalities, it is possible that you will start to lose electrons as you age, but a high-vitamin C diet can keep your DNA stable and thus preserve your youthfulness for a longer period of time. It makes sense to try this method, especially if you like the idea of maintaining a certain amount of “free” energy in your cells.