What are the Benefits of Vitamin C?
Since the human body does not naturally produce vitamin C on its own, it is necessary to obtain it from natural sources through nutrition. Vitamin C helps the body absorb iron from food by the digestive system and store it for later use.
Experts state that vitamin C is one of the safest and most beneficial nutrients for the body. The benefits of vitamin C include strengthening the immune system, protecting against cardiovascular diseases, prenatal health problems, eye diseases and even skin wrinkles.
As a result of the studies, it has been seen that vitamin C is beneficial for individuals whose immune system is weakened due to stress. It is seen as an important criterion in measuring general health as it is one of the nutrients that are consumed most quickly in the bodies of alcohol users, smokers and obese individuals.
It has been observed that individuals with high levels of vitamin C have a lower risk of stroke compared to individuals with low levels of vitamin C in their bodies. Since vitamin C affects cells both inside and outside the body, it is thought to have positive effects against skin dryness and aging.
Vitamin C deficiency is a relatively rare condition and is more common in malnourished adults. Accordingly, it is considered that some types of cancer and digestive system disorders may be more sensitive to vitamin C deficiency. Individuals with severe vitamin C deficiency may experience conditions such as anemia, bleeding gums, and bruising on the skin. In some cases, it has been observed that a disease called scurvy, which is defined as a slowdown in wound healing, may occur.
It is thought that eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables reduces the risk of many types of cancer, such as breast, colon and lung cancers. However, it is not clear whether these protective effects are directly related to the vitamin C found in food.
Instead, the opinion that a healthy diet with fruits and vegetables causes this effect is more widely accepted by medical experts. At the same time, oral vitamin C supplements are not thought to provide as much benefit as vitamin C taken from natural diet.
In case of flu or cold, taking oral vitamin C supplements does not prevent the cold. However, there is some evidence to suggest that when colds occur in individuals who regularly take vitamin C supplements, the illness lasts shorter and the symptoms that occur over the course of the illness are less severe.
However, starting vitamin C supplements after the onset of a cold does not provide any benefit against such diseases.
It has been observed that taking vitamin C supplements together with other vitamins and minerals has preventive effects against the worsening of age-related macular degeneration, or macular degeneration. In addition, individuals who consume higher amounts of vitamin C in their diet have been shown to have a lower risk of developing cataracts.