The Health Benefits of Vitamin C
The Health Benefits of Vitamin C
Vitamin C has many health benefits. For example, it helps strengthen our immune system and may help lower blood pressure. It is found in many fruits and vegetables.
Vitamin C is a vital nutrient for health. It helps form and maintain bones, skin, and blood vessels. It is also an antioxidant.
Vitamin C
May reduce inflammation, strengthen the immune system, and support brain health
Vitamin C is an essential vitamin, meaning your body can’t produce it. Yet, it has many roles and has been linked to impressive health benefits.
It’s water-soluble and found in many fruits and vegetables, including oranges, strawberries, kiwi fruit, bell peppers, broccoli, kale, and spinach.
The recommended daily intake for vitamin C is 75 mg for women and 90 mg for men.
While it’s commonly advised to get your vitamin C intake from foods, many people turn to supplements to meet their needs.
Here are 7 scientifically proven benefits of taking a vitamin C supplement.
What Is Vitamin C?
Vitamin C, or L-ascorbic acid, is an essential nutrient. That means your body doesn't make it, so you have to get it through diet or supplements. Vitamin C is in many foods, such as oranges, red and green peppers, and kiwi.
Research has confirmed some general health benefits of vitamin C. When it comes to using it as a treatment or preventive measure for specific conditions, though, many of the studies have been inconclusive or found no benefit.
May reduce your risk of chronic disease
Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that can strengthen your body’s natural defences
Antioxidants are molecules that boost the immune system. They do so by protecting cells from harmful molecules called free radicals.
When free radicals accumulate, they can promote a state known as oxidative stress, which has been linked to many chronic diseases
Studies show that consuming more vitamin C can increase your blood antioxidant levels by up to 30%. This helps the body’s natural defences fight inflammation
May help manage high blood pressure
Approximately one-third of American adults have high blood pressure.
High blood pressure puts you at risk of heart disease, the leading cause of death globally Studies have shown that vitamin C may help lower blood pressure in both those with and without high blood pressure.
An animal study found that taking a vitamin C supplement helped relax the blood vessels that carry blood from the heart, which helped reduce blood pressure levels
Moreover, an analysis of 29 human studies found that taking a vitamin C supplement reduced systolic blood pressure (the upper value) by 3.8 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure (the lower value) by 1.5 mmHg, on average, in healthy adults.
In adults with high blood pressure, vitamin C supplements reduced systolic blood pressure by 4.9 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure by 1.7 mmHg, on average
While these results are promising, it’s not clear whether the effects on blood pressure are long term. Moreover, people with high blood pressure should not rely on vitamin C alone for treatment.
Antioxidant Activity
Vitamin C is an antioxidant, meaning it's one of many natural substances that may help treat, slow, or prevent some health problems. They do this by neutralising free radicals, which are unstable molecules that can damage cells and cause disease.1
When you have a lot of free radicals in your system, it can cause a condition called oxidative stress (OS). Research has linked many chronic diseases to OS.
Preventing or reducing OS may help stave off these and other health problems by:
Boosting your immune system
Lowering inflammation
Keeping your cells healthy
However, research into using antioxidants to treat or prevent specific conditions has been a mixed bag. Free radicals come in many types; some are harder for antioxidants to scavenge.
Their location in your body can also make a difference, as certain environments (e.g., inside a cell versus in fluids outside the cell) can make the antioxidant activity more or less successful.
Moreover, researchers say it's important to be "realistic about where, when and to what extent oxidative stress is part of a disease."2 So, as they learn more about the disease processes and the role of OS, researchers may find roles for antioxidants like vitamin C.
In the meantime, while they're generally considered good for your health, don't expect vitamin C or any other antioxidants to take the place of other treatments.
lower your risk of heart disease
Heart disease is the leading cause of death worldwide
Many factors increase the risk of heart disease, including high blood pressure, high triglyceride or LDL (bad) cholesterol levels, and low levels of HDL (good) cholesterol.
Vitamin C may help reduce these risk factors, which may reduce heart disease risk.
For example, an analysis of 9 studies with a combined 293,172 participants found that after 10 years, people who took at least 700 mg of vitamin C daily had a 25% lower risk of heart disease than those who did not take a vitamin C supplement
Interestingly, another analysis of 15 studies found that consuming vitamin C from foods — not supplements — was linked to a lower risk of heart disease.
However, scientists were unsure whether people who consumed vitamin-C-rich foods also followed a healthier lifestyle than people who took a supplement. Thus, it remains unclear whether the differences were due to vitamin C or other aspects of their diet
Another analysis of 13 studies looked at the effects of taking at least 500 mg of vitamin C daily on risk factors for heart disease, such as blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
The analysis found that taking a vitamin C supplement significantly reduced LDL (bad) cholesterol by approximately 7.9 mg/dL and blood triglycerides by 20.1 mg/dL
In short, it seems that taking or consuming at least 500 mg of vitamin C daily may reduce the risk of heart disease. However, if you already consume a vitamin-C-rich diet, then supplements may not provide additional heart health benefits
Helps prevent iron deficiency
Iron is an important nutrient that has a variety of functions in the body. It’s essential for making red blood cells and transporting oxygen throughout the body.
Vitamin C supplements can help improve the absorption of iron from the diet. Vitamin C assists in converting iron that is poorly absorbed, such as plant-based sources of iron, into a form that is easier to absorb
This is especially useful for people on a meat-free diet, as meat is a major source of iron.
In fact, simply consuming 100 mg of vitamin C may improve iron absorption by 67% As a result, vitamin C may help reduce the risk of anemia among people prone to iron deficiency.
In one study, 65 children with mild iron deficiency anemia were given a vitamin C supplement. Researchers found that the supplement alone helped control their anemia
If you have low iron levels, consuming more vitamin-C-rich foods or taking a vitamin C supplement may help improve your blood iron levels.
The Common Cold
Traditional wisdom about vitamin C for the common cold may not be as wise as you think. Research has provided mixed evidence about vitamin C for treating or preventing these respiratory infections.
Several studies, including a large systematic review of the evidence, suggest vitamin C supplements:
Don't do anything to prevent the common cold in most people
May reduce the severity or length of cold symptoms29
May reduce the likelihood of colds in people in extreme environments (e.g., soldiers, endurance athletes)30
Even these points aren't firmly conclusive, though. For example, one systematic review including eight studies found vitamin C may only have a minimal or no effect on how long your cold lasts.31 However, a separate meta-analysis found it may shorten the duration.32
More research needs to be done before researchers can draw any firm conclusions.
Boosts immunity
One of the main reasons people take vitamin C supplements is to boost their immunity, as vitamin C is involved in many parts of the immune system.
First, vitamin C helps encourage the production of white blood cells known as lymphocytes and phagocytes, which help protect the body against infection
Second, vitamin C helps these white blood cells function more effectively while protecting them from damage by potentially harmful molecules, such as free radicals.
Third, vitamin C is an essential part of the skin’s defense system. It’s actively transported to the skin, where it can act as an antioxidant and help strengthen the skin’s barriers
Studies have also shown that taking vitamin C may shorten wound healing time
What’s more, low vitamin C levels have been linked to poor health outcomes.
For example, people who have pneumonia tend to have lower vitamin C levels, and vitamin C supplements have been shown to shorten the recovery time
Age-Related Macular Degeneration
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is an eye disorder that can, over time, cause blindness. Research has been inconclusive on whether vitamin C and other antioxidants can prevent AMD. But some research suggests it may slow it down.
The Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS), a large clinical trial, included almost 3,600 older adults with AMD. The participants were divided into four groups and given different treatments
Group 1: Antioxidant supplements: Vitamin C, beta carotene, vitamin E
Group 2: Zinc, copper
Group 3: Antioxidants plus zinc
Group 4: Placebo
After six years, the participants who got supplements had less AMD progression.However, researchers can't be sure that vitamin C itself made a difference.
This is an older study, though, and since then, a number of other studies have failed to show that vitamin C alone is helpful against AMD.34 Research from 2017 concludes that vitamin C "probably" doesn't prevent or delay AMD and that vitamin E and beta carotene do not.
Neurodegenerative and Mental Health Disorders
Vitamin C's antioxidant activity may play a role in brain heath.
Research suggests regular dietary intake plus supplements may protect you from neurodegeneration related to aging36 and diseases such as.
Alzheimer's disease
Parkinson's disease
Multiple sclerosis
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
Huntington's disease
Vitamin C may even help treat or lower your risk of mental health disorders including:
Depression
Studies suggest vitamin C deficiency may contribute to the development of these mental and neurodegenerative conditions and that supplementation may help alleviate symptoms. However, this work is preliminary and more research is needed.
Vitamin C Deficiency
Vitamin C deficiency is rare in developed countries. In the United States, only about 8.4% of the population is believed to be vitamin C deficient.
You'd have to get less than 10 milligrams (mg) per day from food for about a month to feel the effects of a vitamin C deficiency. In severe cases, this can lead to scurvy (which is rare in the U.S.)
Symptoms of scurvy include:
Bruising
Bleeding gums
Weakness
Fatigue
Rash
Vitamin C deficiency is treated with vitamin C supplements. Some symptoms improve within the first 24 hours of treatment. Others may take a few weeks to go away.
What Causes a Vitamin C Deficiency?
A deficiency occurs either from insufficient nutrient intake in the diet or increased losses due to poor absorption.
People who don't consume various foods, mainly fruits and vegetables, are at greater risk of vitamin C deficiency. Smokers have a higher requirement for vitamin C, so smoking may also be a risk factor.
Additionally, people with malabsorption disorders may become deficient because they can't absorb enough vitamin C.
How Do I Know If I Have a Vitamin C Deficiency?
Symptoms of a vitamin C deficiency include:
Fatigue
Gingivitis (gum disease)
Petechiae (small red spots on the skin)
Poor wound healing
If you have these symptoms and know your vitamin C intake is low, or if you rarely eat fruits and vegetables, talk with your healthcare provider about whether supplements are right for you.
Dosage: How Much Vitamin C Should I Get?
Always speak with a healthcare provider before taking a supplement to ensure that the supplement and dosage are appropriate for your individual needs.
For most healthy people, it is easy to get adequate amounts of vitamin C through food. You can meet your recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for vitamin C each day by eating just one of the following:
Kiwi fruit
Red bell pepper
Cup of tomato juice
Orange
Cup of strawberries
The RDA for vitamin C is as follows
Age Daily Vitamin C Dose*
0 to 6 months 40 mg
7 to 12 months 50 mg
1 to 3 years 15 mg
4 and 8 years 25 mg
9 to 13 years 45 mg
14 to 18 years (females) 65 mg
14 to 18 years (males) 75 mg
14 to 18 years (during pregnancy) 80 mg
14 to 18 years (breastfeeding) 115 mg
19 years and over (females) 75 mg
19 years and over (males) 90 mg
19 years and over (during pregnancy) 85 mg
19 years and over (breastfeeding) 120 mg
How to Store Vitamin C
Store vitamin C supplements in a closed container, away from exposure to light.
Food Sources of Vitamin C
It is always best to get your nutrients from food rather than supplements.
Fruits and vegetables, especially citrus fruits, are good sources. Foods naturally rich in vitamin C include:
Raw red bell peppers: 95 milligrams per 1/2-cup serving
Orange juice: 93 milligrams per 3/4-cup serving
Orange: 70 milligrams per one medium fruit
Kiwi: 64 milligrams per one medium fruit
Raw green peppers: 60 milligrams per 1/2-cup serving
Cooked broccoli: 51 milligrams per 1/2-cup serving
Strawberries: 49 milligrams per 1/2-cup serving
Cooked Brussels sprouts: 48 milligrams per 1/2-cup serving
Tomato juice: 33 milligrams per 3/4-cup serving
Cantaloupe: 29 milligrams per 1/2-cup serving
If you don't get enough vitamin C from what you eat, a supplement can help get you to the right levels.
Summary
Vitamin C supplements have been marketed for many conditions. It's the best treatment for vitamin C deficiency.
As an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory, vitamin C has been studied for its uses in heart disease prevention, gout, immunity, and more.
It is best to get vitamin C from your food. If you don't, a supplement can help you meet your goals. Talk to your healthcare provider before taking supplements.
The right dosage depends on several factors, including age and medical conditions. In addition, vitamin C can interact with certain medications and cause side effects at high levels, so it is important to discuss with your healthcare provider whether supplementation is appropriate for you.
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