Importance of VItamin C
We’ve all heard the importance of Vitamin C for immunity. Cold and Flu season? Stock up on the Vitamin C. Pandemic… Yea, definitely increase the Vitamin C! While this fact is undoubtedly true, there is SO much more to Vitamin C that we’ve not given a thought to.
Free Radicals
For starters, Vitamin C is an important antioxidant. We’ve all heard that word right? But have you dug in to understand the significance of the word antioxidant? If you’ve graced my blog with your presence before, you’ve probably seen me mention antioxidants and free radicals. I’m a huge proponent of antioxidants. Their function is SO important. Antioxidants help prevent free radicals from forming in the cells. A free radical is a molecule that is supercharged and out of control. They form when oxygen molecules attach themselves to high-energy electrons. (You’ve heard of a “bull in a china cabinet” right?) Too many free radicals in the body is bad news bears. It’s theorized that cancer cells develop from the act of free radicals bouncing around willy-nilly inside the cell, bumping into your DNA and damaging it.
So how do we help prevent oxygen molecules from capturing those wild electrons? Enter Antioxidants. (Que the super hero music) Like a teacher monitoring a school playground, antioxidants attempt to keep things in check. How amazing is the body, right?
As if this isn’t enough to have you running for an orange (though there are many more sources of Vitamin C)… I’ve got more!
Iron Absorption
That’s right… Vitamin C helps with the absorption of Iron. Those (like me) who have struggled with low iron levels can appreciate the significance here. Anemia is NOT fun. It can cause debilitating fatigue, hair loss and sickly pale skin. Adding Vitamin C to those meals high in Iron rich foods, will boost the absorption of Iron.
Cardiovascular Health
This is a big one. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in America. The sad truth is that heart disease is by large a preventable disease! Diet plays a huge role in the development of heart disease. Most of us have heard the warnings regarding saturated fats. Limiting (or eliminating) these is a no-brainer. The next step… you guessed it, amping up the Vitamin C. Why you ask? Because Vitamin C has a dilating effect on the blood vessels in the body which in turn, improves circulation and helps reduce buildup of plaque. Thus, lowering the risk of heart disease.
Have I convinced you yet? Vitamin C plays an integral part in our overall health. One thing to note; our bodies do NOT store Vitamin C. Therefor we need it in our daily diet.
Oranges are often the first source of Vitamin C we think of. It’s a wonderful start. But if you don’t feel like eating an orange every single day, here are some other sources for you:
VITAMIN RICH FOODS
Red & Yellow Bell Peppers
Cantaloupe
Broccoli
Kiwi
Kale
Strawberries
Spinach
If you’re in a pickle (lets say traveling) and you don’t have access to Vitamin C rich foods, then I suggest going with a supplement that is reputable and has been third party tested. Read my guide on being Supplement Savvy to learn more about third party testing… Example of my go to brand:
Moral of the story here… Don’t skip the Vitamin C. It’s doing far more than you think :)
Notable Sources:
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/219352#why-we-need-it
https://www.openfit.com/5-vitamin-c-rich-foods-to-eat-that-arent-oranges