Vitamin C Supplements

What does Vitamin C do?

Vitamin C, or ascorbic acid, as it's also known, is an essential vitamin needed in regular doses by our bodies, to allow them to function well. Vitamin C has a huge number of responsibilities, helping to protect body cells by keeping them healthy and working optimally.

With an important role to play in immune system health, Vitamin C supports the body in its fight against viruses, strengthening cell membranes to protect from unwanted intruders.
 
It is not just needed for immunity though. Vitamin C is essential for collagen formation. Collagen keeps skin structure fresh and strong. It also protects our cardiovascular systems by strengthening arteries and supporting the flow of blood around the body. It can be difficult to determine the health of our cardiovascular systems, but signs of a weakened collagen structure include frequent bruising, muscle weakness, gum bleeding, and poor wound healing.
 
Additionally, Vitamin C is a potent antioxidant working hard to protect our cells from damage caused by free radicals.

Associated lifestyle factors which signal increased vitamin C requirements include high alcohol intake; increased stress; smoking; exposure to pollution and high levels of exercise.

Vitamin C Deficiency Symptoms

Vitamin C deficiency symptoms include:

• Feeling weak or tired
• Irritability
• Dry skin and hair
• Anaemia
• Bleeding gums
• Catching frequent colds, flu etc

Clearly then, vitamin C is an important vitamin. Unfortunately however, we humans (unlike almost all other animals) cannot make our own vitamin C. We have to get it from our diet or supplements. Oranges are probably the most well-known source of vitamin C, and while oranges do contain vitamin C alongside other important nutrients, you would have to eat around 17 oranges to get roughly 1000mg of Vitamin C!

Interestingly there are other foods that are much more nutrient dense in this vitamin. For example, Acerola Cherry contains more vitamin C than any other food. To compare: 100g of oranges provides us with approximately 55mg of Vitamin C, whereas 100g of acerola cherries provides 1680mg of Vitamin C – that’s 30 times more vitamin C!

If you feel you can’t get enough vitamin C easily from your diet, you'd do well to consider taking a vitamin C supplement. As vitamin C is a water-soluble nutrient, our bodies excrete any it doesn’t need. Taking an excessive amount of vitamin C though can cause side effects, including stomach cramps and diarrhea. Some people with sensitive digestive systems or problems with malabsorption, struggle with the high acidity levels of standard vitamin C supplements. 

If this sounds like you, find a non-acidic, or even better a food-source vitamin C supplement. These tend to be more gentle on delicate digestive systems, plus they're sourced from foods that the body can easily recognise and assimilate accordingly.

Try Nature's Plus Organic Vitamin C or Viridian Acerola Liquid for food-source Vitamin C. Alternatively, browse the link below for all types of Vitamin C, including low-acidic Ester C and Liposomal Vitamin C.