Vitamin C, known as ascorbic acid, is one of the 13 vitamins that your body needs to function properly. It is an essential nutrient that helps your body build up its immunity against a variety of diseases. While it isn’t the cure for the common cold, it is literally the closest solution to treat it. It is involved in many body functions, including formation of collagen, absorption of iron, the proper functioning of the immune system, wound healing, and the maintenance of cartilage, bones, and teeth. Vitamin C helps build up your immunity and your immunity is the body’s first line of defence against any external stimuli, which makes Vitamin C an extremely crucial nutrient that your body needs a lot of.
Luckily, Vitamin C cannot be stored in the body so you’re in no danger of overdosing. Still, a daily dose of no more than 90 mg is recommended because high doses of Vitamin C can cause your stomach to get irritated, which can then lead to nausea. And this can be easily avoided by just keeping note of how much vitamin C you are consuming.
Deficiency of vitamin C is relatively rare, and is sometimes found in malnourished adults. In extreme cases, it can lead to scurvy, but statistically the numbers are minimal in this day and age. It is rather easy to keep up the daily dose of Vitamin C because it is found in lots of fruits and vegetables and incorporating them in your daily diet is rather easy.
Vitamin C can be found in the following quantities in different foods –
- Guava – 377mg in 1 cup
- Red Capsicum – 190mg in 1 cup
- Orange Juice – 124mg in 1 cup
- Tomato Juice – 170mg in 1 cup
- Orange – 97mg in 1 large orange
- Papaya – 95 mg in 1 small papaya
- Broccoli – 81mg in 1 cup
- Pineapple – 78mg in 1 cup of chopped pineapple
You can add absolutely any of these items to your diet and your Vitamin C intake will improve in a single week! A generous dose of Vitamin C also has several health benefits. It can help your body react to certain external conditions because the immunity is better equipped to handle them.
- Stress – A deficiency of Vitamin C is linked to other pre existing conditions like excessive stress. People who have a balanced diet with Vitamin C incorporated are more likely to have a strong immunity against external stress. It is one of the vitamins that is sensitive to stress, which means a healthy intake is a sign of better overall health.
- Common Cold – As mentioned up above, Vitamin C is not a cure for the common cold. However some studies have shown that regular intake of Vitamin C helps prevent more serious complications that could result from the common cold, because it could help prevent lung infections and pneumonia.
- Skin Aging – Vitamin C interacts and affects the cells inside the body as well the cells outside, like your skin. It has several antioxidant properties that can help with making your skin look more youthful. In one particular study, it was found that higher vitamin C intakes were associated with a lower likelihood of a wrinkled appearance, dryness of the skin, and a better skin-aging appearance. In addition, topical treatments with Vitamin C have been shown in some studies to reduce wrinkles.
If you’re thinking that Vitamin C sounds like an elixir to life, at this point it might as well be! But your overall health never comes down to one single nutrient or mineral. Vitamin C is an essential part of a larger system that helps your body to function smoothly. A balanced and healthy intake of fresh veggies and fruits is recommended so that your body can also get the other essential nutrients it needs. Emami’s New Healthy & Tasty Smart Balance Oil comes fortified with Vitamins A, C, D and E as well as Omega 3. Together they help boost the body’s immunity so that you are protected against health issues. Vitamins A and D boost immunity, Vitamin E helps you boost the antioxidant levels and you already know how vital Vitamin C is. This oil is a combination of Refined Rice Bran Oil and Refined Soyabean Oil and it has a high smoke point that makes it an excellent choice for daily cooking.
A balanced intake of all these vitamins and nutrients will ensure that you’re walking towards a healthier you!