What are the benefits of vitamin C supplements?

1. Boosts your immunity
2. Promotes collagen production
3. Can reduce the risk of chronic disease
4. Supports a healthier heart
5. Lowers blood uric levels
6. Prevents iron deficiency
7. Protects your brain as you age

Vitamin C is one of the most popular and most talked about supplements on the market — and for good reason! It gets special attention for its many positive effects on the body’s overall health and function. But, what are the benefits of vitamin C supplements, exactly?

Most of us know that this vitamin has immune-boosting potential, but that just barely scratches its surface of benefits! In this post, we look closer into why this is such an essential nutrient for your diet. Read on to learn more.

Boosts your immunity

As we said, one of the main reasons that people take vitamin C supplements is its beneficial effect on their immune system. But do you know how it helps? Here’s how:

First, vitamin C stimulates the production of white blood cells: lymphocytes and phagocytes. These cells are key in protecting your body against infection. 

Second, vitamin C boosts the function and effectiveness of these cells, while protecting them from free radicals. As a result, your white blood cells become more robust with vitamin C’s support.

Third, it also plays a vital role in your skin’s health, which is part of your immune defense system. Vitamin C is absorbed by your skin cells, which then strengthens the skin’s barrier. This helps prevent sickness and disease. This has the added benefit of helping your wounds heal faster and avoid infections. 

 

Promotes collagen production

Your body also depends on vitamin C for another important function: the production of collagen. Collagen is one of the most abundant proteins in your body and is needed to create and repair all the connective tissue in it. This includes your skin, cartilage, soft tissue, and more. Vitamin C, therefore, plays a crucial role in helping your body maintain healthy organs, skin, bones, hair, and nails — essentially your whole body.

Vitamin C also helps your body stay youthful for longer as it ups your collagen stores, supports your skin barrier, and fights against free radicals. This is why many beauty gurus consider it to be one of your body’s best anti-aging support! 

 

Can reduce the risk of chronic disease

Free radicals are unstable atoms that damage cells. When these free radicals build up, they create what is known as oxidative stress, which is linked to many chronic diseases. 

Vitamin C, as we mentioned, is a powerful antioxidant that helps in fighting off the effects of free radicals. Not only does this boost your immune system, but also helps your body fight off the effects of oxidative stress — namely, inflammation. 

Vitamin C reduces the risk of many chronic diseases, such as cancer, inflammatory disorders, chronic fatigue syndrome, and asthma, to name a few.

 

Supports a healthier heart

Heart disease is one of the most prevalent health problems in the world. Many factors contribute to the risk of heart diseases, such as high blood pressure, high “bad” cholesterol levels, and low levels of “good” cholesterol.

Vitamin C helps in managing many of these risk factors, which in turn help support a healthier heart and a decreased risk of heart disease.

For one, it helps with blood pressure management. Scientists found that taking vitamin C supplements regularly helped relax blood vessels, which helped relieve pressure. Vitamin C also helps people manage their cholesterol levels. One study found that taking this supplement regularly can significantly reduce LDL (bad) cholesterol. Both effects help decrease your risk of heart diseases, such as strokes and heart attacks. 

 

Lowers blood uric levels

Uric acid is a waste product your body produces. When your blood uric levels are left unchecked, it can cause inflammation of the joints. This condition is called gout and can cause swelling and sudden, severe attacks of pain.

Luckily, research shows that taking vitamin C can help keep the uric acid levels in your blood at manageable levels. As a result, it can protect against gout attacks. In fact, one study found that people who took a vitamin C supplement had a 44% lower gout risk.

 

Prevents iron deficiency

Iron is one of the most important nutrients your body uses. It plays a role in many functions throughout the body. In particular, it is used for making new red blood cells, and transporting oxygen. However, iron — especially when it comes from plants — can be difficult for your body to absorb effectively.

One of the benefits of taking a vitamin C supplement is that it aids your body’s ability to absorb iron. It does this by helping convert iron into a form that is easier for your body to absorb. This is very helpful for those who have iron deficiencies, anemia, or whose diets are meat-free (as meat is a major source of iron).

 

Protects your brain as you age

Vitamin C also plays a role in neurotransmitter synthesis. These are important chemicals that your brain uses to send messages to and from cells, to the rest of the body. This means vitamin C is very important for your brain’s function.

This is especially important as you age because memory problems become more common. Taking vitamin C supplements regularly and early on ends up having a protective effect on your brain, helping it function properly even as you get on in age.

Vitamin C is also a powerful antioxidant, which we’ve mentioned helps protect against inflammation and oxidative stress. These two problems are likely culprits behind brain, spine, and nerve problems that are common amongst older adults. So, taking vitamin C supplements may help you avoid such problems. 

Key Takeaway

Most of us are already familiar with how this vitamin helps our immune system. But, the other benefits of vitamin C supplements show that they also help out in other essential functions throughout our bodies 

What are you waiting for? Take a vitamin C supplement today to improve and protect your health in the long run! Try Essential Supplements’ CellSentials from USANA. It’s packed with all the vitamin C you need — and more important vitamins — to give that powerful health boost you’re looking for.