Did your mom ever chase you to drink orange juice? Were oranges a common companion with the soups you gulped down during your cold?
Vitamin C has long been known for its skills that help you fight common cold. Over the years doctors and nutritionists have found several more benefits of this essential vitamin. This is why many people drink a glass of orange juice at breakfast or take vitamin C supplements in their diet.
The Vital Vitamin: What is Vitamin C? Where is it Found?
Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is an essential water-soluble substance that is required by the body. It is considered as a highly powerful antioxidant. This means that it fights against harmful oxidizing agents that damage the body (e.g. free radicals and toxins).
Since vitamin C is not created in the body, we are advised to introduce it to our diets. This action is pretty simple because it is naturally found in many fruits and vegetables.
The vitamin is generally associated with an orange or other citrus fruits. Yet, red and green peppers, broccoli and brussels sprouts are also good sources of the vital vitamin.
Apart from a runny nose, there are other health-related problems that Vitamin C addresses. This is why it is considered an indispensible part of your daily diet.
Here are the many reasons why you should add it to your diet:
The Shield
Vitamin C makes your body resistant to diseases that are caused by pathogens or toxins. A stronger immune system is able to keep the germs and diseases at bay. It does so by stimulating the fighting cells (phagocytes and T-cells) in the body to act against any harmful agent.
Furthermore, it activates and speeds up the healing process in the body. This is why sore muscles and cut wounds heal much faster after the application of a vitamin C serum or ointment.
The Keeper
Vitamin C is the keeper of a strong heart. It has the ability to prevent many coronary problems. It does this by acting as a vasodilator. The dilated blood vessels regulate the blood flow in the body.
As a result, it:
- Supplies the body with more oxygen
- Inhibits blood pressure
- Relaxes the body during stress
- Prevents heart attacks due to vessel constrictions
The Old-Age Companion
Not many know this but vitamin C is a great way to defy age. As an antioxidant, the substance disposes of the free radicals and other harmful toxins that trigger body deterioration.
This means that it stops:
- Osteoarthritis
- Wrinkles and age spots on the skin
- Deteriorating brain cells
- Formation of cataracts
Other benefits include:
- Prevention from scurvy
- Boosts hair growth
- Subdues signs of eczema
- Enhances mood
- Regulates energy levels
As a whole, your eyes, brain, heart, skin almost every inch of the body is protected by the ever-efficient vitamin C.
It sounds like a superhero masquerading as a common nutrient, doesn’t it?
This is why we think that:
An orange a day keeps the doctor away!