The past 12 months have undoubtedly encouraged everyone to think more about their health, so it’s important we have an understanding of how to best protect and strengthen our immune system. We've talked about Vitamin B12 and Vitamin D3 in previous blogs, so here we're going to focus on Vitamin C.
Ascorbic acid, more commonly known as vitamin C, is a versatile nutrient that is known for helping your immune system fight off illness. It is a water-soluble vitamin that can be found in a range of different foods, particularly fruits and vegetables.
Why Do We Need Vitamin C?
Vitamin C has several important functions including helping to maintain healthy skin, blood vessels, bones and cartilage, as well as making collagen; helping to heal and repair wounds. However, one of the key ways in which vitamin C helps your immune system is through the protection of cells.
Vitamin C encourages the production of white blood cells known as lymphocytes and phagocytes, which helps the body defend against dangerous pathogens that enter the body.
Our bodies are actually incapable of producing vitamin C, so it is essential we obtain it from other sources. Vitamin C also can’t be stored in the body, meaning we need to consume it in our diet daily.
How Do We Get Vitamin C?
There are numerous foods which contain vitamin C, however the best sources are fruit and vegetables. It’s well known that orange juice is an excellent source of vitamin C, as well as other citrus fruits such as grapefruits and lemons. However, if you don’t like citrus fruits, other foods which are classed as good sources of vitamin C include: strawberries, blackcurrants, peppers and broccoli.
It’s important to remember that the vitamin C levels in food degrades quickly after harvest, so eating fresh food is likely to give you the best source of nutritional value. Cooking or microwaving food containing vitamin C can also degrade the nutritional value, which is important to consider if you are trying to consume a certain amount of vitamin C.
Why is Vitamin C Important?
The role of vitamin C in your diet is absolutely crucial. A lack of vitamin C can lead to problems such as reduced immunity, fatigue & poor mood.. Vitamin C deficiencies can also cause unpleasant symptoms such as rough skin, painful & swollen joints and easy bruising.
Most people are able to get enough vitamin C through their diets, however if you feel you aren’t getting enough, there are additional food supplements you can take. One Nutrition’s Revive and Go is launching with a new formula that is rich in super concentrated vitamin C. The new formula consists of Zinc and PureWay-C a proprietary and proven form of vitamin C that’s 233% more absorbable than other vitamin C forms.
If you start to notice yourself becoming tired more easily or start having unexplained muscle and joint pain, it could be due to not having enough vitamin C in your diet. We know everyone is aware how important it is to look after yourself, but it’s important to recognise when we might be lacking essential nutrients such as vitamin C.