At Jamieson, we like to remind people that vitamin C's cold-fighting reputation is really just the trailer, the full story includes your skin, your eyes, and how well your body uses the iron you eat.
By the end of this article, you'll know how vitamin C supports your skin, your eyes, and even your iron levels, not just your immune system. Here are some things you should know about vitamin C.
What is Vitamin C?
Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin and potent antioxidant that takes an active role in many of your body's crucial functions. Most famously hailed as a preventative nutrient that helps stave off the cold and flu, vitamin C is taken in droves by the health-conscious everywhere. But this nutrient does more than help to curb a sneeze! A key contributor to the health of your gums, teeth, cartilage and capillaries, it's plain to see that there's more to vitamin C than citrus and immunity.
What Does Vitamin C Actually Do for Your Body?
Vitamin C is critical for fighting off the dangerous free-radicals we encounter daily, making it one of the most important nutrients for optimal health. Though many plants and animals can make their own vitamin C, humans are one of the only species who cannot. For this reason, vitamin C is an essential part of our diet.
Since higher intake has been closely linked with lower incidence of disease, it has been widely speculated that a person's levels of vitamin C are a good indicator of their health overall.
Who Is Most at Risk of Low Vitamin C?
While deficiencies are rare, vitamin C is one of the first nutrients to run dry in those who are smokers, consume alcohol, are obese and are stressed.
Vitamin C's Skin Benefits
With antioxidant functions in tow, vitamin C glows to the top of beauty nutrients. Not only has it been proven to help reduce inflammation in the skin, but it also regulates the synthesis of the structural protein collagen, playing a major role in its production.
Does Vitamin C Help with Collagen Production?
Vitamin C is directly involved in regulating how your body synthesizes collagen, the structural protein that keeps skin firm and supported.
Can Vitamin C Prevent Photoaging?
Vitamin C has also been credited for its hand in preventing photoaging, which is the premature aging of skin due to UV rays.
Takeaway: Vitamin C's skin benefits go beyond glow, it's actively involved in collagen production and defending against UV-driven aging.
Vitamin C For Eye Health
Almost all of the cells in your body depend on vitamin C, including those in your eyes. In fact, the cells in your eyes actually need vitamin C in order to function properly.
Can Vitamin C Lower Your Risk of Cataracts?
Vitamin C intake lowers the risk of developing cataracts, which can be triggered by lifestyle factors like smoking, diabetes and steroid use, which all deplete your vitamin C stores.
How Much Vitamin C Helps Slow Macular Degeneration?
People at risk of Age-Related Macular Degeneration, which is a degenerative condition that targets the central part of the retina for vision loss and distortion, can benefit from taking at least 500 mcg of vitamin C per day.
A study from the American Optometric Association concluded that supplementing with the power nutrient, in tandem with other essential nutrients like zinc and vitamin E, could slow this disease by about 25%, and visual acuity by 19%.
Takeaway: For those at risk of AMD, vitamin C isn't a stand-alone fix, its biggest impact shows up alongside zinc and vitamin E.
Vitamin C Helps You Absorb Iron
An essential mineral, your body requires iron to keep it on kilter. The trouble is, consuming doesn't mean absorbing. Ascorbic acid, or vitamin C, supercharges your body's ability to absorb iron.
Once iron is absorbed, it's used to make hemoglobin, a protein your body uses to help red blood cells traffic oxygen. Iron also feeds myoglobin, a protein that helps store excess oxygen. Vitamin C sneaks away non-heme iron and stores in a way that's more easily absorbed.
How Much Vitamin C Boosts Iron Absorption?
One study even claims consuming at least 100 mg of vitamin C-laden foods with your meal can increase iron absorption by at least 67%!
Takeaway: Pairing vitamin C-rich foods with your iron sources is one of the simplest ways to get more out of the iron you're already eating.
What Are the Best Food Sources of Vitamin C?
The good news is that many highly available foods boast high values of this super nutrient, so keeping it in your diet is easier than fitting in an orange an hour.
Foods High in Vitamin C
- Broccoli
- Red peppers
- Winter squash
- Citrus fruits
Need some inspiration? This Butternut Squash Soup is a good place to start.
Key Takeaways
Vitamin C's reputation as a cold-and-flu fighter barely scratches the surface. It's a marker of overall health, a defender of your skin's collagen and UV resilience, a possible ally against macular degeneration, and the nutrient that unlocks the iron already in your diet.
If you only remember one thing: vitamin C's real power isn't in preventing a sniffle, it's in quietly supporting your skin, eyes, and iron levels every single day.
