What Is The Purpose Of Vitamin C

What Is The Purpose Of Vitamin C ?

Vitamin C or ascorbic acid is an essential vitamin in the human body that serves multifarious functions.

This vitamin promotes the growth and repair of tissues, helps make collagen an important ingredient necessary for cartilage, tendons, blood vessels, ligaments, muscles and skin. Vitamin C has strong anti-allergic properties and builds up the immune system. It delays the onset of aging and is a proven antioxidant.

The vitamin also controls high blood pressure, helps prevent heart disease and cancer and is effective in combating osteoarthritis, asthma and age-related macro degeneration. Vitamin C helps iron absorption necessary for a woman at time of menstruation when iron reserves are depleted. Perhaps vitamin C is best known as a protective barrier against the common cold.

Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, was discovered in 1932 though its benefits were first known centuries ago. Over two million sailors perished at sea between 1500 and 1800 of a terrible disease named scurvy. Early sailors discovered that this disease was cured by using native remedies which entailed drinking a decoction made from certain plant foods. They knew it affected a cure or kept the disease at bay, but the precise reason as to how it worked remained a mystery. Years later, ships surgeons of the Royal Navy established a connection between consumption of citrus fruits and prevention of scurvy.

Vitamin C is water soluble which means it is stored in the human body in a very limited amount which depletes rapidly and has to be replenished. Fortunately vitamin C is readily available in most fruits and green vegetables. A normally balanced diet with adequate fruit and vegetables is adequate to meet the body’s requirement of vitamin C. The exact amount that the human body requires is in dispute and subject to several opinions. However instances of vitamin C deficiency are comparatively rare.

The main functions of Vitamin C are as follows:

It stimulates the immune system and creates a defense mechanism against infections such as the common cold.
It helps synthesize collagen the structural cement in vascular tissues, ligaments, muscles and tendons
It is a potent antioxidant that can neutralize toxins, pollutants and harmful free radicals.
It helps prevent certain types of cancers.
It vastly enhances the ability of the body to absorb iron.
It inhibits histamines that are released during allergic reactions.
In combination with zinc it aids rapid healing of wounds.
It prevents hemorrhaging and bleeding of the gums and preserves the health of the teeth.
It is a critical factor in eye health and staves off ocular degeneration.

The body has a limited ability to store and retain vitamin C. The average storage capacity is 20 mg/kg of body weight.

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What Is The Purpose Of Vitamin C