Vitamin C: food, effect and deficiency

What is the effect of vitamin C and the daily requirement? What can be done about vitamin C deficiency? In this content you will find answers to many questions about vitamin C.

<<<>>>

• What is the effect of vitamin C?
• What is the daily requirement of vitamin C?
• Foods high in vitamin C
• Vitamin C deficiency: what are the causes and symptoms?

<<<>>>

Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, is one of the most beneficial vitamins for our body. However, it cannot be produced by our body. Therefore, it should be taken by consuming foods containing vitamin C.

Vitamin C is important to protect against diseases and to stay fit. We need proteins, carbohydrates, fats and vitamins for our body to run its daily functions smoothly. Vitamin C is one of the vitamins that our body uses most in carrying out its daily functions. Vitamin C is a powerful source of antioxidants, plays a role in protecting the body from various infections. Be it strengthening the immune system, protecting the health of the skin, oral hygiene and energy metabolism. You should therefore pay attention to the correct consumption of vitamin C-containing foods and a balanced diet to prevent vitamin C deficiency.

What is the effect of vitamin C?

Vitamin C has many different functions in the body. It participates in collagen synthesis, which is necessary to protect the health of teeth, bones, hair and skin. Faster wound healing allows for the repair of bone-cartilage tissue and teeth. It strengthens the immune system and thus protects us from infections.

Vitamin C, which protects the body's overall health and has healing properties, is one of the most powerful sources of antioxidants. Since the vitamin C has a strengthening effect on the immune system , it should be taken especially in the winter months when the immune system is very vulnerable. There are many scientific studies that confirm that it protects us from the common cold. The effects of vitamin C on the body are as follows:[blog-link number="1"]

Skin protection and regeneration

You will be able to read about vitamin C and its anti-aging effects in almost every blog post. Since the vitamin C supports skin health with the collagen and antioxidant properties. The basic building block of your body is the production of collagen, this one

decreases with age. As a result of the decrease in collagen synthesis in our body, our skin pores become more prominent and start to droop.

Our skin's need for vitamin C begins at this point. According to scientific studies , vitamin C can tighten our skin by supporting our body's collagen production.[blog-link number="2"]

On the other hand, thanks to its antioxidant properties, vitamin C can delay the signs of aging. The more free radicals , known as cellular debris, accumulate in our body, the more damage they cause to our cells. This can cause our skin to age faster. Studies show that vitamin C can reduce oxidative stress in skin cells. In this way, it can delay the signs of aging on the skin.[blog-link number "3"],[blog-link number "4"]

Vitamin C against cold

It is known to everyone that vitamin C is effective against colds. How does it even work? How does vitamin C work against colds?

Our immune system is our body's defense mechanism against colds and other infections. Each of us needs a strong immune system to protect against infections and for a strong immune system we need vitamin C. And this need exists not only in winter but in all four seasons.

Increases iron absorption

Vitamin C creates an acidic environment that allows the iron ingested from food to be absorbed more quickly in the gut. In this way, anemia can be prevented by increasing iron absorption . To get the most out of this trait of vitamin C, consume meat, chicken, fish, and legumes high in iron along with foods high in vitamin C, such as fresh lettuce and lemon. [blog link number="5"]

What is the daily requirement of vitamin C?

The German Nutrition Association (DGE) has published the amount of vitamin C that children, adolescents, adults, the elderly and pregnant women should take daily on its official website. According to the DGE, the daily vitamin C requirement for adolescents and adults aged 15 and over is between 90 and 100 milligrams.[blog-link number="6"]

However, the amount of vitamin C you need to take daily can vary depending on gender, environmental factors, and your physical and mental health. Daily vitamin C intake can be increased during pregnancy. It is useful to determine this amount in consultation with your doctor. The

Smokers are recommended to take more vitamin C than non-smokers.

Foods high in vitamin C

The most important sources of vitamin C are fruits and vegetables. Vitamin C, which has a very delicate structure, can be lost up to 100 percent due to heat (cooking), contact with metal knives or choppers, exposure to light or oxygen.

For this reason, you can give more preference to fruits and vegetables to get vitamin C, even though many foods contain it. To get the maximum benefit from the vitamin C you get from fruits and vegetables, eat fruits with their skins on. Fruit and vegetables should also not be cut into small pieces with metal knives or peelers. You can eat it in large slices immediately after peeling.

At the same time, the acidic environment in the salad dressings damages the vitamin C in fresh vegetables or salads. Therefore, the sauce should be added to the salad just before consumption. Here are a few examples of foods that are high in vitamin C:

• Orange, tangerine, grapefruit, kiwi, pineapple, strawberry and many other fresh fruits
• lemon
• Red and green peppers
• tomatoes
• Rocket, parsley, lettuce
• Fresh rose hips
• Vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage and spinach are among the important sources of vitamin C.

Vitamin C deficiency: what are the causes and symptoms?

Vitamin C deficiency is more common in adults who do not eat a balanced diet. People with severe vitamin C deficiency may experience conditions such as anemia, bleeding gums, and bruising on the skin. In some cases it has been observed that a disease called scurvy, defined by slowing down of wound healing, can occur.[blog-link number="7"]

Risk factors for vitamin C deficiency are generally an unhealthy diet, excessive alcohol consumption and smoking. Vitamin C deficiency symptoms can appear as follows.

• anemia
• Bleeding gums and swelling (gingivitis)
• nosebleeds
• Petechiae (small skin hemorrhages)
• Ecchymosis (skin bleeding)
• purpura (skin bleeding)
• Swollen joints and joint pain
• Defect healing or slow wound healing
• Weight gain due to slowing down of metabolism
• Dry skin
• Hyperkeratosis (skin thickening)
• ingrown hairs
• Dry, brittle and dull hair
• enamel degradation

If any of the above symptoms are present, a medical specialist should be consulted for an accurate diagnosis.

---------------------------------------

[blog references]

List of sources:

1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6204628/
2. http://www.gesundheits-lexikon.com/Orthomolecular-Medizin-Vitalstoff-Medizin/Oxidativer-Stress-Freie-Radikale/What-are-Free-Radicals-.html
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3104015/
4. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2507689/
5. https://www.dge.de/science/reference-values/vitamin-c/