Vitamin C - How Much and Why?

Firstly, Vitamin C does not cure a cold or the flu, it has to be taken every day to reduce the chances of catching the flu by almost 50%. Loading up on vitamin C after you have fallen sick doesn’t necessarily mean it will cure it.

If you’re like me and not a big fan of fruits such as oranges, kiwi, grapefruit or vegetables such as Brussel sprouts and capsicum then you are not getting enough Vitamin C in your diet. There was a time I used to always be sick with the flu on and off, it would be probably the only time I would try and have vitamin C and other meds to get better. To be honest I got sick of falling sick, so I started taking Vitamin C daily.

1000mg of Vitamin C daily either in the form of a tablet/capsule or effervescent is an ideal way to ensure you are getting your daily doze of Vitamin C. I would recommend the effervescent as you can have it first thing in the morning and that way you even consume a glass of water to start your day with. I was not very good with my water in take back in the day, so this is a way of taking the first step towards hitting two birds with one stone. Sure enough, I started falling sick less, to the point where I’ve gone months or even a year without catching the flu even when I was around people who had it.

The benefits to having 1000mg of vitamin C are so many.

1. Ladies did you know that by taking vitamin C everyday it helps maintain healthy skin, wrinkling and its one of the essentials for the body to make collagen. Skin benefits also include brightening your skin, protecting you from pigmentation and it even works on anti-ageing. How it helps with anti-ageing is that because of its antioxidant properties it helps your body repair damaged skin cells which also in turn supports the regeneration process. The first time I gained this knowledge was when I went for a facial and they asked me if I’d like a Vitamin C facial!
2. Vitamin C helps in the absorption of iron from food and iron deficiency is common nowadays especially among women, children and vegetarians. By supplementing your diet with Vitamin C, iron levels can be managed well. Iron deficiency can cause a lot of serious issues if not regulated to normal levels. Extreme tiredness, weakness, pale skin, shortness of breath, damaged hair, brittle nails are all possible symptoms of iron deficiency.
3. As we grow older, we become more susceptible to chronic diseases, and not mention losing our memory. Chances of Alzheimer’s and dementia are higher these days and Vitamin C being a strong antioxidant, does wonders on your thinking and memory as you age.
4. Because Vitamin C is such a strong antioxidant it can really strengthen your body’s defenses hence why it is known as an immunity booster. Another vital factor Vitamin C plays as an antioxidant is that it is helps fight inflammation. We all suffer from inflammation at some point with all our aches and pains, this will help fight against the inflammation to reduce your discomfort.
5. Furthermore, it also helps reduce hypertension, protects your heart and combats cancer.

For those of you who are thinking is it safe to take 1000mg of Vitamin C a day, let me put you at ease. Vitamin C is water soluble, so any excess of vitamin c is usually excreted in the urine and not stored in the body. You should not be consuming anything more than 2000mg of vitamin C in a day.

Lastly when’s a good time to take the supplement, as mentioned above, first thing in the morning or half hour before your breakfast would be the ideal time to take it. This applies for any water-soluble vitamins.

Thank you for your time and reading.