When the cold months have returned, the need for vitamin C seems greater than ever. It is advisable to take vitamin C when the ‘R’ is in the month, from September to April. But vitamin C is also invaluable during the other months to stay fit and healthy. With the right nutrition, quantities and supplements you can prevent and remedy many ailments and diseases.
Why is vitamin C so important?
Vitamin C plays an important role in the formation of collagen. Collagen is a type of connective tissue that ensures proper wound healing. But collagen is also very important for protecting and repairing teeth, bones and cartilage. Collagen ensures optimal absorption of iron from food and helps with the metabolism of carbohydrates, fats and proteins. When you have a vitamin C deficiency, this increases your susceptibility to infections. You quickly feel tired because your resistance decreases.
Products that contain vitamin C
All plants and animals produce their own vitamin C. Together with the guinea pig and the great apes, humans are an exception to this. We will have to get our vitamin C from the food we eat. Vitamin C is mainly found in many types of fruit, citrus fruits in particular are known for this. But strawberries, kiwis, various types of berries and raspberries are also full of this healthy substance. In addition to fruit, you can also find it in cabbage vegetables, peppers and potatoes. Less obvious are herbs, for example, a tablespoon of chili powder already contains more than 5 mg of vitamin C. You will also find a significant amount in mustard seeds, parsley, saffron and cloves.
How much vitamin C should you take?
The recommended daily amount of vitamin C for adults is between 75 and 110 mg. Some groups are advised to take more, such as breastfeeding women, pregnant women, smokers, but also top athletes. If you do not belong to one of these groups (or another group where the recommended amount may be higher), then there is no point in taking more than the recommended daily amount. Vitamin C dissolves in water, so when we take more than we need, it is not stored but leaves our body through urine. It is therefore important that you take the minimum amount every day. If you have a cold, extra vitamin C will help you get rid of it faster and make the symptoms more bearable. So you can safely take a little more during the colder winter months.
A deficiency of vitamin C
If you consume too few vitamins in your diet, a vitamin C deficiency can occur. People who eat little fruit and vegetables may suffer from this in particular. A varied diet is therefore very important. Vitamin C is also called ascorbic acid.
Vitamin C is good for:
- Healthy bones and teeth
- Healthy blood vessels
- Strengthening and maintaining healthy resistance
- Your iron absorption
- It helps your body to protect itself against antioxidants, which are responsible for aging, among other things
Ascorbic acid literally means ‘against scurvy’, one of the most well-known diseases in history, which mainly affected sailors of the VOC. With a long-term deficiency of vitamin C, scurvy can still develop.
Complaints and symptoms of vitamin C deficiency
- Inflammation of the gums (also called gingivitis)
- Bleeding gums and loose teeth
- It weakens your tooth enamel
- Dry, flaky, red and rough skin
- Your hair will become dry and you will experience an increase in split ends
- Wounds will heal more slowly and poorly
- You get bruises and nosebleeds easily
- More likely to suffer from swollen and painful joints
- Reduced resistance
- Poorer healing and control of infections
- Heart complaints
- You feel weak, tired and are more irritable
- Some people experience weight gain due to a slowed metabolism
Vitamin C supplements
If you are advised to take extra vitamin C, you can choose to take a supplement. This is usually in pill form, but you can also choose to take effervescent tablets. For the best advice, it is best to visit a drugstore or pharmacy. They can show you all the forms and options for taking vitamin C and also know what best suits your lifestyle and preference.
Did you know
- In the 18th century the importance of vitamin C was discovered. The sailor’s disease scurvy was caused by a deficiency of vitamin C. The sailors were often at sea for months, without fresh fruit and vegetables.
- When steaming or blanching your vegetables, up to 35% of the vitamin C is lost. It is best to cook vegetables in a pressure cooker or microwave. The loss is then much more limited.
- A red pepper contains up to three times as much vitamin C as an orange.
- Vitamin C is extremely good for your skin, it not only makes your skin a lot tighter through the production of connective tissue, but it also ensures that you are less likely to get sunburned.
- Adequate intake of vitamin C reduces the risk of a heart attack.
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