Article # 515. Health Benfits of Vitamin C

It has long been known that one of the health benefits of vitamin C is that it helps to boost your immune system, allowing you to fight off the many viruses and bacteria that can cause you to get sick.

This is not the only benefit of this helpful nutrient. There are some that you may not have been aware of before now. In fact, studies are being carried out to prove the helpful effects of vitamin C and cancer, as well as those found helpful with vitamin C and cholesterol.

General Benefits

Beyond aiding the immune system, the health benefits of vitamin C range far and wide where the human body is concerned. It is found naturally in fruits like oranges, papayas, pineapples and lemons, as well as in vegetables like spinach, tomatoes and cabbages. It is the one nutrient that is easy to obtain, and one that is essential for more than 300 separate functions required by the human body.

Healthy Diet

A healthy diet containing this vitamin, and supplemented by additional doses can shorten the duration of the common cold, speed up the healing process of many wounds, and help lessen the symptoms of allergies. It is necessary for the continued growth of tissues and cells, as well as repairing them. It helps the body produce collagen, one of the proteins required for new skin cell growth, and helps to protect the body against harmful chemicals in the environment, as well as those that have been proven to create cancer cells in the body.

Skin, Hair, Bones and Teeth

This vitamin is also essential for regulating the production of good cholesterol levels, as well as lowering the bad cholesterol. It helps the body produce red blood cells, lowers blood pressure, helps in clotting wounds, and can prevent anaemia.

Without it, bones, teeth and gums would not develop as they should, because calcium alone cannot do all the work required.

Even the overall metabolism is helped by this wonderful vitamin, especially when it comes to producing the proper amount of the thyroid hormone that controls the processing of food for energy, and aiding in weight gain or loss. Even the eyes benefit from its presence, keeping the sun’s rays from damaging the fragile lens, and creating cataracts.

Vitamin C and Cholesterol

The effects of vitamin C and cholesterol have recently been proven through medical studies. What is known that a regular diet containing this nutrient leads to better digestion of food, and will keep the levels of low density lipoproteins low, flushing them out of the body as they should be. This helps keep cholesterol levels within the right ranges, and reduces the risk of other diseases developing later on in life.

There are many great benefits to regularly consuming vitamin C and even though we only include a few examples here, there are literally hundreds more.

Which is why even though many of us lead a very hectic and busy lifestyle. We must make sure that the engine that makes all this possible (our healthy body) is in tip top condition and healthy. Which is why vitamin C is one of the most powerful known antioxidants in nature. It's not only a great friend but should be a necessary part of our nutritional diet.