One interesting and potentially beneficial outcome of the COVID-19 pandemic has been the increased attention so many of us are paying to our immune health. Regardless of opinion on vaccinations, just about everyone has agreed on the importance of building up our bodies’ immunity to either stave off or lessen the impact of COVID infection, not to mention any other colds, flus and other communicable maladies.
Thrust right into the middle of this expanded interest in immunity was much discussion, and consumption, of Vitamin C. In addition to traditional dietary sources of Vitamin C, such as citrus fruits, becoming harder to find at the grocery store, so too were a number of supplements and/or cold and flu medications that boasted high amounts of Vitamin C. While we are no longer seeing consistently barren fruit displays in the grocery stores, Vitamin C enriched supplements and cold remedies are still in high demand, and the Vitamin’s benefits continue to be widely discussed.
Ironically, because the use of Vitamin C has become so commonplace, some of us are actually starting to take it for granted. Even some medical practitioners are now downplaying the effectiveness and benefit of Vitamin C based cold remedies. Well, I think you might be surprised by just how beneficial – in fact, how vitally important – Vitamin C is to our bodies. It is so important, in fact, that this discussion is just the first in a series that I plan to share regarding what exactly Vitamin C is and how it functions in our bodies.
First, the basics. Vitamin C, or rather Ascorbic Acid, turns into Ascorbate once it is digested into the body. This Ascorbate can be found in abundance in cells throughout the body. It is an enzyme cofactor – which means it is an important element for normal enzyme function. As such, it plays an important role in several functions throughout the body beyond the immune system boost that we all know and expect.
Vitamin C keeps us healthy far beyond helping us avoid or get over colds and flus. It is important in our bodies’ maintenance of healthy skin, healthy blood vessels, healthy bones and cartilage and healthy teeth. It also plays an important role in helping with wound healing, and is an important factor in the absorption of Iron. Additionally, Vitamin C is not just an immune system booster, it is vitally important for proper immune function in general.
Another important function of Vitamin C is its role as an antioxidant. This means that it plays a key role in protecting our systems against oxidative stress. This is particularly of note to us here at Mensah Medical, as oxidative stress is a primary factor in the advancement/worsening of both Alzheimer’s and Autism. Vitamin C and other powerful antioxidants are often significant parts of our targeted nutrient therapy treatments for patients struggling with these conditions.
For those interested in anti-aging, Vitamin C plays a critical role in protein production. It has a very direct impact on maintaining collagen in the body. Collagen is responsible for skin elasticity and maintaining the youthful, smooth look of skin. Keeping in mind that collagen represents approximately 1/3 of the total protein in the human body, Vitamin C is very critical for maintaining a youthful appearance.
These functions and benefits of Vitamin C that I have included here only scratch the surface of all the critical and important ways in which our bodies use this vital nutrient. “Stay tuned” for even more in future blogs and newsletters…
