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Keeping healthy is really important now. That’s why using every strategy to boost your immune system is vitally important. And getting all the vitamins and minerals you need is the key.
Vitamin C – also known as ascorbic acid – is an essential vitamin which means that your body cannot produce it according to Healthline. You must eat enough foods that contain it or take supplements. The recommended dose for women is 75 mg and 90 mg for men.
It may not be a cure for the common cold or the coronavirus but it is really good for you. Here are five ways that vitamin C can help your health:
Can boost your immune system
One of the reasons that people load up on vitamin C in the winter is to boost their immune system. It does so by encouraging the production of white blood cells called lymphocytes and phagocytes that help fight infections, according to Healthline. This also helps to decrease healing time. So, make sure you drink orange juice every morning,
May reduce chronic conditions
Vitamin C is a very powerful antioxidant and its properties have been proven by scientific research to increase your blood antioxidant levels by up to 30 percent which helps your body fight inflammation. Antioxidants are actually molecules that can help your body by protecting against free radials which can promote oxidative stress that is linked to many chronic health issues. Grapefruit contains a large number of antioxidants.
Can help you regulate high blood pressure
Almost one-third of Americans have high blood pressure according to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) which can put you at risk for high blood pressure. Vitamin C has actually been linked to lowering blood pressure in both healthy adults and people who suffer from hypertension. Green vegetables from the cabbage family like broccoli, brussels sprouts and cauliflower are full of vitamin C.
May help your heart health
Of course, anything that lowers blood pressure is good for your heart but Vitamin C can do much more. This helpful vitamin also helps reduce bad cholesterol (LDC) levels. An analysis of 9 studies of people who took vitamin C supplements had a 25 percent lower risk of heart disease than people who didn’t. But according to Healthline people who consumed foods high in Vitamin C like tomatoes actually had a lower risk than people who took supplements.
Can help your memory
Vitamin C could also help against memory loss. That’s because antioxidants help increase levels of oxidative stress and inflammation near the brain, spine, and nerves but definitive studies are still needed to look at this relationship. According to Healthline, what is known is that low levels of vitamin C have been linked to the impaired ability to think and remember found in dementia patients. Flavonoids also boost memory. Strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries have both. In fact, berries have more vitamin C than oranges.
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