How Vitamin C affects the body and mind.

03/18/2020

Why Vitamin C is essential to our body?

Vitamins are essential nutrients that are very much needed for physiological and mental processes in the body. Vitamins are classified on the basis of their solubility as water soluble (C and B complexes) and fat soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K).

Vitamin C, we all heard about it and we know it is very important. Some of us know a lot about  it, so probably those can click away but if you wanna know how powerful it actually is, bear with me.


About Vitamin C

Vitamin C is essential for the development and maintenance of connective tissues. It plays an important role in bone formation, wound healing and the maintenance of healthy gums. Vitamin C plays an important role in a number of metabolic functions including the activation of the B vitamin, folic acid, the conversion of cholesterol to bile acids and the conversion of the amino acid, to the neurotransmitter, serotonin.

It is an antioxidant that protects the body from free radical damage. It is used as a therapeutic agent in many diseases and disorders. Vitamin C protects the immune system, reduces the severity of allergic reactions and helps to fight off infections.

The most widely known health beneficial effect of Vitamin C is in the prevention and relief of common cold. Vitamin C affects several components of the human immune system, and also supports antibacterial activity. It has been found to be beneficial in various inflammatory conditions.



Vitamin C or ascorbic acid (AA) was first isolated in 1923 by Hungarian biochemist and Nobel laureate Albert Szent-Györgyi and synthesized by Howarth and Hirst.

Vitamin C is easily oxidized acid and destroyed by oxygen, alkali and high temperature. Most of the plant and animal species have the ability to synthesize vitamin C from glucose and galactose through uronic acid pathway but man and other primates cannot do so because of deficiency of enzyme gulonolactone oxidase required for it's biosynthesis. Deficiency of this enzyme is a result of a mutation which occurred approximately 40 million years ago

The body requires vitamin C for normal physiological functions. As an antioxidant, it protects the body from various deleterious effects of free radicals, pollutants and toxins.

Deficiency of this vitamin is often associated with:

-anemia,

-infections,

-bleeding gums,

-scurvy,

-poor wound healing,

-capillary haemorrhage,

-muscle degeneration,

-atherosclerotic plaques

-neurotic disturbances.

For the correction of deficiency, vitamin C is often supplemented in large doses and unlike fat soluble vitamins, toxicity is rare.



What can reduce vitamin C:

-stress,

-alcohol intake,

-smoking,

-fever,

-viral illnesses,

-usage of antibiotics,

-pain killers,

-exposure to petroleum products or carbon monoxide,

-heavy metals toxicity


Various studies have been carried out to evaluate the role of Vitamin C in wound repair and healing/regeneration process as it stimulates collagen synthesis. Vitamin C is necessary for the normal healing process especially for post-operative patients during the postoperative period.




Vitamin C and other physical, mental health conditions

Diabetes is becoming a pandemic and numbers are expected to rise by 2030. In diabetic patients, long-term damage, dysfunction, and failure of different organs, especially the eyes, kidneys, nerves, heart, and blood vessels are related to uncontrolled hyperglycemia. Vitamin C has been associated with decreased risk of developing diabetes mellitus (DM).


A study conducted on 12 schizophrenics showed that urinary excretion of vitamin C was significantly lower than healthy controls and intravenous injection of a large dose of vitamin C produced improvement in mental condition in 75 % of patients.


As a conclusion, in case you are experiencing any signs of Vitamin C deficiency please contact a qualified doctor to rule out if indeed you have a Vitamin C deficiency and if yes, how much of Vitamin C should you take to improve your current condition. Or if you feel like your fruit and vegetable intake does not provide you enough vitamin C again consult with a specialist to take the needed supplements.


And again my readers, stay curious, stay safe <3


Reference> https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3783921/#CR78