Vitamin C’s SECRET Benefits (Shocking!)

You probably know by now that vitamin C is a powerhouse for your immune system.

It helps protect your body from infection and even shortens wound healing time. It’s even been found that boosting vitamin C can shorten recovery time if you develop a cold.

But vitamin C is no one-trick pony.

This one simple nutrient has countless benefits for your body FAR beyond its immune-boosting effects.

I’ll tell you about five of its secret benefits that you probably haven’t heard about…

Better Brain Function

Studies have found that cognitively healthy people have higher levels of vitamin C than those with impaired cognition.

This could be because vitamin C plays a critical role in the formation of neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters are important brain chemicals that send message from your brain to the rest of your body.

Increases Iron Absorption

Iron has many important roles in your body, from supporting proper growth and development to helping your body make important hormones.

Your body readily absorbs heme iron (the kind found in meat), but it has a difficult time absorbing non-heme iron (the kind found in plants).

And consuming non-heme iron at the same time as vitamin C can boost your body’s absorption of the iron.

Boosts Cancer Treatments

Amazingly enough, studies have shown that eating a diet filled with vitamin C-rich foods reduces the risk of certain types of cancer.

In addition, when vitamin C is given intravenously at high doses, it can make chemo and radiation more effective.

One study showed that high doses of vitamin C helped fight breast cancer cells when give in addition to anti-cancer drugs.

Protects Vision

Studies show that vitamin C can lower the risk of two of the most common eye conditions facing older people: cataracts and age-related macular degeneration.

In fact, AMD is the leading cause of blindness in people over 65.

But one study showed that taking 500 mg per day of vitamin C slowed the progress of the disease in people with moderate (not advanced) AMD.

Boosts Collagen Synthesis

Vitamin C helps you produce collagen, which is a key part of the connective tissue found in your body.

Collagen is especially abundant in your skin, and it tends to diminish with age, leading to wrinkled, saggy skin.

(That’s why so many beauty products contain collagen.)

But one study showed that by topically applying vitamin C to your skin, you can increase your body’s own collagen production and get younger-looking skin.

Strengthens Your Immune System

You already know that vitamin C strengthens your immune system, but it still deserves a mention in this list.

Vitamin C protects against oxidative stress, it aids in microbial killing, and it decreases the potential for tissue damage.

The bottom line is, if you don’t have enough vitamin C, you’re at an increased risk of infection.

And if you do get sick, supplementing with vitamin C can help you recover faster.

Your body doesn’t produce its own vitamin C, so you need to get it through foods like oranges, kale, bell peppers, and strawberries… or you can start taking a vitamin C supplement for added protection.

 

P.S. Vitamin C’s benefits don’t stop there… click here and read about another added benefit that’s especially important for our aging bodies.