Wonder weapon vitamin C

Hardly any other vitamin is as well known as vitamin C. L-ascorbic acid, as it is also called, is said to help with many ailments. This was also proven by the American chemist and Nobel Prize winner Linus Pauling. Hardly any other vitamin has been as well researched as vitamin C.

Since humans cannot produce vitamin C themselves, it is necessary to get it from food. Peppers, pineapples, lemons and acerola cherries are excellent sources of vitamin C. The acerola cherry is even said to be the best source of vitamin C in the world.

The vitamin C content of food depends on several factors.  Storage, processing and harvest time can all lead to high losses of vitamin C in food. It is therefore advisable to optimize your vitamin C requirements by taking food supplements. But what exactly can vitamin C do? You can find out about some of its superpowers here.

1. Let's start with the fact that vitamin C is known to be involved in the normal function of the immune system. Vitamin C contributes, among other things, to the formation of white blood cells, which are responsible for destroying pathogens.

2. Vitamin C also contributes to normal collagen formation, which in turn has a positive effect on your skin, connective tissue, joints and blood vessels, among other things.

3. As an antioxidant, vitamin C helps you neutralize free radicals. You absorb these in everyday life through the environment, exhaust fumes, smoking, cosmetics or food. Free radicals are also created in the body itself as metabolic end products.

4. Vitamin C can improve iron absorption because it is involved in absorption in the intestine.

There is some debate about exactly how much vitamin C we need. Since it is a water-soluble vitamin, you will probably excrete excess vitamin C through urine and stool. Only extremely high doses (3-4g daily over a long period of time) can lead to gastrointestinal problems, for example.

The vitamin C from the acerola cherry is of particular importance. The Mayan peoples already knew about its healing properties. The Mayan peoples consider the acerola cherry a source of health and firmly established it in their folk medicine. Traditional medicine in Latin America claims to have established acerola cherries due to their anti-inflammatory and diuretic properties. To this day, vitamin C from the acerola cherry enjoys particular popularity. According to a study from February 2019, vitamin C can even influence intestinal and liver functions, so that the intestinal flora and intestinal mucosa are better protected (1).

What are your experiences with vitamin C?