Unfortunately, 46% of U.S. adults1 aren’t getting enough vitamin C daily from their diet alone. In other words, there’s a 50/50 chance you’re missing out on the whole-body benefits that vitamin C has to offer. Still skeptical? Keep reading for seven vitamin C perks we’re willing to bet you’re not aware of: As a potent antioxidant, vitamin C can also protect your joints from reactive oxygen species (ROS): “The primary function of vitamin C is to destroy free radicals in the body. Those free radicals are what trigger inflammatory pathways,"* Holtzer explains. Translation? The more vitamin C, the better for your joint mobility.* Why? As it turns out, your eyes are constantly breaking down, synthesizing, and forming new cells, and that can allow free radicals to thrive if left unchecked. “Therefore, the eyes need extra antioxidant protection from free radicals and reactive oxygen species,” Holtzer says. “Vitamin C can provide that antioxidant protection.”* According to Scott Keatley, R.D., of Keatley Medical Nutrition Therapy, vitamin C also helps keep the eye’s natural lens clear3 and maintain vision health as we age, thanks to its antioxidant actions.* An Ophthalmology 4study4 with 5,638 participants over the age of 60 in India found that vitamin C status was inversely associated with eye-health concerns.* In other words, the more vitamin C people had, the more likely they were to maintain healthy vision.* Interestingly, the Ophthalmology study revealed that other antioxidants (i.e., lutein, zeaxanthin, retinol, beta-carotene, and alpha-tocopherol) also had positive effects on participants’ eye health, with these oxidant-combating compounds imparting profound vision and clarity benefits.* Iron is notoriously difficult to absorb, but vitamin C works to enhance the bioavailability5 of nonheme iron, a form of the mineral that comes from plants and animals (and is not as easily absorbed as heme iron, which comes from animal food sources).* Vitamin C also optimizes the uptake of iron from transferrin (the protein that transports iron through the blood), which helps distribute the nutrient well for its whole-body use by our cells. Speaking to vegetarians and vegans especially, “for someone who is looking to get most of their iron from less bioavailable plant sources, vitamin C can go a long way toward helping with iron absorption,”* says Jessica Cording, R.D., registered dietitian, health coach, and mbg Collective member. Vitamin C’s antioxidant activity also plays a vital role in supporting brain health.* “Because the brain has so much fat, it is very susceptible to ROS,” Keatley says. “Like in other parts of the body, vitamin C combats free radicals by combining with them and then leaving the body via the kidneys.”* The science supports Cording’s intel: A study published in the journal Antioxidants7 in 2018 found that people with high concentrations of vitamin C in their blood were more likely to have a better mood compared to those with lower plasma levels (i.e., poor vitamin C status).* Those who had sufficient levels of vitamin C were also less likely to report feelings of sadness, anger, and confusion.* Hearkening back to Ferira’s earlier insight about organs chock-full of C, this is a clue one should not ignore. “[The adrenal glands] require a high amount of vitamin C in order to produce cortisol, aka the stress hormone,”* Holtzer explains. “So, it stands to reason that during times of high or prolonged stress, aka times of high cortisol levels, the adrenal glands need more vitamin C.”* Vitamin C is required for collagen synthesis, and collagen allows for flexibility in your arteries—a key component of healthy blood pressure, Bland says.* “Vitamin C also helps promote anti-inflammatory actions in the blood vessels, which has a beneficial effect on blood pressure control,”* he adds. And, if you’re concerned about your vitamin C levels, talk to your health care provider. They should be able to order a blood test to see exactly where you’re at (and help get you where you need to be!).
