The Importance of Vitamin C

By: Julie Knapp

The importance of vitamin C in maintaining optimal health cannot be overstated. For your health, it is crucial to get your daily dose of this power vitamin.

Immune Function
If you're trying to kick a cold or prevent illness from coming on, vitamin C is the nutrient to seek out. It helps your body maintain healthy tissues and can boost your immune system to fend off bugs.

Iron Absorption
Vitamin C helps your body absorb iron-an important factor for anemic individuals or anyone taking iron supplements.

Bone Building
Vitamin C helps with the formation of collagen, which is abundant in the connective tissues found in cartilage and bone. Vitamin C also stimulates bone building cells and enhance calcium and vitamin D's effects.

Wound Healing
Because vitamin C helps encourage collagen production, it's an important nutrient for wound healing.

Healthy Skin
Not only is collagen important for skin, but vitamin C is also an antioxidant that can help clean up the damage caused by free radicals or wrinkle-fighters that are formed due to sunlight, smoke and pollution.

Blood Pressure
Researchers have found that vitamin C can help lower blood pressure in hypertensive patients.

Eyesight
Studies suggest that vitamin C may help reduce the risk of age-related macular degeneration. Vitamin C is also one of the top antioxidants in your eye lens and it prevents cataracts from developing. It also helps keep the shape of the cornea as the nutrient strengthens capillaries and builds collagen.  

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