14 Vitamin C Benefits You Should Know About
DR. JOLENE BRIGHTENPUBLISHED: APRIL 1, 2020LAST REVIEWED: MAY 19, 2020
Vitamin C is an essential nutrient for many reasons. Also known as ascorbic acid, Vitamin C is water-soluble, so it can’t be stored in large amounts by the body. You’ve got to ingest it daily. Vitamin C is crucial for skin, bones, ligaments, tendons, teeth, eyes, and blood vessels. In this article, we’ll discuss all of some of the top 14 benefits of this incredible vitamin.
You may have heard of vitamin C as a cold remedy or as something to take to “boost your immune system,” but it actually has benefits far beyond just immune system support.
Did you know vitamin C plays a key role in supporting hormone function and thyroid health? It’s also great for your cardiovascular system and can even help keep your skin looking youthful.
Let’s explore all the ways vitamin C is important for health. In this article we'll cover:
Benefits of vitamin C for immunity
How vitamin C supports your hormones
Vitamin C for adrenal health and anxiety
Top food sources of vitamin C
Different supplement forms
Dosages that have been shown to be beneficial in the research
1. Vitamin C For The Immune System
As you’re likely aware, vitamin C is a critical component in keeping your immune system in tip-top shape. Many studies have shown its efficacy in cases of bacteria and viral infection, including lung inflammation caused by the flu and pneumonia.
It’s thought that vitamin C’s immune supporting benefits come from its ability to help produce white blood cells — the body’s defenders against infection.
And levels of the vitamin are low in patients who have severe infections like tuberculosis, further indicating a relationship between vitamin C levels and the immune system.
Does Vitamin C “Boost” Your Immune System?
Vitamin C is important for protecting immune cells. Your immune cells, lymphocytes specifically, produce reactive oxygen species (ROS), which are great in defending against foreign invaders, but can also damage the immune cells themselves. Because vitamin C is an antioxidant, it provides protection for these important cells. These lymphocytes will actual increase the levels of vitamin C they have in order to protect themselves, which is one reason why the body may require increased levels of vitamin C.
In addition, vitamin C supports your immune system in producing white blood cells and helping these cells (specifically lymphocytes, neutrophils, and phagocytes) function at their best.
But while it is an essential nutrient for a healthy functioning immune system, it does not “boost” immune activity. Rather, it supports your immune system’s defenses against viruses, bacteria and other invaders. And it also protects your immune cells.
Can Vitamin C Prevent or Cure the Common Cold?
Sadly, there just isn’t a cure for the common cold. And as great as vitamin C is, it won’t prevent you from catching it either.
In a Cochrane Review that looked at 29 studies with a total of 11,306 participants, it was concluded that at the dose of 200 mg or more of vitamin C, there was no reduction in the risk of contracting the common cold.
However, it was also found that regular supplementation with vitamin had a “consistent effect in reducing the duration of common cold symptoms, which is based on 31 study comparisons with 9745 common cold episodes.”
In adults, supplementing with 200 mg/day was found to reduce the duration of colds by 8% and in children by 14%.
In children, vitamin C at a dose of 1,000-2,000 mg/day shortened colds by 18% and also reduced the severity.
This review concluded that:
Nevertheless, given the consistent effect of vitamin C on the duration and severity of colds in the regular supplementation studies, and the low cost and safety, it may be worthwhile for common cold patients to test on an individual basis whether therapeutic vitamin C is beneficial for them.
In therapeutic trials at doses of 1-8 g/ day, there were no significant effects of beginning vitamin C supplementation once there was an onset of cold symptoms.
The takeaway here is that consistent daily supplementation has a more significant effect than taking vitamin C at the onset of cold symptoms. Keep reading because we’ll be covering food sources and supplements for vitamin C.
2. Vitamin C For Better Progesterone Levels
Progesterone is a hormone made following ovulation. It’s benefits range from supporting a healthy mood, better sleep, keeping anxiety in check, making periods easier, and improved brain function.
In one randomized control trial it was found that women who supplemented with vitamin C had increased progesterone levels compared to the placebo group.
3. Vitamin C For Fertility and Pregnancy
Vitamin C has long been touted for its ability to increase fertility. Researchers believe that ascorbic acid is important in many parts of the reproductive process. This is likely because it plays a vital role in hormone production, helps make collagen, and protects cells from free radicals.
Studies show that vitamin C impacts follicle integrity, and even helps to restore follicular reserves and aging ovaries in mice. Human studies also suggest a correlation between vitamin C levels and follicular fluid levels, making vitamin C an ideal supplement for anyone trying to increase the health of their eggs.
In another study, women who were struggling to get pregnant supplemented with 750mg of vitamin C to great effect. Their progesterone levels increased and within 6 months, 25% were pregnant.
4. Vitamin C for Stress and Anxiety
Vitamin C is required for making catecholamines, otherwise known as stress hormones. In fact, your adrenal glands are one of the organs with the highest concentrations of vitamin C and leverage this vitamin to do their job. This is why we include vitamin C in our Adrenal Support formulation.
In times of stress, your adrenal glands increase production of catecholamines. Because of this, they are using more vitamin C, which is why some people benefit from increased intake during times of chronic stress.
When it comes to anxiety, there have been small studies pointing to the benefits of vitamin C. In a small double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial studying the effects of 500 mg daily vitamin C supplementation on anxiety in students it was found that the students supplementing with vitamin C had lower levels of anxiety compared to students in the placebo group.
5. Vitamin C For Endometriosis
Endometriosis occurs when endometrial-like implants grow outside of the uterus. This tissue isn’t exactly the same as the normal lining of the uterus, but can still respond to hormone changes that accompany a normal menstrual cycle. This can be an extremely painful condition for women who suffer from it.
In one study, chronic pain from endometriosis was reduced in 43% of study participants after treatment with vitamin C and E, suggesting that these antioxidants may reduce pain and inflammation. Furthermore, in animal studies, intravenous vitamin C treatment showed promise as treatment for endometriosis as well.
I go in depth into other treatment strategies for endometriosis in this article.
6. Vitamin C For Heavy Periods
Vitamin C supports the integrity of blood vessels. Fragile capillaries are believed to be involved in some cases of heavy periods or menorrhagia. Capillaries are small blood vessels found throughout the body.
Vitamin C and bioflavonoids (a group of antioxidants) also have an anti-inflammatory effect, which may also reduce heavy bleeding.
In one small study, 89% of women experienced a reduction in heavy flow after supplementing with vitamin C and bioflavonoids. The hypothesis is that it’s anti-inflammatory effect, plus its ability to strengthen capillary walls reduces the menstrual bleeding. Since it also helps with the absorption of iron, vitamin C also assists women who have struggled with iron deficiency due to the blood loss.
The doses that have been used in studies are actually quite low when it comes to heavy bleeding. It appears around 600 mg daily is the lowest dose to show benefits.
READ MORE: 14 Vitamin C Benefits You Should Know About
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