People aren’t receiving enough vitamins and minerals, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Although it outlines a number of challenges that must be overcome. It acknowledges that vitamins and minerals “are vital for various important biological processes” on its website. They include vitamin and mineral deficiencies in more than half of children under the age of 5, as well as iron deficiency in 20% of pregnant women and vitamin and mineral deficiencies in Black and Hispanic women specifically.
With the exception of vitamin D, vitamins and minerals cannot be synthesised by the body and must instead be received from food, drink, or supplements. This is one recognised reason causing such deficits. Vitamin C is one of the most sought-after and necessary vitamins today.
What benefits do vitamins provide to the body?
The body requires water-soluble vitamins to create collagen in the bones, blood vessels, cartilage, and muscle. Moreover, it functions as an antioxidant, aiding in the defence of blood cells against sickness, solar radiation, and free radicals. Heart conditions and cancer are impacted by free radicals. Iron is a mineral that is necessary for growth and development. And vitamin C helps the body absorb and store it. Walter Willett, MD, professor of epidemiology and nutrition at the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, asserts that vitamins play a number of crucial tasks, including supporting healthy tissues and immunity.
This vitamin has been demonstrated to improve one’s mental health in addition to its physical advantages. Uma Naidoo, MD, director of nutritional and lifestyle psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital and author of This is Your Brain on Food, asserts that vitamin C is crucial for the production of neurotransmitters in the brain that control mood and cognition. Against neuroinflammation, vitamins function as an antioxidant, the author continues, “enhancing mood and energy levels to promote psychiatric wellness.
Who ought to consume vitamin C?
While most individuals obtain enough vitamins through a balanced diet, those who smoke, those who have cancer or gastrointestinal disorders, and children are more likely to be deficient in vitamin C since they frequently avoid the food sources that are highest in vitamins.
A severe vitamin C shortage can cause conditions including scurvy, bleeding gums, weariness, joint discomfort, bruising, and a slow rate of wound healing. Those with vitamin deficiencies are often more susceptible to illnesses.
What occurs when a vitamin is taken as a supplement?
Several foods contain vitamins, but some individuals choose to take more vitamin C orally to supplement their diet. This extra vitamin C is often taken as a supplement in the form of capsules, chewable pills, or a multivitamin. In fact, studies suggest that daily vitamin supplementation can boost blood antioxidant levels by up to 30%. Aiding the body’s ability to combat inflammation. Also, studies have shown that taking vitamin supplements can lower the chance of developing chronic illnesses including heart disease, improve immunity, avoid an iron shortage, and control high blood pressure.
Is it advisable to take vitamin C every day?
For people 19 and older, the Recommended Dietary Amount (RDA) for vitamin C is 90 mg for men and 75 mg for women. Women should raise that dosage to 85 mg per day when they are expecting or nursing. Above such suggestions, smokers should get an extra 35 mg.
Also, vitamin C is quite safe, according to Willet, unlike other vitamins and minerals where there are worries about over-supplementation. Naidoo continues, Since vitamin C is water-soluble, ingesting too much of it and developing harmful effects, as a result, is quite unusual. In these exceptionally uncommon situations, symptoms of excess vitamins may include nausea, diarrhoea, or kidney stones.
How can I acquire vitamin C in the best manner possible?
Vitamin C is widely available in citrus fruits, berries, potatoes, tomatoes, cabbage, peppers, parsley, kale, and spinach, in addition to supplements. Two of the top natural sources of vitamins are regarded to be broccoli and brussels sprouts. Only one cup of broccoli has a whooping 80 milligrammes of vitamin C. While just one serving of Brussels sprouts has approximately 75 milligrammes.
The key to getting enough vitamins is to eat a balanced diet Willett suggested. Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and legumes are included in this.
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