WORLD VITAMIN C DAY

Vitamin C Day is on April 4^th every year and has been created to celebrate all the myriad ways in which vitamin C works to support whole body health.  Although immune support is the backbone of vitamin C’s well-deserved reputation, what many people don’t realise is that it has an enormous range of other amazing health benefits which can be utilised all year round not just when winter arrives. Here’s a run-down of all the great things vitamin C could do for you:

Brightens up Your Day

Sufferers of low mood, may want to invest in a regular intake of vitamin C rich foods as part of a cognitive health diet plan. A healthy brain is a hive of metabolic activity which uses multiple bioactive substances to perform effectively. This includes vitamin C which is found in high concentrations in the brain where it is involved in the synthesis of key neurotransmitters.⁴ Co factors like vitamin C help to synthesise dopamine from norepinephrine and influence serotonin production, an important mood regulator. The antioxidant properties of vitamin C also help to protect neurons in the brain from oxidative stress. Because vitamin C contributes to collagen formation for normal psychological and nervous system function, many research scientists have investigated its role in psychiatric disorders with interesting results.

Delivers All-Round Help

The human body relies on enzymes to help facilitate multiple biological functions by speeding up chemical reactions within cells, but enzymes themselves need a helping hand to initiate metabolic processes. Vitamin C plays a key role in influencing enzyme activity by donating electrons,⁹ in this way it helps to kick start a range of biological processes within your body including:

•        Conversion of dopamine to noradrenaline
•        Synthesis of adrenal steroid hormones
•        Synthesis of carnitine, which helps transport fatty acids into mitochondria for energy production
•        Metabolism of tyrosine
•        Transformation of cholesterol to bile acids
•        Metabolism of carbohydrates
•        Synthesis of fats and proteins
•        Absorption and metabolism of iron
•        Cellular respiration
•        Immune system function

Enhances Your Mobility

All your joints, bones and muscles are made up of connective tissue and a major component of this is collagen. Collagen fibres form a network that surrounds and supports the muscles, bones and cartilage that keep you upright and mobile. ³To maintain healthy connective tissue the body needs a continuous supply of collagen and this is made possible by several nutrients including vitamin C, which is known to contribute to collagen formation.

Peace of Mind for Extreme Athletes

There is evidence that athletes who take part in regular prolonged intensive training are at a higher risk of minor infections such as colds and flu.² Studies also show that injury and poor recovery are associated with depressed immune function. ⁶ Some of these factors may be a consequence of the heightened oxidative stress that is generated during intensive physical activity. Fortunately, this can be remedied by making sure the body has a continuous supply of antioxidants.

Vitamin C is a highly effective antioxidant that has been studied extensively for its role in immune health. Research has demonstrated that vitamin C helps to maintain normal immune function during and after intense physical exercise, which is great news for extreme athletes and marathon runners who may want to consider upping their dietary intake as a precautionary measure.

Controlling inflammation and protecting the cartilage around joints is also vital for athletes that need to keep up punishing training regimes, which is where a vitamin C repair kit comes in handy. The antioxidant properties of vitamin C are shown to protect cells from oxidative stress and this includes chondrocytes which are found within cartilage. Chondrocytes produce collagen and proteoglycans which keep the cartilage fluid, gel-like and able to perform as shock absorbers protecting the joints from wear and tear.

Fixes Fatigue

Energy production is heavily dependent on several vitamins and minerals in particular vitamin C, which is an essential co-factor in the metabolic processes that produce energy from glucose. The earliest symptom of scurvy is fatigue, which research has identified is a consequence of vitamin C deficiency. Vitamin C plays its part by enhancing the absorption of iron, which allows red blood cells to carry oxygen throughout the body. Oxygen is indispensable for maximizing the efficiency of energy production in cells. Studies have also established that vitamin C contributes to normal energy yielding metabolism and the reduction of tiredness and fatigue.¹

Underpins a Winning Smile

To be blessed with a knockout smile  you need to look after both your teeth and your gums and vitamin C may be the key to this process. One of the conditions that affects the health of your teeth and gums is  periodontal disease. This is an inflammatory condition that is initiated by bacterial infection, which if not treated progressively destroys the bone that supports teeth. Oxidative stress is thought to be the primary reason for the damage of bone tissue in periodontal disease.  Results from several studies suggest that vitamin C may offer valuable nutritional support in periodontal disease,¹⁰ because of its ability to protect cells from oxidative stress and its known contribution to collagen production. Collagen is utilised by the body to build connective fibres and acts as a kind of intracellular glue that gives shape, bulk and support to the gums and teeth.

Helps to Settle a Busy Mind

Maintaining mental focus and avoiding brain fog is dependent on a complicated system of neurotransmitters and hormones in the brain as well as a healthy blood supply that can carry vital nutrients and oxygen to the brain. Vitamin C is thought to play an active role in these processes because of its involvement in the synthesis of neurotransmitters and hormones and its ability to protect cells from oxidative stress, which is thought to trigger neuropsychological disorders.⁷  This is reflected in studies which show that vitamin C contributes to normal functioning of the nervous system and to normal psychological function. In addition to this, vitamin C is needed to help the body produce collagen which is essential for healthy bloody vessels, without which the brain would not receive the oxygen and nutrients it needs.

Provides Exceptional Antioxidant Support

Vitamin C is a potent scavenger of free radicals and as such is probably best known for its capacity to act as an antioxidant. Vitamin C helps to protect cells from oxidative stress by continuously donating electrons, which chemically bind to the cells and neutralise free radicals. This beneficial activity has the potential to help offset any tissue damaging effects. The oxidised form of vitamin C can be converted back to active vitamin C by a specialised enzyme with the help of glutathione, another important defence nutrient.¹¹ This process helps vitamin C continue to perform as an effective antioxidant. Vitamin C also contributes to the regeneration of glutathione and vitamin E, another nutrient recognised for its contribution to the protection of cells from oxidative stress.

Heart Friendly

Some heart problems may be linked to the integrity of blood vessel walls and heart tissue, so it pays to support substances like collagen that make up the structure of blood vessels and heart muscle. Vitamin C is known to contribute to normal collagen formation,⁸whichprovides a scaffold for heart muscle cells and helps transmit the force generated by these cells during contraction. Weakened or damaged connective tissues may compromise the structural support of the heart muscle and impair its function. Within the heart as well as throughout the circulatory system, collagen provides support to blood vessels, helping to maintain their elasticity and structural integrity.Healthy blood vessels are also important for maintaining normal blood pressure and carrying oxygen and nutrients to the heart. The effects of vitamin C on reducing blood pressure has received encouraging results in a number of studies.⁴

Reliable Skin Saviour

The anti-ageing magic that creates amazing skin and timeless beauty happens in the dermal cells just below the skin’s surface. These underlying skin cells are responsible for collagen production and renewal. However, once you hit your 20’s collagen synthesis starts to dwindle, which tends to affect skin hydration, elasticity and tone resulting in the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Diminished collagen levels could also mean that the skin becomes less able to provide an effective barrier to infection.

Maintaining adequate collagen is an important part of the solution for glowing skin, but this requires the help of vitamin C. Studies have established that vitamin C is an essential nutrient that contributes to the formation of collagen for normal skin function. It does this by reactivating prolyl hydroxylase and lysyl hydroxylase, two enzymes that help to stabilise and strengthen collagen molecules. Without vitamin C these specialised enzymes wou       ld struggle to work, halting the production of collagen.⁴ In addition to this, vitamin C is one of a complex group of enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants that the body utilises to protect the skin from reactive oxygen species.

How To Get the Vitamin C You Need

 There is a plentiful supply of vitamin C in fruit and vegetables and in fact medical professionals will tell you that there is no need to take supplements as you can get all the vitamin C you need from your diet. According to the UK government guidelines, adults only need 40mg a day of vitamin C, however this is only enough to maintain an individual already in good health. This daily recommendation doesn’t account for stress, illness, environmental pollution etc, all of which can increase your body’s demands for vitamin C.

To gain adequate vitamin C levels you need to ensure you are eating the recommended  five portions a day of fruit and vegetables, but how many people actually stick to these guidelines? Recent data suggests that adults in the UK are only eating 3.7 portions a day and younger people are even less likely to meet the 5-A-Day target. ⁵ This indicates there is a shortfall that needs to be met especially for those people that have existing health issues.

Is a Vitamin C Supplement the Answer?

Yes, taking additional vitamin C can be a great support if you know your diet is lacking in fruit and vegetables, but even supplementing brings its challenges. Some experts believe that supplemental doses of standard oral vitamin C above 200mg have no real value as absorption is limited.⁸However, liposomal formulas have been shown to vastly improve the body’s absorption of vitamin C due to their unique delivery system. Liposome technology works by trapping the vitamin C in tiny phospholipid spheres which are protected by a membrane structure that is very similar to the membrane of a human cell. The double protective layer shields the vitamin C on its journey through the gut securing a safe path to cells where it is needed most. Overcoming cellular barriers faced by standard oral vitamin C supplements gives liposomal vitamin C a huge advantage in terms of increased absorption.

References
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2. Davison G, Jones AW. Chapter 15 – Exercise, Immunity and Illness. Muscle and Exercise Physiology (2019). Academic Press: 317-344. 

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6. Michael Gleeson. Immune function in sport and exercise. Journal of Applied Physiology 2007 103:2, 693-699. 

7. Motta V et al. Effects of Oral Vitamin C Supplementation on Anxiety in Students: A Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial [Abstract] Pak J Biol Sci. 2015 Jan;18(1):11-8. 

8. Sebastian J Padayatty, FFARCS, MRCP, PhD and Mark Levine, MD Vitamin C physiology: the known and the unknown and Goldilocks.  Oral Dis. 2016; 22(6): 463–493.

9. Telang PS. Vitamin C in dermatology, Indian Dermatol Online J 2012; 4:143-6.

10. Pullar JM, Carr AC, Vissers MCM. The Roles of Vitamin C in Skin Health. Nutrients. 2017;9(8):866.

11. Tada A, Miura H. The Relationship between Vitamin C and Periodontal Diseases: A Systematic Review. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019;16(14):2472.