Vitamin C
Vitamin C is the biggest selling supplement in New Zealand
Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin that must be obtained from the diet or supplements.
It has been linked to many impressive health benefits, such as boosting antioxidant levels, reducing blood pressure, reducing heart disease risk, protecting against gout attacks, improving iron absorption, boosting immunity and reducing dementia risk.
Overall, vitamin C supplements are a great and simple way to boost your vitamin C intake if you struggle to get enough from your diet. It is found in many fruits and vegetables, including oranges, strawberries, kiwi fruit, bell peppers, tomatoes, broccoli, cabbage, kale and spinach.
Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory
Vitamin C is a strong antioxidant that can strengthen your body’s natural defences against the inflammatory effects of free radicals molecules produced when your body breaks down food or is exposed to tobacco smoke and radiation. Free radicals might play a role in heart disease, cancer and other diseases.
In the 1960s researchers discovered that vitamin C plays a key role in the collagen enzyme; collagen is a key component of our skin. Vitamin C also helps your body absorb and store iron.
Since then it has been found to be an important co-factor in 70-80 other key enzyme processes which cover a whole raft of biological activities, from the growth of blood vessels through to the regulation of our genetic code. Vitamin C is at the hub of almost every biological function that we know.
Studies have shown that vitamin C may help lower blood pressure in those both with and without high blood pressure.
Immune Boost
One of the main reasons people take vitamin C supplements is to boost their immunity.
Vitamin C is involved in many parts of the immune system. It helps encourage the production of white blood cells known as lymphocytes and phagocytes, which help protect the body against infections.
By helping white blood cells function more effectively Vitamin C can strengthen your skin’s defense system and help wounds to heal faster.
Dosage
Because Vitamin C is water soluble it is quickly excreted from the body. Therefore to maintain high levels of Vitamin C in the body you should take repeated doses several times a day.
While the minimum daily dose required to prevent a deficiency disease like scurvy is small (just 50mg per day) many people take a daily dose of 1000mg and use this dose two or three times per day to boost their body’s immune system against infections.
Vitamin C Lipo-Sachets
Liposomal vitamin C enhances bioavailability and absorption. Vitamin C Lipo-Sachets provides 80% higher absorption compared to standard vitamin C* to support your immune system and recovery from ills and chills.
Take one sachet once daily. If you’re new to liposomal vitamin C, put the contents of a sachet into a small amount of cold water, juice or pre-made smoothie and drink in one gulp
*M. Łukawski et al. (2019), Journal of Liposome Research, ISSN:0898-2104.
Where can I get more information?
For starters, it’s always a good idea to speak to your local pharmacist or your GP.
For more information on Vitamin C, try:
https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements-vitamin-c/art-20363932
https://www.rnz.co.nz/programmes/the-science-of/story/201855689/the-science-of-vitamin-c
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/vitamin-c-benefits
https://www.health.harvard.edu/cold-and-flu/can-vitamin-c-prevent-a-cold
