Health Benefits Of Vitamin C And Heart Health

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Health Benefits of Vitamin C
Overview:
Vitamin C or ascorbic acid is a water-soluble vitamin and a powerful antioxidant in nature. It is required by the body for the following reasons:
• To keep your bones strong
• Protect your heart
• Lower high cholesterol levels
• Enhance immunity
• Fight oxidative stress
• Relieve aches and pain
• Improve your skin health
The human body cannot produce vitamin C, therefore, it is important to get your daily dose of this vitamin from fruits and vegetables and supplements.
Below mentioned are the important roles of vitamin C in the body:
Lowers Hypertension:
Studies have reported that getting enough vitamin C reduces high blood pressure. It boosts production of nitric oxide which is a potent vasodilator. …show more content…

They harm the muscles and cause muscle aches. Vitamin C interacts with these free radicals and terminates their harmful reactions.
Hence, vitamin C intake is important for athletes and sportsperson because it combats exercise-induced side-effects. (5)
Improves Heart Health:
Vitamin C plays a huge role in improving heart health and in keeping heart attacks at bay. It minimizes the risk of heart diseases by improving health of the blood vessels and arteries.
Vitamin C reduces clot formation and ensures smooth blood flow throughout the body. It decreases stiffness of the arteries, lowers hypertension and improves altered lipid profile, the major risk factors that play a vital role in the onset of heart diseases.
Therefore, vitamin C is an essential nutrient for good heart health and eating fruits and vegetables containing vitamin C can reverse or prevent damage to the heart. (6, 7)
Helps Ease Pain:
Vitamin C appears to be an effective therapy for acute as well as chronic pain. Muscle pain can be a symptom of severe vitamin C …show more content…

This is possible because vitamin C exhibits analgesic properties that helps in relieving pain. It regulates the cells of the skeletal system as well as hormones that play an important role in bone growth.
In addition to this, vitamin C helps in relieving pain associated with chikungunya virus infection, surgeries, cancer and osteoarthritis. (8)
Lowers Bone Loss:
Studies have revealed that vitamin C plays an important role in preventing osteoporosis and bone fractures. It is essential for the normal development of the bones and production of collagen, a protein found in bones.
Vitamin C lowers the rate of fractures and enhances higher bone mass. Moreover it boosts the formation of osteoblasts which are the bone-building cells and reduces osteoclasts or bone-breaking cells. Vitamin C slows down bone resorption and prevents release of calcium and other minerals from the bones. (9, 10)
Helps In The Management Of Asthma:
High intake of vitamin C can benefit people with asthma and improves their lung function. It reduces symptoms of asthma such as wheezing, cough, chest-pain and fatigue.
Antioxidant vitamin C reduces airway inflammation and free radical load. It has been shown to cut oxidative stress and improve respiratory symptoms too.

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