Vitamin C and the importance of including it in our routine

We have all ever heard of the benefits that Vitamin C has for our body, but first of all …

What is Vitamin C? 

Vitamin C, known as ascorbic acid, is a water-soluble vitamin that is used by our body to repair and maintain cell tissues.

In the body, it acts as an antioxidant, helping to protect cells against damage caused by free radicals. Free radicals are compounds that are formed when the body converts the food we eat into energy.

The body needs Vitamin C to produce collagen and to promote proper wound healing. In addition, vitamin C also improves the absorption of iron present in foods of plant origin and contributes to the proper functioning of the immune system to protect the body against diseases.

Aún y todos sus beneficios no hay que olvidar que los extremos nunca son buenos y que hay que tomarla en su justa medida. De la misma manera que la ausencia de ésta es perjudicial para nuestra salud, el exceso de la misma también.

What benefits does it have for our skin?

1.- Vitamin C plays an important role in collagen production: it interacts with the amino acids within your cells, adding hydrogen and oxygen to these amino acids, and stimulating collagen production. When there is not an adequate amount of Vitamin C in the body, collagen production decreases.

2.- Vitamin C fights free radicals that mainly come from solar radiation (ultraviolet radiation) and are generated in our body after excessive exposure to the sun.

3.- Vitamin C is hydrating, since ascorbic acid slows down and regulates the loss of transdermal water.

4.- Vitamin C is anticancer. It has the ability to protect cellular DNA, so that it does not produce photochemical alterations that can produce tumors, discoloration or some type of skin cancer.

5.- Vitamin C is recommended for all skin types and ages.

What benefits does it have for our immune system?

1.- Vitamin C protects against changes in environmental temperature.

2.- Vitamin C stabilizes the epithelial barrier (the first physical protective barrier) by promoting collagen synthesis.

3.- Vitamin C accumulates in immune cells and can increase their ability to trap and destroy microbes.

4.- Vitamin C intervenes in the proliferation of T and B lymphocytes, which synthesize antibodies.

5.- Vitamin C supplementation throughout the year reduces the severity and duration of cold symptoms.