Benefits of Vitamin C

What Are the Health Benefits of Vitamin C?

Vitamin C is important for a healthy immune system to fight infection, and to support healing after injury. Research also suggests that vitamin C may be involved the production of endorphins, the opioid-like substances our bodies produce. This is another vitamin that is severely depleted by smoking, which explains why we often see increased infections and delayed healing in smokers. Other conditions that deplete vitamin C include illness, surgery, injuries, and cancer. Taking omeprazole (Prilosec) and aspirin can reduce the amount of vitamin C absorbed into the body.

Research studies have found an association between vitamin C supplementation and reduced pain with shingles, migraines, chronic pancreatitis, and cancer. Vitamin C is effective in preventing the onset or spread of a very painful condition called Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS, also known as RSD), which can occur after injury.

Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS)

What is CRPS? CRPS is a chronic, debilitating pain disorder that usually affects a limb after an injury. A CRPS patient will experience constant, unrelenting, pain along with a myriad of other symptoms. Many times, the disease will spread to other parts of the body as well.

Although the recommended daily allowance of vitamin C is 75-120 mg, which is the amount required to prevent scurvy, there is very little toxicity associated with doses exceeding 20 times that. It is generally accepted that doses up to 2000 mg daily are safe. Vitamin C at very high doses has a mild laxative effect, and people with renal failure or kidney stones should limit their vitamin C intake to 1000 mg a day.

Eat a healthy diet, stay well-hydrated … and consider adding one or more of other helpful supplements to your pain management plan.

The best food sources for Vitamin C include: citrus, broccoli, spinach, sweet potato and tomatoes. Citrus fruits, Strawberries, Potatoes, Broccoli, Capsicum