Does Vitamin C actually help your immune system? 5 ways to get your daily dose of vitamin C
You would have to be living in a cave to not realize the effects of vitamin c is currently a trending topic!
With the outbreak of the flu in Wuhan, one of the ways in which doctors have been treating patients is intravenously with high dosages of Vitamin C! Currently China is also conducting 3 research studies on the effects of vitamin c on COVID-19.
I am for one am very excited on seeing the outcomes of this study as it promotes natural healing via natural products.
Dr. Richard Cheng, US board-certified specialist in anti-aging medicine & OMNS Chinese edition editor, states
“Early and sufficiently large doses of intravenous vitamin C are critical. Vitamin C is not only a prototypical antioxidant, but also involved in virus killing and prevention of viral replication. “ Orthomolecular.org
A lack of Vitamin C has also been shown to increase the risk and severity of the flu. Innovation Compounding
In another study conducted on 463 students in 1999, students in the test group displayed an 85% reduction in cold and flu symptoms compared to the control group when they received a mega dose of vitamin C! Science Direct
Besides boosting your immune system, Vitamin C is effective in many other areas of your body!
It is an
- antioxidant
- reduces inflammatory response
- prevents cataracts and vision loss
- helps the body make collagen
- helps your body turn fat in energy
- helps to produce adrenal gland hormones
- histamine inhibitor, important in allergic reactions (revibewellness.com)
This is by no means an exhaustive list but gives you an idea on how important and how easily you can boost your immune system with Vitamin C!
One of the easiest ways to get your daily dose of vitamin c is by eating fruits and veggies.
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Vitamin C in fruit and vegetables
You are in luck when it comes to finding fresh organic food that contains vitamin c! These include some of the following!
- Broccoli
- Orange, lemon, lime, grapefruit, pineapple (citrus)
- Bell peppers, red, yellow, green
- Kiwi
- Brussels sprouts
- Butternut squash
- Sweet potatoes
- Papaya
- Spinach
- Tomatoes
- Cantaloupe
- Kale
- Strawberries (webmd.com) (ksl.com)
If you are the type of person that isn’t fond of veggies and fruits or if you have kiddos that are picky eaters there are many other options available in order to get your daily amount of vitamin c!
Powdered/Liquid Vitamin C
The reason I put powdered and liquid vitamin c under the same heading is because normally you purchase vitamin c in the powdered form and then mix it with some kind of liquid such as juice or water.
If you would prefer the pure vitamin c which is known as ascorbic acid or L-ascorbic acid there are many options available for purchase on Amazon. I recommend the Bronson brand as I prefer vitamins that are nongmo and as natural as possible.
NOW is also another brand that many people use and recommend. It is a vegetarian and vegan vitamin c and the description also states that the vitamin c is finely ground for better absorption.
Another delicous and easy way to drink powdered vitamin c is by mixing the recommended dose into smoothies and applesauce.
Besides the pure vitamin c powder you can also purchase prepackaged vitamin c that is mixed with other vitamins to better boost your immune system!
Emergen-C is very popular in our house and my kiddos love it. I try to always keep a stash of it in my cupboard. I don’t drink it daily but at the very first sign of a cold or flu, we are drinking this stuff like it’s going out of style!
Plus it comes it yummy flavors such as mixed berry, raspberry, acai-berry, and strawberry kiwi. It tends to be more on the pricey side so it makes more sense to buy the large boxes of 140 count so you get more bang for your buck.
But let’s not forget liquid vitamin c in the form of orange juice and other citrus juices! A delicious way to up your intake of vitamin c is to try immunity defense shots. My husband just discovered this delicious combination by Suja as pictured below.
Check your local Walmart or Aldis for this brand and other yummy healthy shots!
Now on to vitamin c in pill form!
Vitamin C pills or tablets
This is probably the most common known way of getting your daily dose of vitamin C. Most of us grew up getting our vitamin c through multivitamins such as the Flintstone vitamins and now we take the adult version!
Or if you are like me and hate pills you take the gummy kind! Smarty Pants has some delicious good for you gummy vitamins that kids love!
Unfortunately when you take vitamin c mixed with other multivitamins that amount present varies widely per the manufacturer. Thus you should always check to see exactly how much vitamin c you are getting.
Another con to taking vitamin c in pill or tablet form is that it takes longer to break down. On average it takes 20-30 minutes for a tablet to break down in your body. This is because the digestive system needs some kind of liquid along with the pill to begin the break down process.
On the other hand if you take a liquid filled capsule, the body only needs to break down that thin barrier and absorption can occur in a few minutes! (sunrisehouse.com)
However if you prefer the tablet form, try taking a synergetic concoction of bioflavonoids mixed with live probiotics, enzymes, and a base of 23 fruit and vegetables. This whole food vitamin c or RAW Vitamin C has none of the yucky stuff like additives, color, artificial sweeteners, synthetic binders and fillers, etc.
Don’t forget that you can also take your vitamin c via gummies! Kids certainly love these and so does my inner child!
By far the best kind of vitamin C in tablet form that you can take is liposomal vitamin c.
Liposomal Vitamin C
I just discovered liposomal vitamin c a few months ago. Apparently it’s all the rage now and many holistic practitioners are recommending it.
In it’s natural form vitamin c is water-soluble. Liposomal vitamin C works better than your average vitamin because it is makes the vitamin C fat soluble with a mixture of palmitic and ascorbic acid. A phospholipid such as sunflower lecithin is then added to create a liposomal environment.
Fat soluble vitamins are not excreted as quickly from the body as water soluble. Instead they are stored in your liver and fatty tissues. So you get more of the effects of the vitamin c.
However because it remains longer in your body it is very important that you do not take more than the recommended dosage to avoid building toxicity. (colorado state university)
I recommend this brand because they are nongmo, vegan, organic, soyfree, gluten free, 3rd party tested and made in good old America!
Also last I checked this liposomal vitamin c was rated 5/5 stars by consumers!
Last but not least you can take vitamin c via an iv.
Vitamin C taken intravenously
Intravenous means administered within a vein or veins. In other words, there is nothing like a good old shot of vitamin c delivered straight into your blood stream!
This is why China’s doctors are administering vitamin c invtravenously because it is quick and decreases the chances of losing potency.
In fact simply taking vitamin c intravenously can increase the level 70-100 times more in your blood than if you take vitamin c by mouth. (markstengler.com)
Most people today when they hear of intravenous vitamin C think of Linus Pauling, winner of 2 Nobel prizes and a molecular biologist.
This is because he conducted a research study on terminally ill cancer patients on the effects of IVC. With the help of his partner, Dr. Ewan Cameron, former Chief of Surgery at Vale of Leven Hospital in Scotland, Pauling was able to publish astonishing results!
When these patients were administered intravenous vitamin c every day for 10 days and then another round of vitamin c by mouth for another 10 days, their life expectancy rose 4-fold! (markstengler.com)
Today many holistic practioners offer intravenous vitamin c not only for cancer care but simply because of the overall benefits of vitamin c.
A quick google will help you find your nearest practitioner. It might also be under the heading of vitamin infusion therapy or IV therapy.
Final thoughts on how vitamin c can boost your immunity
As we have learned, there are multiple ways that you can get your daily dose of vitamin c. Powered and liquid vitamin c, vitamin c tablets, intravenous vitamin c, liposomal vitamin c, and good old vitamin c in fruit and veggies!
Each kind affects the levels in your body differently. It is important to followed the recommended daily amount of vitamin c to avoid toxicity in the body.
Last but not least, remember there will always be controversy on its effectiveness by vitamin c skeptics. So do your own research and stay informed and educated!
Cheers!!! Mrs. G
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