Long ago, in the age of maritime exploration and imperial expansion, a silent killer stalked the decks of ships traversing the world's oceans. What was this devastating disease that claimed the lives of an estimated 2 million sailors between the 16th and 18th centuries? In a word, scurvy.
Scurvy is the result of a severe vitamin C deficiency. As navies and merchant fleets ventured on increasingly lengthy voyages, the limited access to fresh fruits and vegetables left crews vulnerable to this debilitating condition.
The telltale signs of scurvy – bleeding gums, loosening teeth, and reopening of old wounds – became a grim reality for many seafarers. And while we no longer face the harsh reality of scurvy in modern times, the importance of vitamin C in our daily lives remains paramount.
This essential nutrient plays a crucial role in numerous bodily functions, from bolstering our immune system to promoting healthy skin and bones. However, as our food sources and dietary habits have evolved, ensuring adequate vitamin C intake has become a more complex challenge.
This article will explore the 5 most essential benefits of vitamin C supplements, the changing landscape of food quality, how you can make informed choices when selecting a vitamin C supplement, and the advantages of liquid supplements for optimal health and wellness.
The Benefits of Vitamin C
Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, is a necessary vitamin that humans need to function. Unfortunately, we are incapable of synthesizing it within our bodies naturally, so the only way to ensure we get it is through the consumption of food or a vitamin C supplement.
Now, we know that without this essential vitamin, we would face a series of horrible afflictions, but what are the actual benefits of consuming vitamin C?
1. Helps Your Body Make Collagen
Without Vitamin C, your body can’t make collagen. Collagen is the most plentiful protein in your body and is a necessary part of your connective tissue. Connective tissue, in turn, is essential for wound repair. It is the building block for your body’s muscles, bones, ligaments, skin, and more.
2. Important for Your Cell Health
Vitamin C is considered one of most effective antioxidants that protect your cells, and therefore your body, from damaging free radicals that can lead to disease in the body, such as cancer or heart disease. Antioxidants help stop oxidative stress.
3. Promotes Immune Health
Vitamin C aids your immune defense as it supports both innate and adaptive cellular functions. A vitamin C deficiency can lead to a higher risk of getting an infection due to an impaired immune system. Those who suffer from respiratory or systemic infections will benefit greatly from an increase in their vitamin C levels.
4. Supports Mineral Absorption
Some foods pair well with others because they taste better that way – think peanut butter and jam – but some foods need to be paired with other foods so they can be properly absorbed. Vitamin C is necessary for the proper absorption of key minerals, including magnesium, calcium, and most notably, iron.
5. Other Vitamin C Benefits
Tying all the above together, there are a few other benefits you may gain from increasing your vitamin C intake. Vitamin C
- fights off anemia, an iron deficiency many women face,
- improves heart health by helping to widen blood vessels, improves nitric oxide production, and more,
- may support those with diabetes by lowering glucose levels after eating,
- helps control allergy symptoms,
- may help lower asthmatic symptoms.
Why We Need a Quality Vitamin C Supplement
Did you know that food has changed over the past 50 years? It’s true. Studies show that there have been drastic changes in USDA food composition from crops that grew in 1950 to 1999. What does this mean for you and how did this happen?
Well, this means that in the 43 vegetables analyzed in the study referenced above, their calcium, iron, phosphorus, and other nutrient values dropped anywhere from 16% to 9%. So, when you’re biting into that crispy carrot, you may not be getting all the delicious beta-carotene you were hoping for.
But why did this happen? There are a variety of reasons, including food shortages. Some food shortages occurred during World War II; others were based on a growing world population. This caused scientists to have to develop new high-yield varieties of our crops. This goes the same for livestock and grains, but for now, we’re focusing on fruits and vegetables.
This means that even if you think you’re eating the best diet you possibly can, unfortunately, you’re not getting the nutrients your body needs, including vitamin C. Taking a supplement helps fill the gaps in your diet and will help you to stay healthy and strong.
Taking a vitamin C supplement is also helpful for preparing your body for cold and flu season.
How To Choose the Best Vitamin C Supplement
If you’re thinking you should be taking vitamin supplements, you’re exactly right. And while in this post we’re focusing on vitamin C, you might be interested to know that other vitamins, such as vitamin D are also on the list of common deficiencies.
So how do you know, among an array of pharmacies and online stores, how to choose the best vitamin C supplement?
Here are our tips to help you weed your way through the good from the not-so-good.
- Look for vitamins that are free of fillers or binders – these are most commonly found in pills and capsules.
- Avoid vitamins that have preservatives, gluten, sugar, and GMOs.
- Aim to find a vitamin that comes in environmentally friendly and chemical-free glass bottles – they should be impermeable to maintain the quality and integrity of the vitamin.
- Ensure that your vitamin choice is carefully sourced and that the company has proper safety standards in place.
- Whenever possible, select liquid vitamins over pills or capsules for faster and better absorbency.
At the Homeopathy Store, we are transparent about our homeopathic remedies and we apply the same approach to our liquid vitamins. You can see how AnnaKare vitamins check off all the requirements for a high-quality liquid vitamin option.
Key Takeaways
There are plenty of reasons why you should take your vitamins and even more reasons why you should start taking liquid vitamins, but in the end, the biggest reason is likely because nutrition isn’t what it once was.
You know that without a proper diet, your health suffers. You recognize that vitamin C helps your body make collagen, works to fight off free radicals, supports your immune health, helps support mineral absorption, and more.
You are already doing the most important part of the job which is researching different vitamins. It is our hope that your research takes you beyond simply knowing that you need vitamin supplement support but understand that not all vitamins are created equal.
At the Homeopathy Store, our AnnaKare remedies and vitamins will always showcase our transparent ingredients. They are proudly made in the USA and exceed cGMP (Current Good Manufacturing Practices) that ensure they are tested for purity, potency, and stability.
Lastly, and possibly most importantly, they work. If your plan is to increase your vitamin C levels because you find yourself getting sick frequently, then liquid vitamin C is the fastest and most efficient way to do it.
If you want better mineral absorption, then liquid vitamin C can help and can be taken alongside your other minerals. AnnaKare Liquid Vitamins are uncomplicated and can be added to any wellness routine, even one that is starting from scratch and working its way up to a more balanced and healthy level.
It’s important to remember that in a world where the nutritional content in our food has diminished ensuring that we get enough vitamins is more important than ever. By choosing a high-quality liquid vitamin C supplement you can not only support your health and wellness but you’ll bridge the nutritional gaps in your diet and enhance your overall well-being.
Note: All statements in this article are grounded in natural wellness practices. They have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
Resources:
www.sciencehistory.org/stories/magazine/the-age-of-scurvy/
ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminC-HealthProfessional/
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5707683/
www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/219352
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15637215/
