Role of Vitamin C in CoVID-19

As I observed the increased usage of Vitamin C supplements and their disappearance  from the market all of a sudden, I wrote this article to help you understand the various effects of Vitamin C on immunity; it's effectiveness in management of CoVID-19 symptoms and its proper usage.

Vitamin C or Ascorbic  Acid is an important nutritional component which performs various functions in the human body. Its potent antioxidant activity prevents cellular damage and aging. It is a part of several important metabolic pathways which build up our immune health

Functions of vitamin C:

Vitamin C is one of the safest and most widely used nutrient supplements. This is attributed to its wide range of effects on human body. These include its effect on immunity, prenatal health of the mother and fetus, effects on eye and its benefits in eye diseases. It's most important function is its antioxidant activity which prevents wrinkles and aging.

Let's have a look at the effects of Vitamin C in various health conditions:

Common cold:

Vitamin C may not be a cure to common cold but it definitely helps in the prevention of serious complications. According to various studies, vitamin C can largely prevents the risk of development of complications like lung infections or pneumonia.

Stroke:

According to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the higher the concentration of Vitamin C in the blood, lower is the risk of stroke as it reduces the risk by 42%. This is observed mostly in people who consume large of amount of fruits and vegetables and have a surplus amount of Vitamin C in their blood.

Skin conditions:

Studies have proved that a higher intake of vitamin C reduces wrinkles and keeps the skin fresh and young with the growing age.

It prevents dryness of skin and helps in retaining moisture.

Other studies show that vitamin C aids in reducing inflammation. It also assists in anticancer treatment as well as cardiovascular diseases.

Ascorbic acid is also necessary for the absorption of iron.

It helps in healing of wounds.

It allows maintenance of muscular and skeletal structures.

The antioxidant activity of vitamin C protects the body from the damaging effects of free radicals. It also protects against harmful chemicals and toxins which are originated from pollutants such as chlorofluorocarbons, nicotine etc.

Sources of Vitamin C:

Vegetables and fruits are the richest source of vitamin C.

Fruits having the highest concentration of vitamin C include the following:

Citrus fruits and their juices (for example orange, lemon, grapefruit)

Kiwi (Actinidia deliciosa)

Mango (Magnifiers indica)

Papaya (Carica papaya)

Pineapple (Ananas comosus)

Berries (raspberries, blueberries, cranberries)

Watermelon (Citrullus linatus)

Cantaloupe (Cucumis melo var. cantalupensis)

Vegetables having the highest amount of vitamin C include the following:

Broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. Italics)

Brussels sprouts ((Brassica oleracea var. gemmifera)

Cauliflower ((Brassica oleracea var. botrytis)

Pepper (both green and red)

Sweet potatoes (Ipomoea batatas)

White potatoes (Solanum tuberosum)

Winter squash (Curcubita moschata)

Spinach (Spinacia oleracea)

Cabbage ((Brassica oleracea var. capitata)

Green part of turnip (Brassica rapa subs. rapa)

Leafy vegetables

Recommended daily Allowance (RDA) of vitamin C:

The recommended daily Allowance (RDA) of vitamins refers to the amount of vitamin that is safe to use each day. The RDA depends on many factors such as age, gender, body weight, health conditions such as pregnancy or any disease or illness.

The RDA of vitamin C intake for various age groups is as follows;

Kids/Infants:

New born to 6 months of age: 40* milli grams per day (mg/day)

7 to 12 months of age: 50* milli grams per day (mg/day)

*Adequate intake (AI)

Children:

1 to 3 years of age: 15 milli grams per day (mg/day)

4 to 8 years of age: 25 milli grams per day (mg/day)

9 to 13 years of age: 45 milli grams per day (mg/day)

Adolescent (boys and girls):

Teenage girls: 65 milligrams per day

Teenage pregnant girls: 80 milligrams per day

Nursing teenage girls: 115 milligrams per day

Teenage boys: 75 milligrams per day

Adults:

Men (19 years of age and above): 90 milligrams per day

Women (19 years of age and above): 75 milligrams per day

Nursing women: 120 milligrams per day

Smokers (both active and passive): more than 35 milligrams per day.

 

Consult your health care provider and follow his advice before starting the use of any supplement.

The 90 mg per day Daily Value (DV) of vitamin C could be easily met if your diet includes fruits and vegetables. This is because Vitamin C is abundantly present in fruits and veggies, orange for instance, contains 77% of the daily value and a cup of cooked broccoli could provide 112% of the total DV. So, if you are having a good and regular intake of fruits and vegetables, your immune system is all set to combat.

Vitamin C & immunity:

Vitamin C affects immune system mainly through its antioxidant activity. It helps reduce inflammation which is the first reaction of body to any foreign intrusion. The Reduction in inflammation allows significant improvement in immunity.

Vitamin C is also essential for healthy skin as it increases collagen synthesis. This allows the skin to serve as a physical barrier to keep the foreign substances outside the body. Collagen also allows healing of the wounds.

Vitamin C improves the activity of phagocytes and lymphocytes. Phagocytes are immune cells which engulf microorganisms whereas lymphocytes increase the concentration of antibodies in the blood circulation. These two steps are vital for immune response.

Vitamin C and it's usage in CoVID-19:

Various Chinese medical institutions have approved the use of Vitamin C for the management of symptoms of CoVID-19. According to the Chinese Journal of infectious Diseases, it increases the healing of infected lung by 18.2%. Although the use of Vitamin C for the treatment of CoVID-19 is still being tested and no evidence supports it's usage as the treatment option for Corona Virus Disease, its use and effectiveness as an immunity booster is well established. People with weak immune system can definitely use vitamin C supplements to prevent the risk of developing corona virus disease.