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Why You Should Take Vitamin C
Few side effects
Despite some drawbacks and criticisms of vitamin C, I believe it is well worth taking. This is because vitamin C is the only water-soluble vitamin among vitamins with antioxidant activity, and it has the charm of being able to be administered in large quantities with almost no side effects. As you know, vitamins A and E are fat-soluble, and excessive intake can accumulate in the body and cause various side effects. On the other hand, vitamin C has few side effects that high-dose therapy is popular.
Gastrointestinal disorders such as diarrhea and abdominal pain, which are commonly mentioned, are only temporary symptoms caused by the osmotic action of vitamin C remaining in the intestines, which is not absorbed, rather than the toxicity of vitamin C itself. It is also widely misleading that vitamin C causes kidney stones. There is little change in the concentration of oxalic acid in the urine, which causes stones, even when consumed in various ways, from 30 mg per day to 10 g per day, which is 333 times that. It can be a problem for people who already have a peculiar disease called hyperoxalic aciduria, but most do not develop kidney stones even with high-dose vitamin C therapy.
Stop worrying if it's not hyperchromatosis
The side effect of vitamin C excessively increasing iron levels in the body is also not a concern unless you are suffering from a rare disease called congenital hyperchromatosis. The American National Medical Association, which applies the most stringent standards for nutritional supplements and healthy functional foods, has set the upper limit of vitamin C intake at 2,000 mg per day. If you take at least 2,000 mg, it means there is no reason to worry about side effects when it comes to vitamin C.
The Most Efficient and Safest Antioxidant Ingredient
Of course, antioxidant action can also be expected from other plant-derived nutrients, such as lycopene from tomatoes, and quercetin from onions and apple skins. However, unlike vitamin C, they cannot be obtained cheaply in large quantities, and since they are pigment components, there are many limitations in their utilization, such as burdening the time of large-scale administration. Vitamin C is the most cost-effective and safest nutrient to provide antioxidant benefits.
Research-proven antioxidant activity
Research results that are notable about vitamin C are marathon runners, skiers, soldiers, and people who exercise heavily or overwork, as well as the elderly or smokers. Giving them 250 mg to 1 gram of vitamin C per day reduced their chances of getting a cold by 50%. This study, published in 2007, is valuable in that it is a randomized clinical trial, and it is worth noting that the subject of the study is the Cochrane group, which is the most critical of vitamins and other nutritional supplements. Vitamin C reduced the duration and symptoms of colds in those who did, although no effect was observed in preventing colds in people who did not have a cold. Excessive oxygen metabolism in people who exercise intensely produces large amounts of harmful free radicals, which cause damage to cells and tissues. The same goes for the elderly or smokers. It has been proven that the antioxidant effect of vitamin C is helpful for these people. In 2000, the National Academy of Medicine of the United States issued guidelines that smokers need an additional 35 mg of vitamin C daily.