Five myths and facts about vitamin C

Vitamin C can safely be called one of the most popular nutrients. Everyone has known about it almost since diapers, and usually, the first thing that comes to mind when talking about this vitamin is colds, oranges, and scurvy.

Since discovering vitamin C, there has been much different information about it, but not all are accurate. Here are a few myths and facts to let you know a little more about this vital substance for our bodies.

Myth: Vitamin C supplements protect against colds

Unfortunately, vitamin C can’t reduce your chances of catching a virus and getting sick. During the cold season, you can snack on ascorbic acid every day with oranges, but the risk of getting still ill won’t decrease. However, there is good news: if you’re already sick, vitamin C can slightly reduce the duration of the illness. So do not write it off completely.

Fact: Vitamin C deficiency is rare

Vitamin C deficiency is a very unpleasant thing, accompanied by bleeding gums, swollen joints, terribly dry skin, and so on. But unless you’re on a year-long voyage across the sea with nothing but cookies and water, you’re not in danger. Scurvy is extremely rare. We can say that this disease has almost disappeared after every drugstore; some vitamins are available to anyone. Even if a vitamin C deficiency does occur, it usually goes away without serious complications.

Myth: Citrus fruits are the best source of vitamin C

Citrus fruits are a great source of vitamin C and, importantly, quite tasty. But some foods are far superior to oranges and lemons in terms of ascorbic acid content.

These foods include rose hips, bell peppers, black currants, sea buckthorn, broccoli, kiwi, etc.

Fact: Vitamin C helps control weight

A study by scientists at Arizona State University (USA) has shown that vitamin C can affect the body’s ability to use fat as an energy source during exercise and rest. But don’t rush to stock up on ascorbic acid; vitamin C is not a magic fat burner: it’s just an essential participant in the complex process of lipid metabolism, and if it’s not enough, it can cause disorders.

So it’s still important to eat a diet rich in nutrients, including vitamin C, and exercise to get rid of fat.

Myth: It’s impossible to get too much vitamin C

Our body does not accumulate ascorbic acid, so it is challenging to get hypervitaminosis and vitamin C deficiency. But it is possible if you consume it uncontrollably. The recommended daily norms of vitamins exist for a reason, and it is better to stick to them. An overdose of vitamin C can cause bloating, nausea, indigestion, headaches, insomnia, and kidney stones.