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Many people mistakenly believe that vitamin C is a micronutrient (vitamin) that only requires a small amount to prevent scurvy. Indeed, the medical term for vitamin C deficiency is “scurvy“. Scurvy literally means “against scurvy”.
But is vitamin C limited to just this single function? Is the government-recommended daily allowance (RDA) of 90 mg sufficient for most people on this planet? In fact, vitamin C has many more benefits.
In addition to preventing and treating scurvy, preventing and treating a multitude of infectious diseases, and neutralizing almost every known toxin, vitamin C is also an essential component of many basic metabolic processes in our bodies.
First, let’s look at the summary:Vitamin C plays multiple roles in the function and maintenance of the immune system.
Vitamin C Amplifies:
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Production of interferons
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Phagocytic function
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Cytokine production by leukocytes
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Cellular immunity
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Nitric oxide production by phagocytes
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Proliferation of T lymphocytes
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Antibody production and enhancement of activity
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Activation of natural killer cells
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Formation of prostaglandins
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cGMP levels in lymphocytes
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Local production of hydrogen peroxide and/or interaction with hydrogen peroxide
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Mucolytic effects
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Non-specific vaccination effects
Vitamin C Restrictions:
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Death of various forms of T lymphocytes
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Production of neuraminidase
Vitamin C can also:
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Prioritize concentration in white blood cells
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Neutralize the toxicity of histamine
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Neutralize oxidative stress
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Potentially allow certain antibiotics to penetrate bacterial cell membranes more easily
Below is a small part of the physiological functions from numerous studies.
Synthesis of Collagen:
Vitamin C is crucial for the synthesis and maintenance of collagen (sometimes abbreviated as collagen), which is the most abundant protein in the human body. Collagen accounts for 25-35% of the total protein content in the body. It is strong, elastic, and connective, found in skin, ligaments, tendons, cartilage, bones, blood vessels, intestinal walls, and the intervertebral discs between vertebrae. Collagen is also present in the cornea of the eyes and muscle tissues. There are at least 19 types of collagen, but type I is the most abundant, accounting for about 90% of total collagen in the body.
Vitamin C’s Relationship with Collagen:
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Vitamin C deficiency is one of the often-missed causes of degenerative disc disease in the elderly.
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Vitamin C protects the skin by promoting the proliferation, migration, and replication of fibroblasts related to skin repair.
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Regular supplementation of vitamin C protects the skin from premature aging and wrinkling.
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Vascular smooth muscle increases with vitamin C, leading to increased synthesis and maturation of type I collagen.
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Vitamin C increases the deposition of type I collagen in the skin in a dose-dependent manner (increasing with dosage), providing ideal skin collagen density through normal fibroblast proliferation.
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High concentrations of vitamin C promote the synthesis of type IV collagen, which is crucial for kidney filtration function, forming the blood-brain barrier, and arterial walls.
Synthesis of the Basement Membrane:
The basement membrane is a thin layer of adhesive membrane supporting the epithelial cell layer, which is a layer of tissue covering the surfaces and cavities of our body (such as the inner layer of the stomach and the inner layer of blood vessels).
In the kidneys, the basement membrane connects the glomerular capillaries and Bowman’s capsule, which is essential for filtering blood.
In the lungs, it adheres the pulmonary capillaries to the alveoli.
Furthermore, the basement membrane serves a function as a barrier to prevent cancer cells from invading deeper into the tissue.
Vitamin C’s Relationship with the Basement Membrane:
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Vitamin C helps maintain the gel-like state of the basement membrane, aiding in blocking tumor cell infiltration.
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Vitamin C deficiency reduces the expression of basement membrane components in blood vessels (type IV collagen, laminin, elastin).
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Vitamin C accelerates the deposition of other important basement membrane proteins at the dermal-epidermal junction.
Promoting Wound Healing:
When skin wounds heal, epithelial cells must replicate themselves to repair the wound. This process consumes a large amount of vitamin C.
Vitamin C plays an important role in the following ways:
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Vitamin C can cause basal keratinocytes to combine better, increasing the number of fibroblasts and accelerating the formation of the dermal-epidermal junction.
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In vitro experiments show that vitamin C regulates the survival of keratinocytes, the epidermal barrier, and the basement membrane; vitamin C prevents wound contraction after transplanting cultured skin substitutes.
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Administering vitamin C significantly reduces the occurrence of pressure ulcers in long-term bedridden patients receiving home care.
Synthesis of Carnitine:
Carnitine is an amino acid critical for transporting fatty acids into mitochondria and subsequently producing ATP (adenosine triphosphate) through the tricarboxylic acid cycle.
This process provides the primary source of cellular energy. Vitamin C is a fundamental related factor in the synthesis of carnitine, and high doses of vitamin C promote carnitine synthesis to optimal levels.
Synthesis of Neurotransmitters:
Neurotransmitters are a class of biomolecules that facilitate the flow of electrons between neurons and nerve cells in the body and brain. The body’s ability to respond to the surrounding environment and the brain’s ability to remember and think rely on these fundamental substances. Vitamin C is directly involved in the synthesis of neurotransmitters.
Promoting Calcium Binding in Bone Tissue:
Building and maintaining high-quality, high-density bones requires vitamin C.
Vitamin C promotes calcium entry into bones and its assimilation, preventing calcium from leaching from bones and combating oxidative stress that disrupts assimilation and absorption.
Other Facts Related to Vitamin C and Bone Metabolism:
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Vitamin C promotes the generation of cells (osteoblasts) that bind calcium into bone tissue.
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Vitamin C limits the occurrence of cells (osteoclasts) that dissolve calcium from bone tissue.
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As a strong antioxidant, vitamin C combats oxidative stress in bone tissue.
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Forming tough bone quality to achieve ideal bone strength requires collagen cross-linking, which requires vitamin C.
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Vitamin C deficiency increases bone brittleness.
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Supplementing vitamin C helps prevent bone loss.
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Supplementing vitamin C prevents age-related fractures, with more supplementation correlating with fewer fractures.
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Older adults suffering from femoral neck fractures generally have low blood levels of vitamin C.
Natural Antihistamine:
Histamine is a biomolecule that triggers allergic reactions in the body.
While certain allergic reactions are necessary and beneficial as mediators of inflammation against antigens, for many individuals, these reactions can persist. This leads to chronic inflammatory responses, causing unpleasant symptoms (such as itchy eyes and nasal congestion) and serious chronic diseases like atherosclerosis.
Vitamin C not only helps eliminate or neutralize unpleasant allergens and toxins, but it also neutralizes the toxicity of histamine itself, functioning as a natural antihistamine.
Thank you for reading.
The next chapter shares: Vitamin C – The First Guardian of Arteries.
References
Smith VH, "Vitamin C deficiency is an under-diagnosed contributor to degenerative disc disease in the elderly" Med Hypotheses 2010 Apr 74(4):695-7. Duarte TL, Cooke MS, Jones GD, "Gene expression profiling reveals new protective roles for vitamin C in human skin cells" Free Radie Biol Med 2009 Jan 146(1):78-87. Hashem MA, et al, "A rapid and sensitive screening system for human type I collagen with the aim of discovering potent anti-aging or anti-fibrotic compounds" Mol Cells 2008 Dec 31(6):625-30. Qiao H, et al, "Ascorbic acid uptake and regulation of type I collagen synthesis in cultured vascular smooth muscle cells" J Vase Res 2009 46(1):15-24. Boyer N, Galey I, Bernard BA, "Effect of vitamin C and its derivatives on collagen synthesis and crosslinking by normal human fibroblasts" Int J Cosmet Sci 1998 Jun 20(3):151-8. May JM, Qu ZC, "Transport and intracellular accumulation of vitamin C in endothelial cells: relevance to collagen synthesis" Arch Biochem Biophys 2005 Feb 1 434(1):178-86.