Discover the properties and benefits of Vitamin C to regain energy and vitality !
In the past centuries, the serious lack of vitamins due to a poor or unbalanced diet could cause real pathologies whose origin it was often not possible to understand. In particular, vitamin Cit could be missing when fresh fruit and vegetables were not available. A typical case is that of sailors during long voyages, in which scurvy appeared, which has practically disappeared today. This pathology could be very serious, especially when the deficiency lasted over time, but it simply improved when fresh plant foods were reintroduced into the diet in adequate quantities. Otherwise the outcome could even be lethal, after a more or less long period of symptoms such as weakness, bleeding and loss of appetite. Currently, however, there may be even a slight deficiency of some vitamins, including vitamin C, which is evident with excessive tiredness and exhaustion, but also with other ailments and annoyances that interfere with the normal state of well-being.
What is vitamin C and what is it used for Vitamin C
consists of ascorbic acid. Its main function is to facilitate the synthesis of collagen, essential for the growth of tissues and for the repair of skin wounds and mucosal lesions. It is a powerful antioxidant, which also intervenes in the complex mechanism of iron absorption in the intestine and contributes to maintaining healthy bones. It also promotes the detoxifying activity of the liver, for an easier elimination of harmful substances. You’re often out of sorts
Maybe you lack vitamin C
Fatigue is a natural condition when you have worked hard or have carried out numerous demanding tasks. Sometimes, however, it can happen to feel excessively exhausted even after rest and perhaps depressed and discouraged already in the morning to face a new day. Before thinking about more serious problems, it is always advisable to review the diet – especially with regard to quality – and possibly provide for a supplement when necessary. As reported by the Journal of Nutritional Science, in fact, the problem can in many cases lie in a vitamin C deficiency .
Among the remedies for exhaustion,increasing the intake of this vitamin may be enough to have more strength and resistance to fatigue, and to face difficulties with optimism. Probably the functioning of this element is linked to the absorption of iron, an essential mineral for the synthesis of hemoglobin in red blood cells. Furthermore, even a slight deficiency of ascorbic acid affects the function of the adrenal glands, making the production of hormones that are used to cope with stress less efficient: this is a further factor to consider this substance among the remedies for fatigue.
A research by the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology has shown that a deficiency of this ascorbic acid can be related to an increase in body fat and waist circumference, for which this substance – in addition to being among the best remedies for fatigue – it can also be a valid help against excessive weight gain. The metabolism is in fact slowed down when you feel tired and exhausted and you have little desire to move!
Other signs that may indicate an ascorbic acid deficiency
Here is a short list of other conditions that could indicate a vitamin C deficiency :
– Sore and sore gums can sometimes be a sign of a deficiency of this vitamin. These structures are in fact rich in collagen and therefore need its action to remain intact.
– Like the mucous membrane of the mouth, the nasal mucosa can also become more fragile and subject to injury, with frequent episodes of epistaxis.
– A healthy and shiny hair reflects a complete and balanced diet. Damaged hair with split ends can sometimes indicate a vitamin C deficiency .
– The skin in general suffers from a lack of ascorbic acid, appearing drier and marked by wrinkles. Lacking its antioxidant action, the skin is less defended by UV rays. In addition, the capillaries are more fragile and can break causing bruising.
– Even the immune defenses are affected by a non-optimal level of the vitamin, which acts, among other things, by stimulating the production of white blood cells. Consequently, increasing the intake of ascorbic acid decreases the likelihood of developing colds. This is an advantage that helps to avoid periods of discomfort, and therefore also with this mechanism places the vitamin in question among the remedies for fatigue.
Remedies for Vitamin C Deficiency Fatigue
Ascorbic acid is widely present in numerous plant foods. Fruits and vegetables are therefore the main sources of this nutrient, to be consumed in abundance as remedies for deficiency fatigue . Since it is a water-soluble vitamin, which cannot be synthesized by the body or even stored, a disordered diet and poor in fresh foods can sometimes be deficient. It should be remembered that even foods that are naturally rich in it – excellent remedies for fatigue – are easily at risk of losing this precious nutrient, with cooking, with storage procedures and with exposure to light.
Fruit should always be eaten raw immediately after peeling and preparing it. Even for vegetables, whenever possible, it is good to prefer raw consumption. The most suitable cooking is, in any case, steam or microwave. Finally, frozen vegetables, if well preserved, often contain more ascorbic acid than fresh ones picked several days before. It should also be remembered that parts of the plants that are more external and closest to the peel are those richest in vitamins: they should therefore be eaten too, if well washed and edible.
The average daily dose of ascorbic acid for an adult is fixed at about 100 mg. This quantity is relatively modest and easily reachable with an adequate diet – which, let’s face it, is the best among the remedies for fatigue.. However, there are conditions that can increase the need for this precious nutrient. Just think of pregnancy or advanced age, as well as the most demanding activities on a physical and mental level, in work and in sport. Furthermore, when you are very busy it can happen that you often eat outside the home, where it is more difficult to check the quality of the food and choose what you want. Habits such as smoking and alcohol consumption also increase the need for the vitamin. Finally, some diseases and the intake of certain drugs lead to the consumption of high quantities of ascorbic acid.
Beyond the real pathological situations – where the doctor will evaluate the need for an ascorbic acid supplement and indicate the recommended dose – a supplement of this vitamin can be a very useful remedy for fatigue. To benefit as much as possible from its intake, it is advisable to choose a retard formulation, which is active for several hours.
