The effects of Vitamin C on COVID-19
All vitamins, including vitamin C, are micronutrients. These are contained in various foods and form an essential part of the human diet. The preferable daily intake of these vitamins is often small and can be achieved by maintaining a balanced diet. However, in some situations and/or individuals, it is beneficial to boost the rates of uptake through use of supplementary methods.
Standard benefits of Vitamin C include:
1) It is a strong anti-oxidant
Antioxidants act to protect the cells and limit the damage by stabilising and mopping up free radicals. So Vitamin C, Vitamin E and Beta Carotene could help keep the body younger and protect it against serious life threatening conditions.
Studies show that consuming more vitamin C can increase your blood antioxidant levels by up to 30%. This helps the body’s natural defences fight inflammation.
2) It lowers your blood pressure
As vitamin C is water soluble, it also acts as a diuretic causing the kidneys to remove more sodium and water from the body, which helps to relax the blood vessel walls, thereby lowering blood pressure.
Lower blood pressure also means that you have less chance of having a stroke and increased cardiovascular health, which is so important today as many people suffer from cardiovascular disease
3) It increases your iron absorption
We know that iron’s main role is to increase the body’s ability to carry oxygen through the blood and deficiency can result in anaemia. Therefore, vitamin C is highly beneficial to this process.
4) It helps maintain healthy skin and hair
Vitamin C helps build the protein collagen. Coupled with its absorptive qualities of iron, Vitamin C promotes and maintains healthier skin and hair.
5) It assists with weight loss
Alongside a balanced diet and exercise regime you should aim to increase your intake of Vitamin C as it is inversly related to body mass. Individuals with adequate vitamin C levels oxidize 30% more fat during a moderate exercise bout than individuals with low vitamin C levels – thus increasing your fat burining capabilities when exercising.
6) Vitamin C is good for physical and mental health
Alongside all of the aforementioned properties, Vitamin C has been marginally viewed as a micronutrient that provides you with more energy and boosts your mental health.
7) It boosts your immune system
Scurvy is the main disease known to be cured by Vitamin C as well as combatting a variety of other ailments and problems. This is a result of boosted immunity levels that fight infections like cold and flu. Studies show that vitamin C is essential to stimulate the immune system by increasing the strength and protection of the organism. Due to its role in reducing inflammation, it is essential for immunity and general health. Its also protects the immune system, reducing the severity of allergic reactions and helping to fight off infections. If you want to stay fit and healthy then adding more vitamin C to your diet should be a priority.
* * *
Linking this final point of immunity boosts, Vitmain C is currently being investigated in relation to COVID-19. While currently there is no ‘cure’, it may help reduce, slow and/or prevent symptoms. An intravenous drip is the best method for adminsitering micronutirents directly into the blood stream at a high dosage in order to ensure maximum absorption. Any excess will simply be excreted by the pateints and cause no added harm.
” Some critically ill patients with COVID-19 have been treated with high doses of intravenous (IV) vitamin C in the hope that it will hasten recovery. However, there is no reported scientific evidence that it works for COVID-19 infections, and is not a standard part of treatment for this new infection. A study is underway in China to determine if this treatment is useful for patients with severe COVID-19; results are expected in the fall.”
While more research is still needed into this field, we believe that now is an incredibly important time for those not currently affected by the virus, to be doing everything they can to prevent it. Isolation alone will not combat a global pandemic and we must take increased interest in our own personal health. The idea that high-dose IV vitamin C might help in overwhelming infections is not new. Many studies show its preventative methods in relation to sepsis and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). While the study’s main measures of improvement did not improve within the first four days of vitamin C therapy, there was a lower death rate at 28 days among treated patients. Though neither of these studies looked at vitamin C use in patients with COVID-19, the vitamin therapy was specifically given for sepsis and ARDS, and these are the most common conditions leading to intensive care unit admission, ventilator support, or death – these are additionally condition seen in severe COVID-19 infections.
Stay safe,
Katie x