Before there were multi-vitamins, before there was Airborne, there was vitamin C; the long-touted miracle cure of the natural world. But in 2015, a time when we are inundated with new homeopathic remedies and organic beauty products, is vitamin C still a vital supplement?
The short answer: Yes.
Not only can vitamin C help to cure a case of the sniffles (your mom was right all those years: it’s found in high concentrations in immune cells and consumed quickly during infections, speeding up your recovery time), it has a host of other benefits.
Vitamin C is an antioxidant, which blocks some of the damage done by free radicals to slow down the signs of aging. Vitamin C supplementation has also been shown to reduce the risk of cancer and cardiovascular disease.
It can help to grow and strengthen hair and nails, reduce sunburns and improve skin texture. And if that weren’t enough, Vitamin C helps your body cope with stress and boosts your energy.
To increase your vitamin C levels, stock up on citrus fruits and juices (especially orange and grapefruit), kiwi, mango and papaya. Veggies are also a great source of the good stuff, with broccoli, Brussels and cauliflower topping the list.
And if you’re still feeling low on the C-scale, there are always vitamins to delete your deficiency.
