National Vitamin C Day
National Vitamin C Day is observed to appreciate and learn how vitamin C is beneficial for our health. On National Vitamin C Day celebrate a supplement that tastes great and keeps you from being a scurvy sailor.
National Vitamin C Day reminds us that sometimes small steps make a big difference when it comes to good skin health. It’s a good occasion to raise awareness of the overall importance of this vitamin for our health.
What is Vitamin C?
Vitamin C, also called ‘ascorbic acid’, dissolves in water. It remains in our tissues but doesn’t store well in the body. Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant.
From beauty to immunity to healing, Vitamin C is truly a jack-of-all-trades nutrient. It can heal wounds and control infection. Among others, it’s also responsible for the production of collagen — a crucial structural protein found throughout the connective tissues in our body.
The body does not store vitamin C, so people need to source this nutrient from their diet every day. It dissolves in water, and any excess leaves the body in urine.
Health Benefits
- reduce the severity and duration of the common cold.
- prevent age-related eye diseases.
- boost skin health.
- possibly lower the risk of certain types of cancer (e.g., breast, colon, lung).
- reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
History
The ability of citrus fruit to prevent scurvy was known as early as the 15th century. In 2019, a skincare line, SkinCeuticals, created National Vitamin C Day. The day also celebrated a research breakthrough. SkinCeuticals established parameters to allow the effective delivery of antioxidants in vitamin C to the skin. The findings proved beyond a doubt the benefits of topical application of vitamin C to the skin.
Vitamin C is necessary for tissue growth, development, and repair. Importantly, as an antioxidant, it helps protect your cells from free radicals (unstable molecules that can cause cell damage). The research of Dr. Sheldon Pinnell, founding scientist of SkinCeuticals, established the parameters for effective vitamin C antioxidant delivery to the skin, allowing SkinCeuticals to pioneer the emergence of cosmeceuticals.
Adding a Vitamin C serum to your skincare routine helps protect skin collagen by neutralizing glycation before it can become an issue and prevent accelerated aging. It will help minimize the visible appearance of skin damage by softening existing fine lines and wrinkles and preventing new ones from forming. Hence every year on April 4th, vitamin C is celebrated for the many ways it nurtures our bodies inside and out.
Suggested Read: Vitamin A Deficiency During Pregnancy
Here are some ways we suggest celebrating:
- snack on a grapefruit,
- stir fry some red bell peppers, or
- drink a refreshing glass of orange juice.
5 Key Facts to Know About Vitamin C
- It’s a powerful antioxidant.
- It’s immunity-boosting.
- It’s collagen-forming.
- It promotes iron absorption.
- It heals wounds.
Foods High in Vitamin C
- Red bell pepper, raw, ½ cup 95mg
- Orange juice, ¾ cup 93mg
- Orange, 1 medium 70mg
- Grapefruit juice, ¾ cup 70mg
- Green bell pepper, raw, ½ cup 60mg
- Broccoli, cooked, ½ cup 51mg
- Strawberries, fresh, ½ cup 49mg
- Brussels sprouts, cooked, ½ cup 48mg
- Tomato juice, ¾ cup 33mg
- Bok choy, 1 cup raw, 31mg
- Cantaloupe, ½ cup 29mg
- Cabbage, cooked, ½ cup 28mg
- Cauliflower, raw, ½ cup 26mg
- Potato, baked, 1 medium 17mg
- Tomato, raw, 1 medium 17mg
- Spinach, cooked, ½ cup 9mg
We hope you all decide to celebrate National Vitamin C Day with a juicy orange or maybe a slice or two of lemon in your water.
Suggested Read: The 5 Best Vitamin D Food Sources
