* . *
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact
Thursday, July 10, 2025
Earth-News
  • Home
  • Business
  • Entertainment
    Immersive sports and entertainment venue Cosm set to build its 5th location in Cleveland – WKYC

    Cosm Reveals Exciting Vision for Its 5th Immersive Sports and Entertainment Venue in Cleveland

    Monumental Sports & Entertainment’s Samantha Brady on the Power of the RSN’s Direct-to-Consumer Streaming Service Monumental+ – Sports Video Group

    Samantha Brady Reveals How Monumental+ is Transforming Sports Streaming with Direct-to-Consumer Access

    Moses Singer Welcomes Entertainment and Intellectual Property Partner Frederick Bimbler – Yahoo Finance

    Moses Singer Expands Team with New Entertainment and Intellectual Property Partner Frederick Bimbler

    Longhua District and Max-Matching Entertainments, supported by RWS Global forge strategic partnership to develop international IP-themed entertainment complex – Amusement Today

    Longhua District and Max-Matching Entertainments, supported by RWS Global forge strategic partnership to develop international IP-themed entertainment complex – Amusement Today

    Government whip to withdraw Entertainment Complex Bill on July 9 – Nation Thailand

    Government whip to withdraw Entertainment Complex Bill on July 9 – Nation Thailand

    Magicians and Battlebots light up Las Vegas entertainment scene – KSNV

    Magicians and Battlebots Take Las Vegas Entertainment by Storm

  • General
  • Health
  • News

    Cracking the Code: Why China’s Economic Challenges Aren’t Shaking Markets, Unlike America’s” – Bloomberg

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Trending Tags

    • Trump Inauguration
    • United Stated
    • White House
    • Market Stories
    • Election Results
  • Science
  • Sports
  • Technology
    SMPTE Opens Early Bird Registration for Media Technology Summit – TVTechnology

    SMPTE Launches Early Bird Registration for Exciting Media Technology Summit

    Google Fiber puts Nokia network slicing technology to the test – Fierce Network

    Google Fiber Puts Nokia’s Network Slicing Technology to the Ultimate Test

    Kaseya Extends Community Investment with Addition of Technology Marketing Toolkit – Kaseya

    Kaseya Extends Community Investment with Addition of Technology Marketing Toolkit – Kaseya

    AI and the Trust Revolution: How Technology Is Transforming Human Connections – Foreign Affairs

    AI and the Trust Revolution: How Technology Is Transforming Human Connections – Foreign Affairs

    Technology And Construction Names Join Top Stock Lists: Check Out Additions To IBD 50, Big Cap 20 And More – Investor’s Business Daily

    Technology and Construction Leaders Surge Into Top Stock Rankings: See the Latest Additions to IBD 50, Big Cap 20, and More

    Column: Teach kupuna new technology skills – Honolulu Star-Advertiser

    Empowering Kupuna: Unlocking New Technology Skills for a Connected Future

    Trending Tags

    • Nintendo Switch
    • CES 2017
    • Playstation 4 Pro
    • Mark Zuckerberg
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Business
  • Entertainment
    Immersive sports and entertainment venue Cosm set to build its 5th location in Cleveland – WKYC

    Cosm Reveals Exciting Vision for Its 5th Immersive Sports and Entertainment Venue in Cleveland

    Monumental Sports & Entertainment’s Samantha Brady on the Power of the RSN’s Direct-to-Consumer Streaming Service Monumental+ – Sports Video Group

    Samantha Brady Reveals How Monumental+ is Transforming Sports Streaming with Direct-to-Consumer Access

    Moses Singer Welcomes Entertainment and Intellectual Property Partner Frederick Bimbler – Yahoo Finance

    Moses Singer Expands Team with New Entertainment and Intellectual Property Partner Frederick Bimbler

    Longhua District and Max-Matching Entertainments, supported by RWS Global forge strategic partnership to develop international IP-themed entertainment complex – Amusement Today

    Longhua District and Max-Matching Entertainments, supported by RWS Global forge strategic partnership to develop international IP-themed entertainment complex – Amusement Today

    Government whip to withdraw Entertainment Complex Bill on July 9 – Nation Thailand

    Government whip to withdraw Entertainment Complex Bill on July 9 – Nation Thailand

    Magicians and Battlebots light up Las Vegas entertainment scene – KSNV

    Magicians and Battlebots Take Las Vegas Entertainment by Storm

  • General
  • Health
  • News

    Cracking the Code: Why China’s Economic Challenges Aren’t Shaking Markets, Unlike America’s” – Bloomberg

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Trending Tags

    • Trump Inauguration
    • United Stated
    • White House
    • Market Stories
    • Election Results
  • Science
  • Sports
  • Technology
    SMPTE Opens Early Bird Registration for Media Technology Summit – TVTechnology

    SMPTE Launches Early Bird Registration for Exciting Media Technology Summit

    Google Fiber puts Nokia network slicing technology to the test – Fierce Network

    Google Fiber Puts Nokia’s Network Slicing Technology to the Ultimate Test

    Kaseya Extends Community Investment with Addition of Technology Marketing Toolkit – Kaseya

    Kaseya Extends Community Investment with Addition of Technology Marketing Toolkit – Kaseya

    AI and the Trust Revolution: How Technology Is Transforming Human Connections – Foreign Affairs

    AI and the Trust Revolution: How Technology Is Transforming Human Connections – Foreign Affairs

    Technology And Construction Names Join Top Stock Lists: Check Out Additions To IBD 50, Big Cap 20 And More – Investor’s Business Daily

    Technology and Construction Leaders Surge Into Top Stock Rankings: See the Latest Additions to IBD 50, Big Cap 20, and More

    Column: Teach kupuna new technology skills – Honolulu Star-Advertiser

    Empowering Kupuna: Unlocking New Technology Skills for a Connected Future

    Trending Tags

    • Nintendo Switch
    • CES 2017
    • Playstation 4 Pro
    • Mark Zuckerberg
No Result
View All Result
Earth-News
No Result
View All Result
Home Science

Are vitamin C supplements overrated?

October 6, 2023
in Science
Are vitamin C supplements overrated?
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

ByBrian Handwerk

Published October 5, 2023

• 7 min read

When cold and flu season arrives, many people load up with a well-known defensive weapon—pills, powders, and all the other popular forms of vitamin C. The nutrient is one of a wide suite of supplements, from vitamin A to zinc, regularly taken by those hoping to boost their immune system and overall health. But vitamin C may also be one of the most overused.

Vitamin C really does help to boost the immune system and is an essential part of a healthy diet but its benefits are sometimes exaggerated. That leads many to megadose themselves with the nutrient which, while not usually dangerous, can be a waste of time and money.

Vitamin C’s superpower reputation really took hold in the 1970s with chemist Linus Pauling. The highly respected two-time Nobel Prize winner promoted the misconception that megadoses of vitamin C—to the tune of 3,000 mg a day—were the secret to eliminating the common cold and fighting off more serious ailments like heart disease and cancer, allowing people to live healthier and longer lives.

(Here’s the truth about other immune-boosting supplements.)

But Pauling’s vitamin C claims never stood up to rigorous research. “There is no consistent scientific evidence to support the idea that megadosing with vitamin C in prophylaxis and treatment of the common cold is effective,” explains Stefan Pasiakos, director of the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements.

However, scientific research has advanced since Pauling’s day, giving us greater insight into the real health benefits of vitamin C. 

Can vitamin C cure or prevent a cold?

Most studies show that loading up on orange juice or supplements won’t do all that much against the common cold. In fact, taking many times more than the recommended daily amount—in the United States, that’s 90 mg a day for men and 75 mg for women—isn’t likely to make most people healthier generally. That’s because the body doesn’t absorb vitamin C as efficiently at doses above 1000 mg, and expels the excess in urine.

“Aside from people who have vitamin C deficiency or who are exposed to extreme physical exercise, high dose vitamin C has no benefit of preventing the common cold or reducing its symptoms,” says Christopher Duggan, professor of nutrition at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and director of the Center for Nutrition at Boston Children’s Hospital, citing a large body of evidence built up through many clinical trials.

(You probably aren’t getting enough vitamin D, though, experts say.)

Keeping current on vitamin C may help shorten the suffering a little, however. Research does suggest that people who take 1 to 2 grams of vitamin C per day may be sick with a cold for a bit less time, feeling better about 8 percent sooner as adults and 14 percent for kids.

So what does vitamin C do for the body?

While it’s certainly not a cure-all, vitamin C is definitely an essential nutrient with important health benefits. “It has many roles in the body,” says Duggan.

Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, most famously delivers a key boost to the immune system. “Vitamin C supports the production of proteins, called interferons, that protect cells from viral attack,” Pasiakos explains. “Vitamin C also enhances the function of white blood cells, specifically phagocytes, that help engulf pathogens, and stimulate the activity of other immune cells to fight off infections.”

The body also uses vitamin C to form collagen, an important protein that helps to build bones, muscles, and strong blood vessels that protect against heart disease and stroke. Collagen is also essential for your skin—as a building block in the connective tissues that heal wounds and form scar tissue and well as to prevent sagging, wrinkling, dark spots, and acne. That’s why vitamin C is commonly used in skin care products. There is some evidence to show that vitamin C can even help protect from harmful effects of the sun when used in conjunction with sunscreen.

(Vitamin C, retinol, biotin? Here’s what your skin really needs.)

Vitamin C plays an intriguing role as an antioxidant, a compound that neutralizes free radicals in the body. Free radicals are unstable molecules with an odd number of electrons, prone to stealing electrons from the molecules in blood, skin, and other cells, damaging them and possibly contributing to the formation of diseases like cancer and heart disease. Because vitamin C and other antioxidants also have an odd number of electrons, they can absorb a free radical’s unpaired electron to prevent it from causing cell damage.

Finally, vitamin C helps make chemical messengers and hormones that are important in the brain and nervous system, including possible roles in reducing stress and anxiety. Researchers are also investigating its role in warding off cataracts or delaying their progression, and lowering uric acid levels that trigger gout.

How are you supposed to get enough vitamin C?

Humans must acquire vitamin C because the body does not make or store the nutrient. Serious deficiencies of vitamin C can result in that infamous bane of sailors, scurvy, “Severe deficiency of vitamin C can cause fatigue, growth delay, easy bleeding, excessive bruising and dental problems,” says Cory Fisher, a family medicine physician at the Cleveland Clinic. “One more reason that a well-balanced diet of real food is so important.

Fortunately most people do get plenty of vitamin C from the foods they eat. “Fruits and vegetables are nature’s best way of obtaining vitamin C,” says Jesse Bracamonte, a family medicine specialist with Mayo Clinic in Arizona. “Foods such as citrus (oranges, grapefruit, lemons), bell peppers, tomatoes, and cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower) are great sources.” The nutrient is even found in fortified foods like breakfast cereals. 

(The Mediterranean diet has stood the test of time for a reason: It works.)

In the United States a normal diet should be enough to meet the recommended dietary allowance. “Ideally an orange, or a cup of strawberries has enough vitamin C for the day,” Bracamonte says. Smokers require an additional 35 mg a day, since the habit depletes the body’s ability to absorb vitamin C.

Vitamin C can also be sourced from a wide variety of nutritional supplements, which may be particularly helpful for those who don’t eat many fruits and veggies, or are at risk for deficiency due to heavy drinking or smoking, or because of health conditions like people who are on dialysis. While the supplements do deliver vitamin C to the body, they may not contain all the other nutrients found in healthy foods.

Is there such a thing as too much vitamin C?

Vitamin C has an upper limit of 2000 mg a day for adults. Most people can tolerate overdoing it but those with kidney issues should be wary, while others might experience unpleasant stomach issues and diarrhea or even, rarely, decreased effectiveness of certain drugs like statins taken to control high cholesterol.

And while vitamin C also strengthens the gums, it can have a downside for oral hygiene: Chewable vitamin C supplements are acidic and, when left too long in the mouth, can lead to tooth erosion.

Duggan explains that while getting enough vitamin C is important, there’s simply little point in overdoing it. “Unless you are at risk of vitamin C deficiency, most people can meet their dietary needs with food,” he says. “In general, health and nutrition are optimized by a well-rounded diet versus reliance on supplements.”

>>> Read full article>>>
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source : National Geographic – https://www.nationalgeographic.com/premium/article/vitamin-c-supplement-health-benefits

Tags: sciencesupplementsVitamin
Previous Post

Beach clean-ups, biking and art bars on a slow tour of Thailand’s Koh Mak island

Next Post

The essential guide to visiting Texas

Manchester United hope new stadium will host 2035 World Cup final, aim to finish project in 5 to 6 years – The New York Times

Manchester United hope new stadium will host 2035 World Cup final, aim to finish project in 5 to 6 years – The New York Times

July 10, 2025
Alaska is America’s worst state for business in 2025 as falling oil prices sink economy – CNBC

Alaska Braces for Toughest Business Climate in 2025 Amid Plummeting Oil Prices

July 10, 2025
Access Health CT expects significant drop in insurance enrollees as aid ends, Medicaid cut – CT Insider

Access Health CT Faces Steep Drop in Insurance Enrollments After Aid and Medicaid Reductions

July 10, 2025
The nation’s cartoonists on the week in politics – Politico

Top Cartoonists Bring This Week’s Political Drama to Life

July 10, 2025
SMPTE Opens Early Bird Registration for Media Technology Summit – TVTechnology

SMPTE Launches Early Bird Registration for Exciting Media Technology Summit

July 10, 2025
Barstool Sports announces roster for Internet Invitational at Big Cedar Lodge – Springfield News-Leader

Barstool Sports announces roster for Internet Invitational at Big Cedar Lodge – Springfield News-Leader

July 10, 2025
Embedding information flows within ecological networks – Nature

Discovering the Hidden Dynamics of Information Flow in Ecological Networks

July 10, 2025
Mass layoffs can move forward, with devastating impacts for conservation and science – High Country News

Mass layoffs can move forward, with devastating impacts for conservation and science – High Country News

July 10, 2025
The Boar War: Michigan accused of harassing pig farmers using faulty science – Michigan Capitol Confidential

The Boar War: Michigan accused of harassing pig farmers using faulty science – Michigan Capitol Confidential

July 10, 2025
I took my daughter to meet my girlfriend — and what she found changed everything – VegOut

I took my daughter to meet my girlfriend — and what she found changed everything – VegOut

July 9, 2025

Categories

Archives

July 2025
MTWTFSS
 123456
78910111213
14151617181920
21222324252627
28293031 
« Jun    
Earth-News.info

The Earth News is an independent English-language daily published Website from all around the World News

Browse by Category

  • Business (20,132)
  • Ecology (713)
  • Economy (737)
  • Entertainment (21,626)
  • General (15,811)
  • Health (9,774)
  • Lifestyle (744)
  • News (22,149)
  • People (738)
  • Politics (747)
  • Science (15,954)
  • Sports (21,236)
  • Technology (15,722)
  • World (720)

Recent News

Manchester United hope new stadium will host 2035 World Cup final, aim to finish project in 5 to 6 years – The New York Times

Manchester United hope new stadium will host 2035 World Cup final, aim to finish project in 5 to 6 years – The New York Times

July 10, 2025
Alaska is America’s worst state for business in 2025 as falling oil prices sink economy – CNBC

Alaska Braces for Toughest Business Climate in 2025 Amid Plummeting Oil Prices

July 10, 2025
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact

© 2023 earth-news.info

No Result
View All Result

© 2023 earth-news.info

No Result
View All Result

© 2023 earth-news.info

Go to mobile version