What is vitamin C good for?

Vitamin C has a diverse spectrum of positive effects. According to Dutch legislation, we are limited to sharing the following effects: For example, vitamin C supports the formation of collagen, which is beneficial for flexible veins and supports the maintenance of a strong vascular wall. Vitamin C also supports the bones, helps release energy from food, is important for the skin, increases iron absorption, supports the immune system, supports the teeth, is good for learning performance, helps with fatigue, is good for the nervous system, and is an antioxidant.

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The history of vitamin C

Scientists believe that tens of millions of years ago a spontaneous mutation occurred in the genetic material of our distant ancestors. This mutation resulted in the loss of the ability to produce vitamin C on its own. Since then, humans have become completely dependent on food for their vitamin C needs. An interesting theory suggests that this evolutionary change accelerated human development. Vitamin C, an important antioxidant, was lost, which likely led to a sharp increase in free radicals and a large number of DNA mutations. This accelerated genetic change resulted in the emergence of several primate species, one of which eventually evolved into the ancestor of modern humans.
During ice ages and other periods of food scarcity, early humans were certainly threatened by scurvy, a vitamin C deficiency disease that causes blood vessel walls to leak and ultimately death from internal blood loss. A new mutation probably ensured that early humans were able to survive these harsh periods. This mutation gave humans the ability to repair small leaks in the vessel walls using, among other things, cholesterol-containing lipoproteins, ‘sticky’ molecules, the most important of which is lipoprotein A.

However, this repair mechanism for hard times also has its downside. Chronic use of food poor in vitamin C causes excessive deposits to form on the inside of the vessel walls (atherosclerosis). Marginal intake of vitamin C supports the maintenance of a strong vascular wall and is beneficial for flexible veins. Diets rich in saturated and trans fatty acids, smoking, excessive alcohol consumption and physical inactivity are at risk for negative effects on the cardiovascular system.

How much vitamin C does a person need?

Several studies have shown that a daily intake of 10 mg of vitamin C is generally sufficient to prevent scurvy in most people. In the EU, a recommended daily allowance of 80 mg is set for an adult human. This amount creates a vitamin C reserve in the body that provides protection against scurvy for 30 to 45 days, even if vitamin C intake is stopped.

It is difficult to determine the optimal amount of vitamin C needed to fully meet the body’s vitamin C needs. An exciting discovery is that almost all animal species are able to produce vitamin C themselves, with the exception of a few, including humans, simians, guinea pigs, rainbow trout and coho salmon.