Vitamin C is one of the most well-known and widely consumed vitamins. This is for everyone, not just those who are experiencing hair loss. Having said that, there is undoubtedly some information concerning Vitamin C that you are unaware.
What Vitamin C Can Do For You
Vitamin C has a plethora of health benefits. One of the most essential roles of this vitamin is that it aids in the production of new cells. This is required not only to replace outdated cells, but also to repair them when they are damaged.
Vitamin C, in particular, is used to produce collagen, a protein. Collagen is a protein that is found in your skin, ligaments, blood vessels, teeth, and bones. These elements of your body are not as crucial as your internal organs, yet they are nonetheless necessary. In fact, certain dental and gum issues can be directly connected to a lack of Vitamin C.
Aside from its role in the formation of collagen, Vitamin C also has antioxidant qualities. This antioxidant is comparable to those provided by Vitamin E and Zinc. All antioxidants are responsible for removing all of the harmful free radicals from your body.
Aside from that, Vitamin C is virtually legendary for boosting your immune system when you have a cold or the flu. Vitamin C is popular for a reason, and it helps improve your immune system.
Finally, Vitamin C is not a water-soluble vitamin. This implies that no matter how much additional Vitamin C you consume, your body will not store any of it.
How Vitamin C Benefits Hair
As you can see, Vitamin C has a wide range of benefits. While these advantages are mostly for your general health, they can also directly and indirectly assist your hair. This includes assisting you with hair loss.
Replacing old and damaged cells is something your scalp will require just as much as the rest of you. The collagen protein that Vitamin C produces is something that your scalp need and uses to develop your hair.
Because collagen is also employed in the formation of blood vessels, it is essential for circulation. As you may be aware, circulation is an important aspect of hair development. The other things collagen helps with are more indirect in nature.
Collagen keeps your bones, muscles, and ligaments strong by assisting in the replacement of old cells with new ones. Strong bones are obviously more difficult to break, and strong ligaments are more difficult to tear. This spares your body the nutrients that would otherwise be used to repair these if they were injured.
While free radicals are harmful to your body regardless of where they wind up, they are especially harmful to your hair. These can harm your hair in a variety of ways, resulting in brittle and thin hair. As a result, the antioxidants that Vitamin C supplies to combat free radicals are extremely beneficial for hair growth.
Finally, Vitamin C helps your immune system, which is beneficial to your hair both directly and indirectly. Directly, because certain fungal infections can infect your scalp and cause hair loss. Indirectly, because a healthy body makes it easier for you to grow healthy, thick hair.
How to Obtain Vitamin C
Getting enough vitamin C is actually quite simple. Of course, the easiest approach to get Vitamin C into your system is to eat foods high in it. Fortunately, most of the foods that you currently enjoy eating contain this vitamin.
Fruits, particularly citrus fruits, are the most well-known sources of vitamin C. Other fruits high in Vitamin C include mango, strawberries, blueberries, papaya, kiwi, and pineapples. Fruits, however, are not the only foods that contain this vitamin.
Other foods with significant quantities of Vitamin C include cauliflower, turnip greens, red peppers, spinach, tomatoes, and winter squashes. In reality, most fruits and vegetables contain at least a trace of Vitamin C.
However, when it comes to meals containing Vitamin C, this only applies if they are raw. Cooking any of these foods reduces the amount of Vitamin C they contain.
If you can't get enough vitamin C in your diet naturally for any reason, there are additional choices. There are numerous Vitamin C pills to choose from, which you can take as needed.
Powder is a popular form of Vitamin C, and there are numerous variations available. Flavored serving-size packages that you just put into a glass of water and drink are especially popular. There are, however, unflavored powders that can be added to smoothies.
Vitamin C supplements, on the other hand, are available in pill form, tablet form, gummy form, lozenge form, and even liquid form. Basically, you can take Vitamin C in any method that you desire.
Is it possible to have too much or too little vitamin C?
Too much Vitamin C is difficult to obtain, especially since your body does not store it. However, if you go too far with it, it is conceivable. Any extra Vitamin C that your body does not need must be excreted through your urine.
This can be taxing on the organs that have to do all of the heavy lifting, such as your kidneys and bladder. Furthermore, at exceptionally high quantities, Vitamin C might produce nausea or heartburn. This is due to the acidic nature of vitamin C.
Though this is extremely unlikely, take precautions when supplementing with Vitamin C, such as drinking plenty of water. If you're taking a vitamin C supplement, make sure to take it with a meal. As a result, the food will assist to dilute some of the acidity.
In terms of getting too little Vitamin C, it is well recognized that this can result in scurvy. This is a medical condition caused entirely by a lack of Vitamin C. It was a scourge in the 1600s until a Royal Navy surgeon learned that eating fruits may avoid it.
Because fruits did not keep well on long sea voyages, lime or lemon juice was drunk. This is where the term “Limeys” for sailors comes from. Without the necessary Vitamin C, scurvy could become fairly serious, even causing the sailors' teeth to fall out.
Other, less severe signs of Vitamin C deficiency include muscle soreness, brittle hair, and other issues. Lethargy, shortness of breath, and muscular and bone pains are usually the first signs to appear. You may also notice that if you are weak in Vitamin C, you will bruise more easily and heal more slowly.
The Appropriate Amount of Vitamin C
The precise amount of Vitamin C that you require will be determined by a number of various factors. The daily recommended dose of Vitamin C, on the other hand, is roughly 100 mg for males and 80 mg for women. This is the quantity you should consume each day.
Certain illnesses, however, can lead your body to require additional Vitamin C. For example, if you have even a minor cold, you will require extra of this vitamin. In addition, if you smoke or have any other comparable behaviors, you will require additional Vitamin C.
This is due to the fact that when you smoke, your body must repair and replace the cells in your lungs. Furthermore, your immune system will require further assistance in this situation. A suitable quantity for smokers is at least 35 mg more than the daily recommended dose.
In short, anything that necessitates cell replacement or the use of your immune system necessitates more Vitamin C. As previously said, it is nearly impossible to consume too much Vitamin C, so make sure you get more than you need.
Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding require additional vitamin C. Its kid requires Vitamin C as well, and the sole source is their mother. Once again, adding 35 mg to your typical daily dose is a healthy amount to consume.
Finally, if you are low in Vitamin C to the point where you are experiencing some of the symptoms of scurvy, you will undoubtedly require more Vitamin C. In this scenario, you should consume 100-200 mg of Vitamin C per day for a few weeks.
Other Interesting Vitamin C Facts
Given how popular Vitamin C is, it's no surprise that several corporations are interested in it. Indeed, one Vitamin C product that is still relatively new to the market is liposomal Vitamin C. This basically combines Vitamin C and lecithin to make it fat-soluble.
This means that your body will be able to store Vitamin C if you take it in this form. However, it also implies that you can accumulate too much Vitamin C in your system and injure your organs. As a result, you should not take more Vitamin C than is prescribed for you on a regular basis.
Vitabrid C12 is another new product from a Korean beauty brand. The key element in this composition is Vitamin C, and it is intended to be a “anti-aging potion for the scalp.” The new type of Vitamin C is intended to penetrate your scalp and stimulate collagen formation.
Aside from that, Vitamin C can be used as a safe, chemical-free hair dye remover. So, if your hair dye job turns out a strange color, this can help you return back to your natural color without further damaging your hair by utilizing a chemical hair dye remover or bleach.
Simply crush up some Vitamin C tablets or obtain some unflavored Vitamin C powder. Combine this with shampoo and leave it on for 30 minutes. Then, rinse your hair to remove the Vitamin C and shampoo. It may take more than one attempt, but it should be successful.
Finally, another interesting fact about Vitamin C is that it is also known as ascorbic acid. Wheat-sensitive people, on the other hand, should avoid this version because wheat is sometimes used to create it.
Final Word
Although Vitamin C may not do much directly for your hair, it is definitely worth including more of it in your diet as a little method to assist your hair grow. As a preventative strategy, it will benefit your hair by keeping your scalp as healthy as possible.
Even in its “regular” form, Vitamin C can be found in a variety of topical treatments for your skin and hair. Many Biotin-containing products contain at least a trace of Vitamin C to help prevent aging.
If you believe your Vitamin C levels are low, it is not a bad idea to take more than the suggested daily quantity. Even in the case of scurvy, taking more than you need for a few weeks should suffice. With some companies developing novel formulations of Vitamin C, this is easier than ever.
