Ascorbic acid is very necessary in everyone’s diet. From babies to older adults, they need to consume vitamin C to maintain a proper immune balance. This wonderful nutrient is water soluble; that is, it can be easily dissolved in water, and we find it naturally in many foods.
As many claim, its main action in the body is antioxidant; because it helps preserve cells against possible damage caused by famous free radicals and the cell wear they cause in all tissues. However, excess vitamin C could be very harmful.
Some pharmaceutical presentations of vitamin C supplementation come together with other supplements such as Zinc. In this way, people deliberately buy and consume these supplements without a prescription without having the slightest idea of the risk that this represents; leading to the appearance of neutropenia, anemia, gastrointestinal complications or kidney stones.
Directions for taking vitamin C 1000 IU
The 1,000 IU vitamin C can only be consumed through supplementation; since if you wanted to reach that amount naturally you would have to eat approximately two kilos of oranges or 4 kilos of lettuce a day, which is quite exaggerated and even impossible.
The action of this vitamin in the tissues is based on strengthening the protein responsible for producing layers in the skin, part of the tendons, segments in the ligaments and forming blood vessels. Which is essential for the body to heal wounds properly, forming its own tissue for healing? In addition, it helps repair cartilage, bones and teeth.
The lack of vitamin C in the diet can lead to general weakness, anemia in a short time, gingivitis, being more vulnerable to viruses and skin hemorrhages. However, it is scientifically proven that consuming mega doses of vitamin C through dietary supplements produces interactions with other nutrients; this causes a kind of shock that does not allow all the nutritional contributions of the food to be well absorbed.
It is true that those people who consume adequate amounts of vitamin C from fruits and vegetables have a lower risk of various types of cancer, such as uterine, lung, breast or colon cancer. However, it is already known that supplementation does not have the same effect on cancer prevention.
Therefore, it is not known for sure if consuming high doses of vitamin C is really beneficial for any type of cancer treatment; not even in mega doses through intravenous injections. All this, despite the fact that there is evidence from animal experiments indicating that mega doses of vitamin C in the blood (not taken) reduce the size of certain cancerous tumors.
What do you need to take vitamin C 1000 IU?
The most effective sources of vitamin C are always going to be fruits and vegetables. Supplements, for their part, are often not fully absorbed or are blocked by other nutrients present in our diet or in the supplementation tablets themselves. For example:
- The famous citrus fruits cannot be missing: orange and lemon are the most popular, but kiwi, peppers and tomatoes, strawberries, asparagus, lettuce, broad beans, broccoli and pineapple are very good sources too..
Tips for taking vitamin C 1000 IU
- It is important to take into account that once food is cooked for a long time, its content of vitamin C could decrease; therefore, they are best consumed by steaming, microwaving, baking, or eating raw.
- Although it has always been heard that taking vitamin C while going through a cold is good; the truth is that the consumption of this nutrient in the viral period does not improve the symptoms. Not even in cases of Covid-19 does vitamin C in high doses improve the patient.
- The recommended dose of vitamin C for adults and adolescents with severe vitamin C deficiency is no more than 1,000 IU daily intravenously; since in digestion there may be blockages in the absorption of this nutrient by others and not get to take advantage of all the content.
- In children under 14 years of age, doses of 1000 IU are not recommended in any case, because there are insufficient data on side effects or development that may occur.
- The mega dose of vitamin C can have strong adverse effects if consumed without a prescription. For example, chronic diarrhea, severe nausea and vomiting that can lead to gastritis.
- Too much vitamin C could damage internal tissues by raising the amount of iron in the body.
- Vitamin C supplements usually come with Zinc; therefore, if the dose of zinc is exceeded, you can suffer from strong colic, diarrhea and vomiting that can cause colitis. It even interferes with the bioavailability of copper in the intestine, which can cause hypochromic anemia.
- Finally, if you are a cancer patient, it is vital to consult with your doctor about any type of supplementation that you are consuming; because some antioxidants, including vitamin C, may interact with radiation and chemotherapy treatments.
- Likewise, if you suffer from hemochromatosis, you should very carefully consume vitamin C in your daily diet, and only use supplements if your doctor indicates it.
