What are the health benefits of Vitamin C? Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, is one of the most widely known home treatments for ailments like common cold. Due to its relation to citrus fruits it is also referred to as the citrus vitamin.

These and other Vitamin C benefits are discussed in this article. Vitamin C supplements, vitamin C powder and other vitamin C sources and benefits of vitamin C are discussed in other posts, and also can be found from the products shown and advertised here on Benefits of Vitamin C.

Scurvy and the Discovery of Vitamin C: The health benefits vitamin C are historically associated with scurvy, a disease which plagued mankind for centuries and was particularly rampant among the sailors - before its Vitamin C treatment was discovered. Contracting scurvy was the dread of every sea-faring individual embarking on a long voyage because it could wipe out an entire ship’s crew within a matter of days. Necessity being the mother of invention and research, the ancient sailors found a cure for the disease in form of a number of foods containing Vitamin C, like fruits, salads, vegetables and even ale prepared from wormwood, horseradish and mustard seeds - making treating scurvy one of the first know benefits of vitamin C. Although the relation to the health benefits of vitamin C contained in these foods was not yet known, it was observed that eating these foods served to prevent the incidence of scurvy. The credit for identifying the Vitamin C benefit to be the cure or prevention of scurvy goes to James Lind who was a British physician and who recommended inclusion of citrus fruits like lemons and oranges in the diets of sailors as a precaution against scurvy. The scientific name for vitamin c is Ascorbic acid, which means without scurvy.

Vitamin C is beneficial to the human body in many ways and the health benefits of Vitamin C are listed as follows:

• Common Cold Treatment: Now the subject of scientific debate, the relationship between Vitamin C and common cold was explained by Linus Pauling in his best-selling book ‘Vitamin C and Common Cold’, first published in 1970, and which led to the popularity of the benefits of vitamin C in relation to colds. This controversial book by the Nobel prize winning scientist and author had a great impact on the popular culture as spreading the view that a great Vitamin C benefit was to reduce the severity of a common cold or perhaps even to prevent the common cold, by taking high doses of the vitamin such as by using vitamin supplements. Among the benefits of vitamin C, many people follow its recommendations even today, and this writer has observed that taking Vitamin C by drinking two or three glasses of orange juice helps. Others believe that the regular intake of Vitamin C not only prevents common cold but also shortens its duration and reduces its severity to a great extent. This could be because Vitamin C acts as a natural antihistamine and when consumed it reduces the histamine levels of the body and thus has the health benefit controlling the symptoms and duration of the common cold. Courtesy of Benefits of Vitamin C.
• Vitamin C and Healing: Another widely held view is that a benefit of Vitamin C is faster healing of wounds. The theory behind this is that since Vitamin C is a factor in the production of collagen, its presence in the body helps to recuperate faster from wounds and injuries like surgical incisions, cuts, broken bones and burns. Meeting the daily recommended daily allowance can be an adequate quantity for the needs of the human body.

  For benefits of other vitamins and nutritional supplements discussed, such as the Benefits of Vitamin D and Benefits of Vitamin E, see Benefits Of.

• Sunburn: Some believe that surface application of the vitamin, on the surface of the skin provides protection against the ultraviolet rays of the sun, although use of an SPF 15 or higher sunscreen is a sure way to help reduce the incidence of sunburn, further benefits of Vitamin C.
• Cancer Prevention Benefit: The scientific proof of the Vitamin C benefit of helping prevent some cancers still is being developed. Under these theories, Vitamin C is reputed to be one of those nutrients that can help to reduce the probability of the occurrence some types of cancer within the human body. This health benefit of vitamin C is due to the antioxidant properties of Vitamin C which protect the cells and their inherent components from damage and mutation and thus equip the immune system of the body adequately to fight against the cancer causing compounds. Increasingly antioxidants have been shown to help with disease prevention. It is not yet known if Vitamin C can help an individual who is diagnosed with cancer - beyond the other health benefits of meeting the recommended daily allowances of this vitamin. Some cancer patients believe that using a Vitamin C supplement can be of some assistance with helping the body to fight the illness.
• Eyes - Ocular Health: The lens of the human eye requires a Vitamin C, and some believe it can help to protect the lens from the damage caused by the sunlight as this nutrient not only helps to improve our vision but also prevents the clouding of the lens which is a symptom of cataract, another reputed Vitamin C health benefit.
• Vitamin C Antioxidant: Since Vitamin C is considered an antioxidant. As an antioxidant, the vitamin is understood to prevent the oxidation of cholesterol in the blood and thereby some believe it reduces the possibility of heart disease and strokes. In addition it also helps to visit a physician and keep a check on high blood pressure and protects the walls of the arteries from getting damaged.
• Diabetes: Diabetes is a difficult disease to manage via nutrition, although food intake, properly monitored is known to be effective in managing blood sugar levels. Inclusion of Vitamin C in the diet is understood by many people to be of some benefit too in relation to other properties of Vitamin C like potentially helping improve poor wound healing and sluggish circulation of blood - further Vitamin C benefits.
• As discussed in some research, Vitamin C potentially plays an instrumental role in the treatment of many other health conditions like asthma, Parkinson’s disease, periodontal disease and preeclampsia in pregnant women. Further readings on this subject and consultation with your physician are recommended before using a Vitamin C supplement for treatment of these or any other diseases or conditions.

Natural Sources of Vitamin C: The daily requirement of Vitamin C can be acquired by consuming citrus fruits like oranges, lemons and grapefruits and other fruits like strawberries or kiwifruit. Tomatoes and potatoes also are other good sources of the vitamin. An important point to keep in mind is that it is better to eat food products that contain this essential nutrient juiced or raw or should be cooked as little as possible because prolonged cooking at high temperature may destroy its value.