What does Vitamin C do for your Teen?

In designing our Antioxidant Bites, Vitamin C was a vital ingredient because of the amazing things it does to defend skin from UV rays by removing free radicals. But Vitamin C (aka ascorbic acid) is not simply a powerful water-soluble antioxidant. It also helps build and repair the body’s connective tissue, including bones, blood vessels and skin.

In fact, Vitamin C does tons of good things for the body, and here are just 5 of the most important ones, which will give you a new appreciation for what Vitamin C can do for you, your kids and your entire family.

1. Boosts Immune System

What does Vitamin C do? Vitamin C powers the body’s defenses against the germs kids encounter throughout the day, and even minor drops in Vitamin C intake can produce major drops in immunity. To maintain healthy levels, experts recommend much more than the 90 mg RDA. In fact, they advise at least 500 mg of Vitamin C per day.

"Vitamin C is essential to stimulate the immune system by increasing the strength and protection of the organism.” - Reviews in Medicinal Chemistry

2. Maintains Cell Health

What does Vitamin C do? It protects against cell damage, boosts collagen production, and improves absorption of iron and folic acid.

“Adding more antioxidants to your diet may help repair damaged cells, boosting your immune system and warding off chronic illnesses like heart disease and cancer.” - Health line

3. Guards against Cancer

Free radicals are produced by toxins, poor diet, exposure to UV rays, and even exercise and breathing. Too many free radicals produce chronic problems, including arthritis and cancer. As an antioxidant, Vitamin C eliminates frees radicals, and it also neutralizes cancer-promoting nitrosamines, produced during digestion of nitrates.

To optimize the body’s cancer defenses, doctors recommend a daily intake of 250 to 1,000 mg Vitamin C a day.

“Approximately 90 studies have examined the role of Vitamin C-rich foods in cancer prevention, and the vast majority have found statistically significant protective effects. - Gladys Block, PhD, University of California, Berkeley

4. Eases Allergies & Asthma

What does Vitamin C do? Studies show that Vitamin C, as a natural anti-inflammatory, acts as a natural antihistamine, easing chronic allergies, maintaining lung function, protecting from air pollution, and helping stop cycles that lead to more severe attacks. Doctors recommend 500 to 1000 mg of Vitamin C per day to help asthma patients.

“Vitamin C can have modest beneficial effects for inhalant allergies and asthma when it is taken on a regular basis.” - Richard Podell, MD, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

5. Protects against Sunburn & Skin Damage

What does Vitamin C do? As a powerful antioxidant, Vitamin C neutralizes free radicals created by sun exposure, sparing healthy cells from harm. Sun exposure depletes the supply of these antioxidants, and regular significant intake maintains effective levels. Doctors recommend daily Vitamin C intake of 1,000 mg or more to effectively neutralize sun-related free radicals.

"No one is proposing that vitamins will ever replace sunscreen, but they can make sunscreen better.” - Dr. Douglas Darr, PhD, North Carolina Biotechnology Center