Consumers often rely on collagen peptides for beautiful, youthful, and vibrant skin. However, building skin thickness and elasticity with collagen protein and without adequate micronutrients such as vitamin C is like erecting a wall with piled bricks and without cement.
Vitamin C is an essential nutrient for collagen production as it acts like the glue that holds the collagen peptides/protein together to improve skin structure and elasticity.
Despite the abundance of fruits and vegetables in the developed counties, there is still a large number of people who do not meet their daily requirements of vitamin C. [1]. Unlike most animals, humans are not able to make the vitamin inside our bodies. We depend on daily vitamin C intake to meet our needs. But why is vitamin C important ?
Collagen Production
Aging and the so-called collagen collapse starts in your 30s and is more prominently seen in the late 40s and early 50s. If you are concerned about it, incorporating vitamin C into your diet is an essential and top priority. According to a number of studies, vitamin C plays a major role in collagen production [2] and appears that its consumption is more important than its topical application on the skin [3,4].
Neurotransmitters Production
Vitamin C plays a major role in the production of certain neurotransmitters (chemical massagers) and is a vital antioxidant (protective) molecule in the brain. It helps to maintain the integrity and the function of our nerve cells. Researches have proposed that vitamin C has a potential to improve neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, multiple sclerosis and amyotrophic sclerosis, as well as psychiatric disorders including depression, anxiety and schizophrenia. [ 5, 6]
Antioxidant Activity
Vitamin C is also an important physiological antioxidant [7], therefore it helps with slowing down the aging process. Researchers who investigated the effect of vitamin C on tissue oxidation concluded that high dose of vitamin C resulted in enhanced anti-senescence (cell – aging) and anti-atherosclerotic ( cholesterol accumulation) expression [ 8 ]. However, the effect on cardiovascular disease risk yields – mixed results.
Certain Cancers
Optimal intake vitamin C intake has been shown to have protective effect against certain cancers[ 9 ]. According to a review of 46 studies, the epidemiologic evidence of the protective effect of vitamin C for non-hormone-dependent cancers is robust. It appears that high intake of vitamin C has approximately a two- fold protective effect compared with low intake.
Cardiovascular Disease
High intake vitamin C may or may not be protective against cardiovascular disease. [10] People who adhere to a Mediterranean dietary pattern seem to have much lower risk for cardiovascular disease. However, the protective effect is likely not only related on the vitamin C, but rather synergetic effect of multiple nutrients; vitamins, fatty acids such as omega-3 fatty acids and fiber.[11].
Other Functions
Vitamin C plays an important role in our immune function [12] and improves the absorption of non-heme iron, the form of iron present in plant-based foods. [13] Inadequate vitamin C intake can cause scurvy, which is characterized by fatigue or lassitude, widespread connective tissue weakness, and capillary fragility [14,15,16,]
Dietary Recommendations of Vitamin C
Recently, there was an increase of the recommended daily requirement for vitamin C to (>19 yr) 90 mg/day for men and 75 mg/day for women [17]. However, these requirements are set to prevent deficiency, and the optimal intake for collagen support and ideal health is unknown.
Based on clinical and epidemiological studies it has been suggested that a dietary intake of 100 mg/day is associated with reduced incidence of mortality from heart diseases, stroke and cancer. [18] Some medical conditions are known to be associated with increase vitamin C demand; these include, physiologic stress, smoking, alcoholism, fever, viral infections.
Medical Conditions Associated with increase vitamin C demand include:
- habitual alcohol intake
- smoking
- being exposed to second hand smoke
- physiologic stress
- fever
- vital infections
A dose higher than 200 mg, will not all be completely utilized by the body. If you take 1000 mg, 200 gm of them will increase your blood levels but the rest will be excreted rapidly by the urine in the next 2 hours. This means that if you like to maintain higher blood levels you need to continuously consume vitamin C from fruits, veggies and supplements.
Fortunately, researchers have found an innovative alternative for those desiring to optimize their blood levels of vitamin C.
This graph shows how vitamin C utilization in the body falls after 200 mg consumed.
The best form of vitamin C that can last 4 hours in the blood stream is lipisomal vitamin C. This formulation contains liposomes – small structures made of plant-derived phospholipids. Research shows that encapsulating certain nutrients in liposomes improves the nutrient’s absorption into the bloodstream and increase their availability.
Thanks to this enhanced delivery system, nutrients encapsulated in liposomal form offer superior absorption, longer bioavailability in the body and much less exception.
Supplements are not created equal, the quality of your supplements is essential. Supplements made from food are superior compared to synthetically derived ones.
Purchase high quality, food derived supplements HERE:
Suggested dose: 1/2 teaspoon twice per day.