The Benefits of Vitamin C for Women

Your mother or someone back when you were a young girl probably told you that you need to drink your orange juice to get your vitamin C. That person might even have told you that vitamin C would help keep you from getting colds. Now that you are a woman, you probably don’t want to hear it repeated, but there is no escaping the facts. Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, offers a number of potential benefits for women specifically in addition to the benefits enjoyed by both sexes.

Vitamin C to Treat Premenopausal Hot Flashes
When used in connection with bioflavonoid supplements, vitamin C may be able to help strengthen capillaries and small blood vessels. This strengthening can help prevent or reduce the occurrence of hot flashes during premenopause

Vitamin C to Prevent Bone Loss
Vitamin C is capable of fueling production of bone tissue and collagen. Chiropractic Care Ltd. reports that vitamin C used in conjunction with a form of vitamin E called alpha-tocopherol has the potential to aid in the treatment of osteoporosis and in some cases may even work to prevent the onset of bone loss in aging women.

Vitamin C to Treat Joint Pain
Joint pain that many women experience as they reach their 40s may be reduced by taking vitamin C. A combination of vitamin C and calcium works together to provide protection to the joints that result in reduced pain and stiffness.

Vitamin C for Pregnant Women
Pregnant women taking prenatal vitamins containing vitamin C benefit as a result of meeting the demands of the body growing inside them. Fetal formation of bones, teeth and connective tissue necessitates supplemental supplies of vitamin C by the mother because her natural supply of the vitamin helps in these bodily developments.

Vitamin C to Prevent Urinary Tract Infections
Women who are susceptible to urinary tract infections should consider upping their intake of vitamin C. This makes C a good vitamin for women especially because of its ability to acidify urine and thereby inhibit bacterial growth. Natural sources or supplements can both offer this beneficial aspect of ascorbic acid.

Vitamin C Deficiency and Periodontal Disease
Periodontal disease which infects the gums is more likely in young women suffering a deficiency of vitamin C. An effective method for decreasing this risk is to take 60 milligrams of vitamin C supplements daily.

Vitamin C and Smoking
Women who smoke cigarettes and suffer from nicotine appetite suppression as a result increase their risk for lung damage as a result of the smoke assisting in the formation of free radicals. These molecules waste the body’s supply of vitamin C which as an antioxidant is an effect weapon against free radical formation. Smokers who don’t get enough vitamin C from natural sources are advised to take supplemental supplies of 110 milligrams a day.

Vitamin C Sources
Another good reason why vitamin C should be considered a good vitamin for women as well as men is that it is plentifully supplied in many popular foods. Natural sources of vitamin C include cabbage, grapefruit, green peppers, lemons, oranges, hot peppers, potatoes, spinach, strawberries and watercress.