How to Increase Your Vitamin C Levels Naturally

Vitamin C is an essential component of our overall health. While it is best known for its ability to keep the immune system healthy, it has a host of other benefits as well.

• What is Vitamin C IV Used For?
• What’s the Benefit of Combining Glutathione with Vitamin C?
• What Ingredients Are Used In the Myers Cocktail IV Therapy?

Fights free radicals

Vitamin C serves as a powerful antioxidant in the fight against free radicals within the body that, if left alone, contribute to inflammation, heart disease, and a host of other issues.

Boosts collagen production

Essential for skin health, vitamin C promotes self-healing and collagen synthesis and helps maintain flexibility.

Helps prevent chronic conditions and diseases

Vitamin C’s antioxidant power has been connected to the prevention of chronic ailments and life-threatening diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular disease.

Enhances absorption of other nutrients

The presence of vitamin C aids in the absorption of other essential minerals such as iron and many nutrients present in food.

Unlike other things, the body does not produce vitamin C on its own. We get it from our diet. Becoming deficient in vitamin C can cause a whole host of problems such as:

• Rough, bumpy skin
• Dry, damaged skin
• Compromised immune system
• Bruising
• Slowed healing
• Bleeding gums and tooth loss
• Anemia
• Poor mood
• Weight gain
• Oxidative stress
• Chronic inflammation

With playing such a vital role in our bodies, many have begun to seek out strategies on how to boost Vitamin C levels. Let’s have a look at some of the most effective ways people are boosting their Vitamin C levels naturally.

Fruits

An all-time favorite, especially for those with a sweet tooth, is a variety of fruits. The most common and popular with high concentrations of vitamin C are oranges and citrus fruits. A single orange gets you most of the way there when it comes to your recommended daily allowance. An interesting character that makes the list of high performers is the Guava fruit. Pound for pound, guava has nearly twice the amount of vitamin C as an orange does.

Many people utilize fruits by placing them in highly visible, easy-to-reach locations to increase the likelihood of eating them. In many Asian cultures, mandarin oranges are included as a post-meal snack.

While there is some debate on this, it is widely believed that consuming these fruits in their whole, unprocessed form increases their bioavailability as opposed to consuming them as a juice.

Cruciferous vegetables

While fruits get most of the shine, vegetables are also a great source of vitamin C. Broccoli, kale, spinach, and bell peppers are just a few vegetables that pack a major punch. In addition to Vitamin C, vegetables like bell peppers have the added benefit of containing antioxidants that support eye and heart health.

Fermented vegetables

Low in calories and full of probiotics, fermented vegetables such as kimchi also contain high concentrations of vitamin C. Adding them to whatever you are eating is a simple way to naturally boost your vitamin C levels.

Raw food preparation

As important as your food selection is, how it is prepared also plays a vital role. As with other nutrients, when food is cooked at high temperatures, a large portion of vitamins is eliminated or destroyed.

An example of this would be orange juice that has been pasteurized or exposed to high heat. Compared to freshly squeezed juice, the bioavailability of the vitamin C within would not be as high. This is why many are opting to embrace more raw preparation methods when it comes to eating for health.

Oral supplements

Often taken in the form of chewable tablets, gummies, or pills you swallow, this form of vitamin C has been around for decades. While it is cost-effective and easily accessible for most people, they are historically difficult for the body to absorb and assimilate.

Booster shots

Approved by the FDA for the treatment of Vitamin C deficiency, booster shots are one of the quickest ways to bring vitamin C levels up. Especially in the cases of extreme deficiency where the risk of contracting scurvy is extremely high, booster shots may be required to reverse the negative trajectory.

IV therapy

Like the booster shot, intravenous delivery of vitamin C is one of the most effective ways to boost levels naturally. Vitamin C IVs have even been administered in conjunction with cancer treatment medication because of the potential to aid in the destruction of cancer cells present in the body. This is only effective using IV therapy because it is one of the only methods that ensure 100% bioavailability at a high concentration.

Regardless of what methods you choose, it is clear that being proactive in keeping Vitamin C levels optimal has a wide range of benefits that cannot be underestimated or neglected.