When you get enough vitamin C, your body will be able to function better overall. This antioxidant can help reduce how long you feel sick with the common cold, boost your skin health and much more.
What Is Vitamin C?
Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin. Your body needs vitamin C to form collagen, which makes up the connective tissues in the body and helps heal wounds.
Vitamin C also contributes to the overall health of your bones, cartilage and teeth.
It also plays a role in your body’s absorption of non-heme iron, which comes from plant sources. That’s why it’s best to eat iron-rich foods like spinach with vitamin C-rich foods, like tomatoes or peppers.
Because it’s an antioxidant, vitamin C supports your overall immune function, according to a November 2017 review in Nutrients.
Antioxidants like vitamin C scavenge for free radicals, those wayward molecules that can cause DNA damage in the body. And regularly eating fruits and vegetables high in vitamin C is linked to better protection against cancer and heart disease, per the NIH.