During the busy workweek, getting the right vitamins and minerals from our diet involves knowing what our bodies need most, and shopping accordingly. If you’re like me, you’re only going to the store every 2-3 weeks to stay safer during the COVID pandemic. This means that knowing the vitamins your body needs should be part of your lockdown survival guide.

Vitamin C is an essential vitamin because we don’t have any of it in our bodies naturally – we have to take it through food or supplements. You may be most familiar with it as the go-to vitamin for cold and flu prevention, but Vitamin C has a host of other benefits that will not only help you in the quarantine but will help protect you and your family from chronic illnesses down the road.

 

1.   Immune System Support

 

 

 

 

 

 

Since this is the most well-known benefit of Vitamin C, I’m listing it first. Vitamin C boosts white blood cell production, which helps your body fight infection, a particularly tantalizing benefit during the pandemic.

That’s not the vitamin’s only immune system function, however. Vitamin C also boosts your skin’s defense, which improves your healing time and makes your skin stronger through an effect similar to an antioxidant. Pneumonia is particularly susceptible to Vitamin C’s immune-boosting influence.

 

2.   Preventing Chronic Disease

 

 

 

 

 

 

Vitamin C doesn’t just boost your immune system in the short-term. By preventing oxidative stress and removing free radicals from your body, Vitamin C can also shield your body from more serious chronic diseases.

By raising the antioxidant levels in your blood, Vitamin C helps you fight inflammation, which we are quickly discovering is the root cause of most chronic illnesses. Metabolic syndromes like diabetes and chronic heart disease are linked to inflammation. Heart disease particularly involves a combination of high blood pressure, high bad cholesterol, low good cholesterol, and out-of-control inflammation.

Vitamin C is one way to get back in control.

 

3.   Prevent Iron Deficiencies

 

 

 

 

 

 

Iron is a mineral that gives us strength. It does this by helping our bodies transport oxygen to the parts that need it by supporting healthy red blood cell counts. Iron is a well-known benefit of eating leafy vegetables. Many of us are making the sacrifice to get our daily allotment without realizing that Vitamin C is what makes it all worth it.

Iron is difficult for our bodies to absorb, which is why Vitamin C, which converts plant-based iron sources into more absorbable forms, is so essential. Healthy iron levels have been linked to lower instances of anemia, which is only possible if you have enough Vitamin C built up to help you absorb it.

 

4.   Mental Health

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our mental health becomes more important as we age, as our risk for related memory and personality disorders increases naturally. The same oxidative stress and inflammation that can weaken our immunity can also reduce our memory and mental performance. If it occurs near the brain or spine, it can even affect our nerves severely enough to put us at risk for dementia.

As a powerful antioxidant and nervous system supporter, Vitamin C may lower this risk, and protect our memory and thinking capabilities as we get older.

If you’re at high risk for dementia or nervous system dysfunction, getting enough Vitamin C should be part of your long-term prevention plan.

 

How to Take Vitamin C

 

 

 

 

 

 

Vitamin C is readily available in a lot of fresh ingredients that you can get at the store. Since we’re not shopping as often, I’ve found it convenient to prioritize a long shelf life when it comes to these items. Spinach and cabbage are great short-term sources of Vitamin C. For foods that last a little longer, potatoes, tomatoes, bell peppers, and citrus fruits are packed with an ideal amount of Vitamin C.

Oral supplements that come in 1-2-month supplies would not always be my recommendation for Vitamin C intake, especially since only the dietary kind can prevent colds. But with our shopping schedules changing and the lockdown in full swing, this is another viable option.

 

The Takeaway

Vitamin C is an essential vitamin that our body needs to support immune function and mineral absorption. But our bodies don’t contain it naturally, so we have to get it solely through diet. Thankfully, there are many delicious and readily available sources at any grocery store.

To reap these 4 amazing benefits, include some of those foods in your diet. If you shop infrequently, consider getting by with a name-brand Vitamin C supplement that you can buy online by the month. Either way, Vitamin C is your armor for the coming flu season and a long-term defense against some of the worst chronic illnesses out there.