There are lots of misinformation around Vitamin C
Vitamin C is the most popular of all vitamins and minerals and is the first thing that comes to our mind when we talk about low immunity. Its use peaked during COVID-19 onset. People combined vitamin C tablets with their daily routine with the hope that it will protect them from the lethal effects of the viral attack. Since not much was known about the coronavirus in early 2020, its link with common cold was the reason why people took Vitamin C supplements.
Though very popular, there is a lot of misinformation around Vitamin C.
Myth 1: The more you have it, the better your immunity is
No. As per experts, the ideal amount of Vitamin C an adult woman should take is 75 miligrams per day and a man should take 90 miligrams of Vitamin C daily. Although too much dietary vitamin C is unlikely to be harmful, megadoses of vitamin C supplements might cause diarrhea and nausea, say experts at MayoClinic.
The upper limit of Vitamin C is 2000 mg per day, but people with chronic liver disease, gout, or kidney disease should not take more than 1,000 mg of vitamin C per day.
Myth 2: Orange is the richest source of Vitamin C
Surprisingly this is not true. We have a common perception that citrus fruits are the biggest sources of Vitamin C. This is why for more Vitamin C we eat foods like lemon, orange and other citrus fruits.
This is not true. Bell peppers have more vitamin C than orange has. Yellow bell pepper has 159.61 mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams. Red and green bell peppers have 121.38 mg and 16.52 mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams.
Not just bell peppers, plums, guavas, cherries, parsley have more Vitamin C than oranges.
Myth 3: Vitamin C helps cure COVID
A big NO. Vitamin C is an antioxidant that has anti-inflammatory properties which helps it to influence cellular immunity. Vitamin C can be helpful for COVID patients but it's not a cure for it.
Experts have said that regular intake of Vitamin C can protect the body from the viral attack to some extent but it won't prevent it altogether.
Vitamin C was linked to COVID treatment due to its widespread use for common colds and due to the fact that COVID and common cold are both respiratory diseases.
Vitamin C is known to reduce the severity of colds caused by other viruses, however there is no evidence to back the claim that it is effective in curing COVID 19.
Myth 4: Vitamin C only improves the immunity
Vitamin C is not just useful for the immunity, it helps in cellular growth, maintains the skin health, regulates blood vessels, bones and cartilage, expedites wound healing. It is also known to reduce blood uric levels and prevent the occurrence of gout.
Many studies have also linked Vitamin C with memory boosting in old age.