Healthy Habits: Vitamin C, you are responsible for providing the supply

Megan Johnson McCullough

Special to the Valley News

People hear so much about vitamins, minerals and supplements they can take. When it comes to the big players that the body needs and can benefit from the most, vitamin C is near the top of the list.

Vitamin C is an essential vitamin C, and the body doesn’t naturally produce it, which means people need to ingest it. It is a watersoluble vitamin and is found in many foods such as strawberries, oranges, kiwi, kale, spinach, broccoli and bell peppers.

If someone isn’t getting their needed amount of vitamin C, which is 75 mg for women and 90 mg for men, then supplements can be helpful.

Vitamin C provides many benefits for people. The popular use of vitamin C is for its immunity benefits because vitamin C helps produce white blood cells –lymphocytes and phagocytes – that help fight off and protect the body from infection.

Vitamin C helps white blood cells function more efficiently and can protect them from damage such as free radicals. Furthermore, vitamin C assists the absorption of iron in the body. It actually converts iron that is poorly absorbed into iron the body can better absorb. Studies have shown taking 100 mg per day of vitamin C can improve iron absorption by up to 67%. It can offset the risk of anemia. Studies have also shown vitamin C helps keep memory and thinking in better condition.

As people age, they need vitamin C to ward off dementia. Vitamin C acts as an antioxidant helping the central nervous system when inflammation and oxidative stress are present. The antioxidants can also help ward off chronic disease.

Vitamin C can boost blood antioxidant levels by as much as 30%. Plus, this vitamin can help lower blood pressure because it relaxes the blood vessels that carry blood to the heart. In turn, these benefits of vitamin C lower the risk for heart disease. Vitamin C can also help reduce uric acid levels keeping gout away.

Vitamin C is also a great helper when it comes to skin conditions. It acts as a defense mechanism because it is full of antioxidants that boost skin ability to act as a

The body doesn’t make vitamin C on its own, so we have to eat it, drink it and/or take supplements.

Valley News/Courtesy photo barrier for us. It also shortens the healing time of wounds.

Vitamin C serums can help reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles on skin. It also helps lighten dark spots. Adding this vitamin to a facial skin care routine would certainly help the appearance of skin.

Common side effects of low vitamin C levels include feeling fatigue/weakness, having rough skin, wounds healing poorly and/or having sore arms and/or legs. One might also develop gum disease or easily bleed when puncturing the skin.

The best sources of vitamin C come from whole food sources; however, absorption is key and a blood test can confirm a deficiency. From there a doctor may recommend the use of supplements, which come in many forms.

Anything for the skin is usually topical or serum-like. Pills and chewable forms are also available. Many food products add vitamin C, such as teas and cereals.

The body needs vitamin C, and it needs help to get it. What we eat is so important for health. Food isn’t just for its taste; it has the nutritional value that the body requires to function well.

Donate plasma to save lives this summer

Plasma donation is an impactful, meaningful way to give back to your community this summer. By donating plasma, you can help people like Machelle Pecoraro.

Pecoraro lives with Hereditary Angioedema (HAE), a rare disease that can cause attacks of swelling, and often pain, in specific parts of the body, including the stomach, hands, feet, arms, legs, genitals, throat and face. Like with many serious and rare diseases, the therapies used to treat HAE require human plasma donations.

Donors’ Impact

“Plasma donors directly impact my ability to live a full and productive life. Therapies made from these donations allow me and my son, who also lives with HAE, to receive ongoing treatment for our conditions,” says Pecoraro.

Plasma, a straw-colored liquid that carries red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets, helps to maintain a steady level of blood pressure, supports the immune system and delivers critical nutrients to cells.

Plasma donations are used to replace crucial proteins people living with rare and serious diseases lack, and to produce therapies that treat diseases such as primary immune deficiencies, hereditary angioedema, hemophilia, Alpha-1 Antitrypsin deficiency and various bleeding and neurological disorders.

There is a critical and ongoing need for plasma donations, as these life-saving medicines treat people in more than 100 countries around the world. Every year, it takes more than 1,200 plasma donations to treat one hemophilia patient, more than 900 plasma donations to treat one alpha-1 patient and more than 130 plasma donations to treat one primary immune deficiency patient.

“Plasma donors do the amazing, as plasma is used to develop lifesaving therapies for people living with rare and serious diseases. We encourage those who can donate to visit a nearby CSL Plasma donation center,” says Rachpal Malhotra, MD, head of plasma donor safety, CSL Plasma.

Eligible, qualified plasma donors also receive payments in connection with donating plasma.

The Donation Process

To donate, you must be in good health, between the ages of 18-74, weigh at least 110 pounds, and have had no tattoos or piercings within the last four months. You must also meet the health and screening requirements and have valid identification with a permanent address.

Although wait times may vary at each location, the collection process takes approximately 90 minutes after the first donation.

It is recommended that you drink four to six 8-ounce glasses of water, fruit juice or other caffeine-free liquid at least two to three hours before donation, avoid caffeinated beverages, avoid alcohol of any type for 24 hours beforehand, eat a meal prior to donation and get adequate sleep.

CSL Plasma has 320 plasma donation centers across the United States.

Visit cslplasma.com for more information and to find a center near you. The CSL Plasma donor app is also available for Apple and Android device users.

“I thank all donors and encourage anyone who is considering donating to remember that doing so does make an impact for people like me and my son,” says Pecoraro.

Submitted by StatePoint