How Long does Vitamin C Stay in Your System?
Vitamin C. It’s everywhere: citrus fruits, O.J., some veggies, and supplements. But what exactly is it? What does it do in your body? And how long does it stay? You’d have to read on to get an answer to this.
Before heading on to explain the worry, How Long does Vitamin C Stay in Your System? It is notable that it is an ascorbic acid and a support nutrient for the immune system. It is an antioxidant that helps neutralize free radicals in the body.
What is a free radical, you ask? This is a molecule that can be formed in the body’s natural process of converting food into energy, but it can also be formed from exposure to smoke, exercise, pollution, or even stress!
These free radicals can actually do oxidative damage to cells in our body. That’s why it’s so crucial to provide yourself with “anti”-oxidants!
But Vitamin C does more than just help your immune system; it also increases iron absorption from certain foods, and it’s needed for collagen synthesis to keep your skin healthy!
Is there a Time Frame for Vitamin C in a Human System?
Sure! Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin, and that means the body cannot store excess Vitamin C in fatty tissues.
The body’s functions utilize the vitamin C they need, but whatever remains is flushed out in urine. This means that your body cannot store an excess reserve of Vitamin C; any amount above what is needed is eliminated either way.
Some studies have shown that once Vitamin C is absorbed into the bloodstream, it will have a half-life of about two hours. This means that the level of vitamin C in the body halves every two hours. Hence, the answer to the question of how long Vitamin C is in your system is double.
Excess Vitamin C is quickly flushed out of the body in urine, and the Vitamin C taken in by the body halves every two hours.This is then absorbed by the body and used for various functions, as the body requires it to produce collagen, which helps to keep the skin healthy.
How does Vitamin C help your Body Absorb Iron?
Ascorbic acid in the stomach interacts with the most common type of iron in food, “non-heme” iron, and creates a compound that can be dissolved more easily at the stomach’s acidity level, thus enabling that iron to be more easily absorbed by the body.
So now that you know what Vitamin C does and how the body stores it, how do you take it? Vitamin C is contained within a range of food groups, including citrus fruits, broccoli, and red pepper, so you may already be receiving sufficient Vitamin C through the food you eat!
But then, it’s important to know that Vitamin C is a common shortfall nutrient; almost 50% of US adults don’t receive enough Vitamin C from their diet alone!
Also, the recommended daily amount of vitamin C for adults is 90 mg for men and 75 mg for women. If your diet is low in fruits and vegetables, consider vitamin C supplementation to help bridge possible nutrient shortfalls.
Simultaneously consuming vitamin C with a meal rich in non-heme iron, which is commonly found in vegetables, whole grain foods, and legumes, will also enhance the non-heme iron bioavailability and absorption.
What to Look for When Purchasing a Vitamin C Supplement
You should be educated to make your choice of vitamin C supplement. Nature-made Vitamin C comes in different shapes and forms depending on your preferred form, where it has tablets, softgels, as well as caplets.
And if you prefer something a bit more flavorful, nature-made also has Vitamin C Gummies with tasty tangerine flavor.
For overall immune support, ‘Nature Made Wellblends ImmuneMAX Gummies’ contain Vitamin C in a 3-in-1 formula along with immune support nutrients Vitamin D3 and Zinc.
And if you’re looking for a tasty means of providing your kids with a good amount of Vitamin C, Kids First Vitamin C Gummies provide 125 mg of Vitamin C per delectable-tasting serving!
Wrapping Up
Taking Vitamin C is beneficial, of course, and by this, it being in the system would surely do a lot of good, but then, is there a time frame for this? How long then?
It is more than safe to say this absorbic acid stays in the system for about two hours and is not just lazying around, as it helps with the immune system’s strengthening, cell and tissue repair, and even iron absorption.
