How to take vitamin C: check out usage tips for better absorption

Updated on 08/24/2023

Also known as ascorbic acid, vitamin C is one of the most well-known antioxidant vitamins among the general public. Therefore, it is important to know how to take vitamin C.

Vitamin C, absorbed by the body in the intestine, is used to its full potential. Because of this – and its many benefits – its consumption is highly encouraged.

It is also important to note that the human body cannot store vitamin C for a long time. Furthermore, research indicates that the life cycle of this vitamin in the body is approximately 10 to 20 days.

Therefore, it is highly recommended that this vitamin be ingested regularly, through food or multivitamin supplements, when applicable.

Want more information on how to take vitamin C, as well as discover all the benefits it can bring to your body?

So, stay with us and have a great read!

Vitamin C: what it is for and benefits

Before learning the best way to take vitamin C, it is important to know what it is used for, as well as its many benefits.

In general, vitamin C helps to strengthen the immune system and helps protect the body against colds and flu.

However, there are other important functions that rely on vitamin C for the full functioning of the body.

It also helps in the production of collagen . This protein, in turn, contributes to the regeneration and formation of the skin and helps in healing.

Other benefits associated with vitamin C that have been proven over time by science are:

• increases the bioavailability of iron, making it better absorbed;
• by helping in the production of collagen, it helps to maintain the elasticity and firmness of the skin.

Sem dúvida, é uma vitamina bastante completa e seu consumo regular só traz benefícios ao organismo. 

See also: Importance of vitamins for children

Read also: Benefits of vitamins for hair, nails and skin

Foods rich in vitamin C

Para saber como tomar vitamina C é fundamental conhecer quais são os alimentos ricos nessa vitamina e a melhor maneira de consumí-los. 

Believe it or not, there are foods that have more vitamin C than oranges. Want to know which ones? Then keep reading this article!

Análises químicas mostram que frutas como acerola, caju e até mesmo a goiaba têm porcentagens bem maiores de vitamina C do que a laranja. 

Agora, se essas frutas estão fora do seu gosto, existem alternativas alimentares que possuem ótimas quantidades de vitamina C também, como: limão, abacaxi; verduras, como espinafre, brócolis e rúcula; legumes, como pimentão, tomate, cenoura etc. 

How to make the most of vitamin C in food?

Agora que você já aprendeu o que é e como obter vitamina C, chegou o momento de conhecer dicas incríveis para aproveitar melhor essa vitamina nos alimentos. 

This way, its bioavailability can be increased and no nutrients, such as vitamins , will be lost during preparation, for example.

Check it out!

Avoid soaking food

It is recommended to open the fruit and consume it immediately, for example, so that there is no significant loss of certain nutrients, including vitamin C.

Cut food at the time of preparation

Um grande erro que muitos cometem é cortar os alimentos horas antes de, de fato, prepará-los e consumí-los. 

This is because, when cutting them too long in advance, the chance that nutrients will be lost is much greater.

After all, they will be exposed, even if kept refrigerated. Therefore, only cut the food when you are going to prepare it.

Cooking in water

Did you know that when you cook vegetables, a large part of the nutrients, including vitamin C, remain in the cooking water?

The best way to preserve as many nutrients as possible is to cook food in boiling water for a short time and then stop the cooking by placing it in a bowl of ice.

Além disso, após o cozimento, procure utilizar a água (caldo) para cozinhar um saboroso risoto, por exemplo, ou até mesmo uma deliciosa sopa. 

Prefer the pressure cooker

In a pressure cooker, food generally takes less time to cook, meaning there is less loss of nutrients.

Dessa forma, tanto vitaminas quanto minerais podem ser melhor aproveitados quando se opta por cozinhar alimentos na panela de pressão. 

Inclusive, alimentos no vapor também são ótimas opções, pois quase não há perda de sais minerais e/ou vitaminas. 

Juices: immediate consumption

Essa é uma dica de avó que cabe muito bem aqui: quando fizer algum suco da fruta, consuma-o imediatamente. 

One of the reasons is the amount of oxygen that enters the juice, which leads to a significant loss of vitamin C, especially when the food is crushed.

Além disso, caso o suco não possa ser consumido na hora, procure colocá-lo em garrafas escuras, pois, segundo a literatura científica, a vitamina C se deteriora à luz.  

Recommended amount of vitamin C

The recommended amount of vitamin C is established by the guidelines set out in the Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI).

In fact, it takes into account a few aspects. Because of this, it was concluded that men require 90 mg/day of vitamin C; while women need 75 mg/day.

Porém, é importante mencionar que alguns grupos de pessoas demandam uma quantidade maior de vitamina C, como fumantes, por exemplo. 

Inclusive, existem outras situações que exigem uma reposição de vitamina C, como cirurgias, amamentação, diarreia, resfriados etc. 

So, how do you take vitamin C? Main questions

If you've come this far, you've certainly learned more about vitamin C and can now strengthen your body.

No entanto, existem algumas dúvidas que são bastante frequentes sobre este assunto. 

Because of this, we have listed the main questions and their respective answers so that you don't leave this article with any questions. Let's go!

When is the right time to take vitamin C?

Não existe, na verdade, uma “hora certa” para tomar vitamina C. Isso porque, tudo depende da sua rotina e dos hábitos que está construindo. 

No entanto, o recomendado é que ela seja ingerida antes do almoço (ou até mesmo pela manhã), justamente para facilitar a absorção de ferro dos alimentos, entre outras vantagens. 

Is it good to take vitamin C every day?

Without a doubt. Vitamin C, as mentioned in previous topics, cannot be stored in the human body.

For this reason, its regular and daily consumption is highly encouraged, but within the recommendations. After all, both a lack and an excess can be harmful to your health.

How to take vitamin C capsules?

Se a sua pergunta for: “como tomar cápsulas de vitamina C?”, a resposta é bastante simples: com água. 

How to supplement vitamin C?

Antes de qualquer coisa é fundamental lembrarmos que a suplementação de vitamina C deve ser um recurso complementar à refeição e nunca substituí-la. 

However, on certain occasions, even to help strengthen the immune system, a higher dose of this vitamin may be required, especially in cases of vitamin C deficiency .

Nestas situações, é indispensável uma consulta personalizada com um médico e/ou nutricionista. 

After all, these are the professionals best qualified to determine the recommended dose of vitamin C for each case, specifically.

In addition, another point that should be observed is the choice of vitamin and mineral supplement. This is because it is recommended that it comes from a reliable source.

Here, at União Química, you can count on quality products that will promote greater well-being and quality of life.

Visit our website and discover the best vitamin supplement Bio-C Zinc !

Conclusion

In today's content, you learned how to take vitamin C, what it is for and what are the main benefits of this antioxidant vitamin for the body.

Além disso, foi capaz de conferir dicas incríveis que farão com que os nutrientes dos alimentos que você consome durem por um tempo maior. 

Finally, you also saw that, in certain cases, there will be a need for supplementation, because, with the rush of everyday life, we can hardly maintain a healthy diet.

To do this, you can count on the quality of União Química products, a company that puts the patient first and is constantly evolving to always guarantee quality of life and well-being.

To continue learning, visit the União Química blog and don't miss any news.

Sources

• Rede D'Or Group
• SciElo: Revista de Nutrição – DRI: commented note of the new nutritional recommendations for dietary antioxidants