Vitamin C Day 2024 (US): Explore its Interesting Facts and History

Vitamin C Day 2024 (US): We celebrate Vitamin C Day to highlight the importance of vitamin C in maintaining good health. Each year, it typically falls on April 4th. Vitamin C benefits include boosting the immune system, promoting collagen production for healthy skin, and acting as an antioxidant to protect cells from damage.

This day reminds us of these benefits. People can observe this day by sharing information about vitamin C, incorporating vitamin C-rich foods into their diet, or taking supplements if needed.

Vitamin C Day: History

We know that vitamin C has several health benefits, but National Vitamin C Day came into existence only recently. In 2019, SkinCeuticals, a skincare line, created Vitamin C Day. We aimed to generate awareness around vitamin C. A research breakthrough was also celebrated on the day. SkinCeuticals established parameters that enable the skin to receive antioxidants in vitamin C effectively. The findings demonstrated the benefits of topically applying vitamin C to the skin.

Health experts determined much before its official discovery in 1932 that citrus fruits could effectively prevent scurvy, a debilitating disease that claimed the lives of millions of sailors from 1500 to 1800. People have been loading up on vitamin C for a long time. Double Nobel Laureate Linus Pauling championed daily super doses of oranges to prevent the common cold in the 1970s. He correctly assessed its efficacy but missed the mark in his daily recommended dosage—12 to 24 oranges daily!

Water dissolves Vitamin C, also known as ‘ascorbic acid’. Our tissues retain it but the body doesn’t store it well. Scientists recommend a daily intake of 90 mg of vitamin C for men above 19 years and 75 mg for women to avoid overdosing. The powerful antioxidant is Vitamin C. It heals wounds and controls infection. Among others, collagen production is also one of its responsibilities — a crucial structural protein found throughout the connective tissues in our body.

Collagen gives our body structure and added strength by holding it together. Some of the best natural sources of vitamin C are already in our pantries and kitchen shelves. Stock up on citrus fruits like lemon, oranges, and grapefruit that have a ton of vitamin C. Tomatoes, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, white potatoes, and bell peppers are other excellent sources.

Lupus Alert Day 2024: Activities, Facts, and FAQs

Vitamin C Day: FAQs

Is taking daily vitamin C good for you?

A daily intake of vitamin C reduces several health issues. You need to include vitamin C in your daily diet because the body cannot store it. Most people usually consume sufficient amounts of vitamin C in their daily diets.

What is the recommended daily amount of vitamin C?

Ideally, adults aged 19 to 64 should consume 65 to 90 milligrams (mg) of vitamin C per day.

Which is better: eating an orange or taking vitamin C?

An orange is better to eat than popping a vitamin C supplement. The mix of antioxidants in vitamin C becomes much more effective when they are together—they stay that way in an orange. Vitamin C pills do not have this effect.

Sea buckthorn berries will blow your mind with these 5 facts

Sea Buckthorn Berry has at least eight times more vitamin C than oranges.
The ancient Greeks fed sea buckthorn leaves to their horses to make their coats shinier, calling the berry ‘Hippophae rhamnoides’ or ‘shiny horse’.
Russian astronauts use sea buckthorn oil to heal radiation burns caused during reentry into the Earth’s atmosphere.
Before ingesting, combining these extremely sour berries with some form of sugar is best.
Sea buckthorn oil contains all four omega-3 fatty acids—omega-3, omega-6, omega-7, and omega-9—making it one of the only plant foods to do so.