Vitamin C, Essential for Tendon Health
Vitamin C is in charge of maintaining the structure of tendons
It is a popular belief that Vitamin C must be ingested, especially when suffering a cold or flu. But the truth is that this vitamin has plenty of beneficial effects for the body. One of these is related to our joints’ health.
Vitamin C is important in the formation of collagen, a protein that nurtures, reinforces and keeps united our body’s tissues. Therefore, we can affirm that it is in charge of maintaining the structure of tendons, ligaments, cartilage, bone and teeth. Tendons are mostly formed by type I collagen, an element that gives rigidity and resistance to traction when it is subjected to stress, and flexibility when it is bent, compressed, or twisted. Therefore, the fact of incorporating vitamin C into our daily diet stimulates the synthesization of collagen in our tendons, so that it keeps its biomechanical properties. Additionally, vitamin C favours iron absorption, a mineral necessary for the growth and repair of tissues that, coupled with oxygen, also form collagen. If this was not enough, this well-known vitamin has great antioxidant power as it partly blocks the damage caused by free radicals, thus becoming the main ally of the sportsperson subjected to a high degree of physical wear.
Main Functions
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- Intervenes in the formation of structures such as collagen, dentine, cartilage, and bone matrix.
- Favours haemostasis (coagulation mechanism) and the healing of wounds
- Intervenes in the body’s reaction to effort.
- Enhances iron absorption by the blood
- Helps to fight fatigue, weakness and lack of appetite.
- It has a protective effect over joints, specially tendons and muscles.
- It has antioxidant properties, delays aging and cellular damage.
- It is a natural anti-inflammatory and a good antidepressant.
C vitamin-rich Foods
- Orange, mandarin, lemon
- Kiwifruit, strawberry
- Tomato, pepper
- Parsley, Brussels sprouts, spinach
- Potatoes
Keep in mind
- The human body does not accumulate vitamin C. Therefore, there must be a daily ingestion of this vitamin.
- It is highly sensitive to light, temperature and oxygen in the air. An orange juice loses its vitamin C content 15 minutes after squeezing. Just like vegetables when we boil them, vitamin C is lost.
- Lack of C vitamin causes scurvy. The symptoms of this vitamin deficiency are, among others, tumefaction, bleeding gums, and joint ache.
- Symptoms of a lack of vitamin C are general fatigue, irritability, and joint ache.
