When you think of key nutrients for the body, where does your head go? Protein, vitamin D, omega-3 fatty acids, maybe magnesium… but what about vitamin C?
Vitamin C is a superstar for its roles in the body, but it’s often left in the shadows of other, more popular supplements.
Whether it’s immunity, skin health, bones, or protecting your cells, there’s quite an impressive list of benefits associated with this vitamin.
But like other supplements, figuring out what to take is one challenge; figuring out when to take them is a whole other. Morning, afternoon, night, with food, without—how are you to know?
Experimentation is one way; reading this article is another!
With so many benefits packed into a single dose, you’ll want to make sure you’re taking your vitamin C supplement at the right time so you can cash in on everything it has to offer.
Why Take Vitamin C
It’s always been touted as one of the best vitamins for immune function, and while that’s totally true, there’s a lot more to vitamin C than meets the eye.
#1—It Protects Your Cells
Vitamin C’s antioxidant properties give it some killer (literally) roles in the body.
Free radicals are produced as a natural byproduct of metabolic processes. Excessive levels of free radicals damage healthy cells and when not managed, lead to a state of oxidative stress; high oxidative stress is an underlying factor in developing all sorts of chronic diseases. But free radicals are also produced from environmental toxins, exercise, chemical exposure, X-rays, and more.
Free radical production is inevitable, and your body has natural defenses to combat them, but when your antioxidant defense system isn’t up to par, it can’t neutralize them, and they cause damage.
That’s where vitamin C comes in. Not only does it act as an antioxidant to reduce free radical damage, but it also plays a role in regenerating vitamin E 1, another potent antioxidant.
Studies show that increasing vitamin C consumption can increase blood antioxidant levels by up to 30%, which boosts the body’s natural defenses against inflammation 2.
#2—Keeps Your Connective Tissues Healthy
Your connective tissues—tendons, ligaments, cartilage, bone, skin, blood vessels—are the foundation of your body, and they require specific nutrients to regenerate, grow, and maintain health. Vitamin C is one of those nutrients.
It acts as a cofactor for proline and lysine hydroxylases that stabilize the collagen structure and promotes collagen gene expression 3.
Fibroblasts largely carry out collagen formation in the skin, which produces the generation of the basement membrane and dermal collagen matrix.
Vitamin C deficiency is associated with skin fragility and poor wound healing.
#3—Boosts Iron Absorption
For anyone that follows an entirely or largely plant-based diet, vitamin C is a requirement. Your body needs iron to function (it carries oxygen to your tissues), and vitamin C helps boost iron absorption.
Dietary iron comes in two forms: heme and non-heme. The former is native to animal foods, while the latter to plant foods.
The enhancing effect of vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is largely the result of its ability to reduce ferric to ferrous iron, but also because of its potential to chelate iron.
What’s also interesting is that vegetarian and vegan diets are high in anti-nutrients (compounds that interfere with absorption of minerals), and ascorbic acid helps to overcome the negative effect of these compounds (phytates, polyphenols, and the calcium and proteins in dairy products) on iron absorption 4.
By combining iron-rich plant foods with ascorbic acid, you can drastically improve iron’s absorption.
#4—Regulates Mood
The link between vitamin C and mood might come as a surprise, but it’s largely the result of its role in regulating neurotransmitter biosynthesis, including the catecholamines dopamine, norepinephrine, and epinephrine. It acts as a cofactor for the enzyme dopamine β-hydroxylase, which converts dopamine to norepinephrine 5.
Many people who are low in vitamin C often feel fatigued, have low mood, confusion, or anger, and studies find that higher vitamin C status is associated with improved overall mood.
#5—Supports Immune Function
One of the most common associations with vitamin C is immunity.
“Drink a glass of OJ when you’re sick to get your vitamin C”—it’s what you always hear. And the reason vitamin C is touted as such a powerful immune booster is because of its role in supporting many cellular functions of both the innate and adaptive immune system 6.
It also supports epithelial barrier function against pathogens and promotes the oxidant (free-radical) scavenging activity of the skin, thereby protecting the body against environmental oxidative stress.
When it comes to vitamin C’s role in the immune system, we’re not going to get into details, but there is no shortage of essential roles it plays.
When Is The Best Time To Take Vitamin C?
As an essential vitamin (i.e., it can’t be produced in the body and must come from diet or supplementation), along with being water-soluble, consuming adequate amounts of vitamin C daily isn’t up for debate. Whatever isn’t used is excreted, meaning if you don’t replace it, you don’t have it.
Like other supplements, when you take vitamin C is going to dictate how effective it is.
As a water-soluble vitamin, it doesn’t require fat and absorbs best when taken on an empty stomach. That means taking them before your first meal or 30 minutes before any other meal.
However, some people tend to be more sensitive to supplements without food, which can cause mild GI irritation; gas, bloating, and diarrhea are all common side effects of vitamin C supplementation, especially in high doses.
If you’re taking vitamin C on an empty stomach and experiencing diarrhea every time, chances are you’re taking too high a dose.
But because vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin and is excreted in urine, you don’t need to be concerned about potential toxicity, rather just the GI side effects.
Final Thoughts
If you’re investing time and money into taking supplements, you want to make sure they work.
And with something like vitamin C that offers such a powerful punch, when you take it can be the difference between it working and not.
So, if you want to gain everything vitamin C has to offer you, ideally take it on an empty stomach. If that’s not working for you, eat something small and try again.
References
- E Interaction of ascorbate and alpha-tocopherol. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1987;498:186-199.
- MK Kim, S Sasazuki, S Sasaki, S Okubo, M Hayashi, S Tsugane. Effect of five-year supplementation of vitamin C on serum vitamin C concentration and consumption of vegetables and fruits in middle-aged Japanese: a randomized controlled trial.J Am Coll Nutr. 2003;22(3):208-216.
- JM Pullar, AC Carr, MCM Vissers. The Roles of Vitamin C in Skin Health.Nutrients. 2017;9(8):866.
- R Hurrell, I Egli. Iron bioavailability and dietary reference values.Am J Clin Nutr. 2010;91(5):1461S-1467S.
- JM Pullar, AC Carr, SM Bozonet, MCM Vissers. High Vitamin C Status Is Associated with Elevated Mood in Male Tertiary Students. Antioxidants (Basel). 2018;7(7):91.
- AC Carr, S Maggini. Vitamin C and Immune Function.Nutrients. 2017;9(11):1211.
