Vitamin C & Your Brain

Is a glass of orange juice or Vitamin C tablets your go-to when the sniffles come?

Imagine this: back in the 1970s, Linus Pauling, a two-time Nobel laureate, was a huge fan of Vitamin C. He was so convinced of its benefits that he recommended daily megadoses - that's the equivalent of 12 to 24 oranges! He believed this could help ward off colds and even more serious conditions.*

But Vitamin C isn't just a one-trick pony.

As brilliantly revealed by a Seminars in Preventive and Alternative Medicine review that examined 100+ studies over 10 years, this essential nutrient—it's 'essential' because your body cannot produce it on its own—is associated with a growing list of potential benefits.*¹

In fact, Mark Moyad, MD, MPH, a researcher at the University of Michigan, puts it this way:

"Vitamin C has received a great deal of attention, and with good reason. Higher blood levels of Vitamin C may be the ideal nutrition marker for overall health. The more we study Vitamin C, the better our understanding of how diverse it is in protecting our health."*

And he’s right.

As a powerful antioxidant, it's like a bodyguard for your cells, protecting them from free radicals—unstable molecules that can cause cell damage.*

Vitamin C may also be important for proper cognitive function.*

Many probably know how Vitamin C can support the immune system, especially during those nasty transitions from fall to winter when your body is under the most stress.*

However, Vitamin C can also be necessary for cognitive function, and studies have shown that there may be a link between Vitamin C levels and total recall and recognition.*^2,3

Nikolaj Travica, PhD., and his research team found that Vitamin C is a co-factor for the enzyme dopamine-beta-hydroxylase, assisting in the synthesis of the neurotransmitter norepinephrine. This indicates that it can play a crucial role in neurotransmission.*²

The same study also found a link between Vitamin C and energy production within neurons, as it helps synthesize carnitine, a molecule responsible for transporting fatty acids into mitochondria for oxidation.*

And guess what? Further research may have just uncovered a link between Vitamin C and improved memory and thinking processes.*

Higher levels of Vitamin C in the blood were associated with better performance on tasks involving attention, focus, working memory, decision speed, delayed and total recall, and recognition.*⁴

Move aside, oranges! There are plenty of other good Vitamin C sources.

But what happens when Vitamin C is not there, when there's a deficiency? All three brains (head, heart, gut) may suffer. Your entire brain system can struggle. A deficiency in Vitamin C can negatively affect not just your overall health, but also your cognitive health.*³

Luckily, getting your daily Vitamin C from your diet is not that difficult.

When people look for good Vitamin C sources, most think primarily of oranges. But this nutrient is actually quite abundant in lots of other foods—you're probably already eating on a regular basis.

The following foods contain more than 20% of the recommended daily value (DV) of Vitamin C:

Helpful tip: Tomatoes - a favorite garden veggie (or fruit, depending on personal opinion) provide about 17 mg of Vitamin C per serving. And, like most, you probably have a few preferred recipes to prepare tomatoes. But their versatility offers endless opportunities for culinary innovation. Take homemade tomato sauce. It will not only delight the taste buds (and earn admiration!) but can also boast a naturally low-fat, low-calorie profile, while serving as a fantastic source of dietary Vitamin C.

But what can you do when keeping perfectly balanced dietary habits is impossible?

While natural sources are indeed excellent sources of Vitamin C and other nutrients, there are instances where supplementation may be necessary.*

For example, individuals who have a higher requirement for this neuro-nutrient, such as pregnant women, smokers, and those working under constant tension & pressure.*⁵

At HCF®, we specialize in advanced nootropics that go beyond merely supplementing your diet with additional Vitamin C (particularly when dietary intake falls short or when individual nutritional needs are unique).*

Our focus is on a holistic approach that not only nourishes the Head [1st Brain] but also benefits the entire head-heart-gut axis (all three ‘Emotional Centers’—Mental, Emotional & Physical) to promote overall well-being.*