Vitamin C, needed for normal growth and development, is well-known for its immune-strengthening properties. However, most of its benefits are often overlooked. Vitamin C plays a much more critical role in the entrepreneur’s long-term health plan. Whether you prefer capsules, tablets, gummies, or good old-fashioned orange juice, vitamin C should be a part of your daily routine.
You are an entrepreneur. You work tirelessly day after day. Sleep becomes something of the past and different days of the week begin to become one. Fatigue sets in while cognition and immune health begin to struggle. Eventually, work gets the best of you and you are down for the count. Work begins to pile up, your to-do list grows, and you become overwhelmed. Weaker, slower, and more ineffective, you are at a complete loss. Vitamin C can help you go the distance.
Vitamin C is the single most effective nutrient available to an entrepreneur. Offering immune, eye, skin, bone, lung, and brain health benefits along with improving cognition, it can provide you with the fuel necessary to combat infection, fatigue, and fire on all cylinders. Your brain consumes a lot of vitamin C. Studies between 1980 and 2017 have shown individuals with higher blood concentrations of vitamin C were more cognitively intact than individuals with lower vitamin C blood concentrations. In fact, vitamin C deficiencies have been shown to impair cognition. If you are looking to improve your ability to think clearer longer, increase your vitamin C intake.
This is, in part, because vitamin C helps your body absorb iron. Iron helps red blood cells carry oxygen from the lungs to the rest of your body, resulting in an increased amount of oxygen reaching your brain and improving cognitive processing. The benefits of vitamin C do not stop there. In fact, it is necessary for the biosynthesis of collagen. Collagen is part of the structural composition of blood vessels, tendons, ligaments, bones, and eyes. One of vitamin C’s most well-known benefits beyond its immune-strengthening properties is its antioxidant properties. It protects against oxidative stress that results in cellular damage. Oxidative stress can leave your body susceptible to pathogens, opening the floodgates and risking infection. It can also result in eye health issues, including cataracts, macular degeneration, and several other eye-specific diseases. Vitamin C acts as a free radical scavenger and helps to stop oxidative stress in its tracks.
If you do not want to supplement your days with capsules, tablets, gummies, or powders, there are plenty of vitamin C-rich foods you can work into your daily meals. Oranges, peppers, strawberries, blackcurrants, broccoli, and potatoes are all rich in vitamin C. Although megadosing vitamin C is common, it might not be worth it for you. According to Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health, the recommended daily amount of vitamin C for men is 90 mg and 75 mg for women. “Studies have shown that vitamin C absorption is reduced by 50% when taking amounts greater than 1000 mg.” Take vitamin C daily to make the most of your days as an entrepreneur. Always seek the advice of a trained medical professional before beginning any supplements.
