Here Are Five Things You Need to Know About Vitamin C

Throughout the pandemic and the new normal, anxieties and worries about the unknown invaded our homes. To cope, many Filipinos turned to things they can rely on to at least curb the fear and worry surrounding the virus.

Of our many coping mechanisms—from quarantine baking and Tiktok video chains to ube cheese pandesal and dalgona coffee—one of things that we turned to for reliable protection and support is vitamin C. With the risk of contracting the virus increasing each day and with no one sure cure for the illness, our only bastion of protection is good health and a strong immune system. And when it comes to building a strong and healthy immune system that will help protect us and our families from harmful illnesses, viruses, and even with daily effects of stress, vitamin C is what you can rely on together with proper diet and healthy lifestyle.

Despite the growing health concerns, however, a huge percentage of Filipinos still lack the daily recommended nutritional intake to fortify their immunity. In 2020, 87.3% of Filipino working adults were reported to be getting inadequate amount of ascorbic acid. And what’s more worrying is that vitamin deficiency is often associated with poor immunity and a higher risk of getting infected by illnesses and serious diseases like pneumonia.

But what really makes this vitamin so essential? What are the various ways to increase our intake? Here are some of the important facts and information you need to know about Vitamin C and how it can help protect you and your family.

Vitamin C helps protect and heal

What makes vitamin C such a phenomenal nutrient is that it boosts the immune system, which helps protect your body from infections. As a strong antioxidant it also helps fight free radicals, which contributes to preventing certain cancers and heart diseases. 

Apart from protection, vitamin C also helps delivers healing. Before antibiotics, vitamin C was the go-to for curing various diseases due to its ability to regenerate collagen in the bones, joints, and the skin, speeding up healing and recovery.

Vitamin C helps promote healthy aging

Aging is a fact of life, and while we cannot do anything to prevent it, we can do so much so that we can age better and well—part of which is to supplement with vitamin C.

As we get older, it is more challenging for various nerve cells to protect themselves against free radicals. And when free radicals get out of control, cells get damaged faster than they can be repaired, contributing to an increased risk for illnesses like cancers and heart diseases.

The good news is that Vitamin C is such a powerful antioxidant that regular intake can help protect our nerve cells and improve cognitive functions even as we age. 

Vitamin C can be found in foods aside from citrus fruits

So, where can we actually get our recommended daily vitamin C needs?

When we need vitamin C, one of the very first things that comes to mind is citrus fruits—lemons, oranges, and dalandan. While it is true that citrus fruits have good ascorbic acid content, higher concentration of the vitamin can actually be found in other food sources.

For instance, one green chili pepper can provide 55% more vitamin C compared to a medium-sized orange. Guavas are also phenomenally loaded with vitamin C, and has twice the amount of vitamin C. There are also other great sources of Vitamin C such as broccoli, kale, parsley, thyme, lychee, papaya, and more.

This is why taking vitamin C supplements such as Ascorbic acid (Cecon) is also very helpful, so that we can keep our vitamin C in optimum levels when we don’t get enough from the food that we eat. 

Vitamin C is a daily effort because our bodies cannot store this vitamin

Although vitamin C is extremely crucial and essential to many bodily functions, the human body does not have the ability to produce and store vitamin C. This nutrient cannot be stored and will be flushed out of our system within 24 hours.

In these challenging times when we have to deal with mounting health risks, it’s even more important to eat better and build a good habit of taking vitamin C daily.

Abbott highlights the importance of supplementing a healthy diet and active lifestyle with the intake of Vitamin C; and understands that with the increased health risks around, Filipinos need to be more aware of the role of daily Vitamin C intake in supporting immunity.

Ascorbic Acid (Cecon) Vitamin C Day

To further strengthen the conversation on the importance of vitamin C and maintaining good daily habits, Abbott Philippines launched the very first Ascorbic Acid (Cecon) Vitamin C day on May 2, 2021. This event shed light further on the importance of regular vitamin C intake for helping improve overall health and immunity and showcase how Filipinos can fulfill their daily Vitamin C needs easily through Cecon products along with proper diet and a healthy lifestyle.

The Ascorbic Acid (Cecon) Vitamin C day was led by Abbott and leading influencers in the Philippines, including super mom Bianca Gonzales-Intal, Patrick Garcia, and Kristine Hermosa-Sotto.

Ascorbic acid (Cecon) has a full range of products that helps address the Vitamin C needs of each family member. For kids, there’s Ascorbic Acid (Cecon Junior) 100mg, non-acidic chewable tablet. For adults, supplement daily with Ascorbic Acid (Cecon) 500mg, non-acidic chewable tablet together with proper diet and exercise. For added protection, there’s the Multivitamins+Zinc (Cecon Plus), fortified with 750mg Vitamin C, Zinc, B-complex, and more.

Cecon range of products is available in leading drugstores nationwide, and online via Abbott official page in Lazada and Shopee. 

If symptoms persist, consult your doctor. ASC reference code: A102P051421CS