Can Taking Vitamin C Help You Lose Weight?

How Can Vitamin C Help You Lose Weight?

Having trouble losing weight? Maybe you need to eat more oranges. Studies have shown that a lack of vitamin C can make losing weight more difficult.

And around 40% of people are regularly consuming less than the recommended daily vitamin C intake.

When you’re trying to lose weight, it is important to give your body the nutritional support it needs to stay healthy and energized.

So fill your healthy eating plan with lots of fresh citrus, along with other nutritious fruits and vegetables.

By making sure you get enough vitamin C, your body will function more efficiently, helping you to burn more fat through your exercise plan.

Vitamin C Weight Loss Studies

The importance of getting enough vitamin C isn’t so much that it will help you to lose weight- but rather that not getting enough can make it harder to lose weight.

A scientific study published in 2005 by the Journal of the American College of Nutrition showed that vitamin C deficiency can slow down body fat loss, and that people who eat more vitamin C have a lower body mass index (BMI).

A study conducted at the Arizona State University found that individuals who had an adequate amount of vitamin C in their diet were able to burn 30% more fat during moderate exercise than those who were consuming insufficient amounts.

Not only that, too little vitamin C in the bloodstream has been shown to correlate with higher levels of body fat.

So making sure you receive the recommended daily intake of vitamin C can help to support your weight loss efforts, giving your body the best chance to burn fat quickly and effectively through your fitness plan.

See Also: List of Healthy Foods High in Potassium Content

How Can Vitamin C Cause Weight Loss?

The answer to that question is very simple. Without vitamin C, there is no L-carnitine.

In addition to the amino acids lysine and methionine, the presence of L-carnitine in the body is associated with the content of vitamin C.

Its deficiency reduces the synthesis of L-carnitine, resulting in increased blood triglycerides, physical weakness and other symptoms significant for vitamin C deficiency.

The earliest symptom of vitamin C deficiency – fatigue, is associated with reduced synthesis of L-carnitine.

In addition, L-carnitine is necessary for the transport of fatty acids into the mitochondria where their oxidation takes place. This is how L-carnitine can contribute to the weight loss process – fat loss!

It is also important to point out that it does not encourage increased fat consumption. If there is not enough L-carnitine, fats are not used to create energy, but are increasingly deposited in adipose tissue.

In addition to the above link between vitamin C and L-carnitine, research has shown that vitamin C promotes weight loss in other ways.

Namely, it participates in the secretion of growth hormone, and thanks to it, during our sleep, the process of breaking down fat and converting it into energy takes place. This is why we feel rested in the morning.

Also, vitamin C improves the utilization of iron which is crucial in the process of making red blood cells, transporting oxygen to the cells, and this whole process is necessary for burning fat.

See Also: 10 Fat Burning Foods

The RDA for Vitamin C

It is suggested that women should consume around 75mg of vitamin C each day, and men should aim for around 90mg.

Luckily, there are plenty of delicious fruits and vegetables that are rich in vitamin C, giving you plenty of variety and flavour.

Foods Naturally High in Vitamin C

A balanced diet rich in vitamins and nutrients allows you to get the most out of the foods you consume. This is important when you are trying to restrict the amount of calories.

To get enough vitamin C in your diet, it is important to fill up on lots of fresh fruits and vegetables.

There are plenty of fruits and vegetables that are high in vitamin C, and some that will give you the complete daily amount in one serving.

Some of the best vitamin C-rich fruits and vegetables are:

Adding more of these into your diet is a good way to make sure you are getting the required amount of vitamin C each day.

But make sure you’re not losing vitamin C when cooking vegetables. Up to 60% of vitamin C is destroyed by heat. So it is a good idea to eat fruits and vegetables raw as much as possible.

If you do need to cook your vegetables, try to use less water, so that you conserve more of the nutrients while heating.

Remember that balance is the key to healthy weight loss. Eating a varied, nutritious diet, combined with regular exercise is the best way to shed excess weight.

Support your body with the vitamin C and other essential nutrients it needs and you will be able to reach your weight loss goals more efficiently.