When most people think of Vitamin C, they instantly picture oranges, lemons, and that familiar go-to remedy for colds and flu. But there’s so much more to this powerhouse nutrient than immune support. Vitamin C plays a vital role in overall health and wellbeing — from strengthening the immune system and neutralising free radicals to helping your body combat oxidative stress. It’s also one of the most effective nutrients for stimulating collagen production, supporting healthier skin, joints, and connective tissue. In short, Vitamin C is a multitasking essential your body can’t do without.
Vitamin C comes in several forms — the most common being ascorbic acid, calcium ascorbate, and sodium ascorbate. While ascorbic acid is widely used for its potency, its acidic nature can cause digestive discomfort for some, especially when taken in higher doses.
Sodium ascorbate, however, offers a gentler and more effective solution. This buffered, non-acidic form of Vitamin C is much easier on the stomach, making it ideal for those with sensitivities or those looking to take Vitamin C daily.
Vitamin C is classed as an essential vitamin — meaning your body cannot produce it on its own. It must be obtained daily through your diet or supplements. And because it’s a water-soluble vitamin, your body doesn’t store it for future use. Instead, any excess is naturally excreted, making regular daily intake crucial for maintaining optimal levels.
What are the benefits of taking Vitamin C?
As mentioned, Vitamin C is an essential nutrient with a wide range of health benefits that go far beyond just supporting the immune system. From cellular protection to skin vitality, here are some of the most significant and science-backed reasons to include Vitamin C in your daily routine:
1. It boosts the immune system
Vitamin C is a key player in immune defense. It supports the function of white blood cells — your body’s frontline defenders — by enhancing their production, protecting them from damage, and helping them perform more effectively. It also facilitates better communication between immune cells, promoting a faster, more coordinated response to illness and infection. Regular intake can help reduce the severity and duration of common colds and support recovery during illness or stress.
2. It’s a potent antioxidant
Vitamin C is one of the most powerful natural antioxidants. Antioxidants help neutralise free radicals — unstable molecules that can damage cells and tissues through a process called oxidative stress. This damage contributes to inflammation, premature ageing, and the development of chronic conditions such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain cancers. By scavenging these free radicals, Vitamin C helps protect your cells, reduce inflammation, and maintain healthy, youthful-looking skin.
3. It supports collagen production
Collagen is the body’s most abundant protein — essential for the health of skin, joints, cartilage, bones, teeth, and blood vessels. Vitamin C is a co-factor in the collagen synthesis process, meaning your body can’t effectively produce or maintain collagen without it. As we age, natural collagen production declines, leading to wrinkles, weaker joints, and slower wound healing. A consistent intake of Vitamin C helps promote firmer skin, stronger nails, better joint integrity, and quicker tissue repair after injury.
4. It enhances iron absorption
Iron is vital for forming haemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen around the body. There are two types of iron: heme iron (from animal products) and non-heme iron (from plant-based foods like spinach, lentils, and chickpeas). While heme iron is readily absorbed, non-heme iron isn’t — making it more difficult for vegetarians and vegans to maintain healthy iron levels. Vitamin C significantly improves the absorption of non-heme iron, helping prevent iron deficiency anaemia and supporting energy production and cognitive function.
5. It helps the body adapt to heat stress
Vitamin C acts as a natural anti-histamine and has been shown to help the body cope better in hot conditions. Research suggests that as little as 500mg per day can reduce the risk and severity of heat-related conditions like prickly heat (heat rash). It can also shorten the time it takes your body to adjust to higher temperatures — a process known as heat acclimatisation. This makes it especially valuable for athletes, travellers, or anyone exposed to hot environments for prolonged periods.
6. It supports brain and nervous system health
Vitamin C plays a protective role in the brain, helping to regenerate neurotransmitters like dopamine and norepinephrine, which are essential for mood, focus, and memory. It’s also involved in the synthesis of myelin, the insulating layer around nerves that ensures efficient communication between the brain and body. Low levels of Vitamin C have even been linked to increased feelings of fatigue, brain fog, and low mood.
7. It promotes faster recovery and wound healing
Due to its role in collagen synthesis, antioxidant activity, and immune support, Vitamin C contributes to faster wound healing and tissue repair. Whether it’s recovering from exercise, injury, or illness, this vitamin helps your body bounce back more efficiently.
In summary, Vitamin C is a true multitasker — essential for daily wellbeing, skin health, immune defense, and protection from the inside out. Because it isn’t produced or stored by the body, making sure you’re getting a consistent, bioavailable source every day is one of the simplest yet most effective ways to support your health.
What are good food sources of Vitamin C?
Oranges may get all the credit, but Vitamin C is found in far more than just citrus fruits — and in some cases, vegetables pack an even bigger punch. Including a variety of these foods in your diet is one of the most natural ways to keep your Vitamin C levels topped up.
Vegetables
Surprisingly, many vegetables contain more Vitamin C per gram than fruit. Some of the most nutrient-rich options include:
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Red and green peppers – Bright, crunchy, and absolutely loaded with Vitamin C (red peppers, in particular, top the charts).
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Broccoli and Brussels sprouts – These cruciferous veggies are not only rich in fiber and antioxidants, but also high in Vitamin C.
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Cauliflower – Another cruciferous veggie with a solid dose of this essential vitamin.
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Tomatoes – Whether raw or cooked, tomatoes are a great everyday source of Vitamin C.
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Leafy greens – Vegetables like kale, spinach, cabbage, and turnip greens are all excellent plant-based sources, especially when eaten raw or lightly steamed to preserve nutrients.
Fruits
While citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and grapefruits are well-known for their Vitamin C content, there’s a wider fruity world worth exploring:
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Kiwi fruit – Small but mighty, kiwi is one of the richest fruit sources of Vitamin C.
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Guava – Just one guava can give you more than double the recommended daily intake.
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Strawberries – A delicious way to boost your Vitamin C, whether fresh or frozen.
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Papaya – A tropical favourite that delivers a strong Vitamin C hit along with digestive enzymes.
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Pineapple, mango, cantaloupe, and watermelon – These hydrating fruits also contribute to your daily Vitamin C intake while supporting skin and immune health.
To get the most from these foods, enjoy them fresh and raw where possible — as Vitamin C is sensitive to heat and can be lost during cooking. If your diet falls short, or your body needs more (such as during stress, illness, or recovery), supplementation can help ensure you're getting enough of this vital nutrient.
What is the recommended daily intake of Vitamin C?
The UK Department of Health recommends that adults aged 19–64 should consume around 80mg of Vitamin C per day. While this amount is considered sufficient to prevent deficiency, it may not be optimal for supporting overall health, immunity, and recovery — especially in today’s demanding lifestyles.
Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin, meaning the body doesn’t store it — it must be replenished daily through food or supplements. While a balanced diet rich in fruit and vegetables provides a base level of Vitamin C, there are situations where higher doses can be beneficial.
Why 1000mg – and why choose Liposomal Vitamin C?
A daily dose of 1000mg of Vitamin C is widely recognised for its ability to support the immune system, fight fatigue, and protect the body against oxidative stress. But there’s a catch:
👉 The body can only absorb about 200mg of traditional Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) at a time. Anything beyond that is typically flushed out, limiting its effectiveness.
That’s where Liposomal Vitamin C makes all the difference.
Unlike regular forms, liposomal Vitamin C is encapsulated in microscopic fat bubbles (liposomes) that:
- Protect the Vitamin C through the digestive tract
- Improve absorption into the bloodstream
- Deliver more of the active nutrient directly into cells where it's needed
In short, 1000mg of Liposomal Vitamin C gives you a far more effective dose, ensuring you get the full benefit — rather than it going to waste.
Why skin loves Vitamin C too
Vitamin C is essential for healthy, glowing skin. It fuels collagen production, the protein that keeps skin firm, elastic, and youthful. It also helps brighten skin tone, fade pigmentation, and protect against environmental damage caused by UV rays and pollution. When taken consistently, a high-absorption dose like liposomal Vitamin C can visibly support skin texture, hydration, and radiance from the inside out.
🕒 When is a higher dose of Vitamin C beneficial?
While 80mg per day is the official guideline, there are many real-life scenarios where your body demands much more — especially when your immune system, energy levels, or skin health are under pressure. Here’s when upping your Vitamin C intake (especially in a high-absorption form like liposomal) can make a noticeable difference:
🤧 During colds, flu, or viral infections
Vitamin C helps reduce the severity and duration of illnesses by boosting immune cell activity, enhancing the body’s defense response, and supporting faster recovery.
🧘♀️ In times of physical or emotional stress
Stress depletes Vitamin C rapidly — and your adrenal glands actually use it to produce stress hormones like cortisol. Supplementing helps buffer the impact of stress and maintain balance.
💆♀️ For healthy, radiant skin
Vitamin C is essential for collagen production, which keeps skin firm, smooth, and youthful. It also helps protect against UV damage, dullness, and premature ageing by neutralising free radicals. If your skin is looking tired, dry, or uneven, a higher dose can support noticeable improvement from within.
✈️ When travelling or exposed to pollution
Air travel and urban pollution can stress the immune system and increase oxidative damage. Vitamin C provides antioxidant protection to help your body cope with environmental aggressors.
🚴 After intense physical activity
Whether you're working out, training, or just constantly on your feet, Vitamin C supports muscle recovery, reduces inflammation, and helps repair micro-tears through its role in tissue regeneration.
🏥 During recovery from illness, surgery, or injury
Your body uses up more Vitamin C during healing. It helps rebuild damaged tissues, supports the immune system, and promotes faster wound healing and tissue repair.
🚬 If you smoke or are exposed to second-hand smoke
Smoking significantly reduces Vitamin C levels in the body. A higher dose helps replenish lost nutrients and protect cells from toxin-related oxidative stress.
👵 As you age
Ageing naturally reduces the body’s ability to absorb and retain nutrients. A higher dose supports healthy ageing by protecting against cellular damage, maintaining collagen levels, and keeping both immunity and energy levels robust.
💼 Busy, high-demand lifestyles
If you're constantly on the go, skipping meals, or relying on processed foods, it’s easy to fall short of your daily Vitamin C needs. A supplement can help fill the gaps, keeping your body and mind performing at their best.
Are there any side effects of taking too much Vitamin C?
Well, too much of anything can be bad, even in the case of a super nutrient like vitamin C. However your body will dispose of any vitamin C is does not use. Taking too much vitamin C, such as more than 1000mg per day may cause diarrhoea, stomach pains, nausea, and bloating, mostly associated with ascorbic acid’ which is more acidic. However, taking vitamin C in the form of Liposomal non acidic sodium ascorbate can minimisee this effect.
What Should I Know about Vitamin C Supplements?
Vitamin C supplements can play an important role in bridging the gap between what we consume and what the body needs. Vitamin C is highly unstable and therefore easily destroyed during food processing and preparation. It also doesn’t help that, due to modern farming methods, the nutrients in our foods have declined drastically. This is where a good supplement comes in.
Liposomal Vitamin C, utilises an advanced deliver system whereby the Vitamin C is wrapped in bubble like micro-spheres, suspended in a liquid form. Once ingested the liposomes protect the Vitamin C from harsh digestive processes and are easily absorbed and transported into cells. Liposomes are made from the same membrane material, Phosphatidylcholine (PT), which our own cells' walls are made from. The body recognises the liposomes as being something the body needs, which is why it is easily accepted into the body for better and faster absorption.
When should I take Vitamin C?
How often should you take Vitamin C? The short answer: It depends. Vitamin C is water soluble, which means that your body can't store it like fat soluble vitamins (A, D, E and K). So when you ingest vitamin C in excess amounts your body will excrete any excess into your urine.
It is suggested that the best way to take Vitamin C, is little and often, say two or three times in the day, rather than in all one go. However this is not always convenient. Liposomal delivery mechanisms will help extend the Vitamin C.
The best time to take Vitamin C is in the morning and on an empty stomach 30 - 45 minutes before having your breakfast.
