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If You're Missing This Key Nutrient, You're Aging Way Faster

Taz Bhatia, M.D.
Author:
October 23, 2017
Taz Bhatia, M.D.
Integrative Medicine Doctor
By Taz Bhatia, M.D.
Integrative Medicine Doctor
Dr. Taz Bhatia is a board-certified physician, specializing in integrative and emergency medicine, pediatrics and prevention, with expertise in women’s health, weight-loss, hormone balance and nutrition. She attended Emory University, the University of Georgia and the Medical College of Georgia.
Photo by Darren Muir
October 23, 2017

With all the fountain-of-youth fads around, most people don’t think to look at the plain old goodness of vitamin C, but getting enough of this nutrient is a powerful way to put yourself on the fast track to slow aging. Most people underestimate it, but vitamin C deficiency can cause rapidly increasing signs and conditions of aging. Plus, humans cannot manufacture large amounts of vitamin C on their own. Signs of deficiency include easy bruising, low iron levels, and bleeding gums. Consider the following benefits of vitamin C.

1. It rejuvenates your skin.

Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that clears toxins out of your body to keep you looking youthful. This nutrient also helps your body produce collagen, an amino acid that forms connective fibers necessary for healthy, radiant skin.

2. It strengthens your immune system.

Lack of vitamin C also hits your immune system hard because it is the main nutrient that helps keep your body’s disease-fighting antibodies up and battling viral and bacterial infections so you recover faster.

3. It kills cancer cells.

High doses of vitamin C have been shown to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors, according to recent research1.

4. It reduces brain fog.

Another benefit of vitamin C is that it boosts amino acids that improve mental clarity.

What are the best food sources of vitamin C?

It's easy to get your daily vitamin C from the right foods such as citrus fruits including oranges, limes, lemons, and grapefruits and other fruits such as strawberries, kiwifruit, pineapple, cantaloupe, raspberries, and papaya. When you're looking to citrus for your vitamin C, remember to use the zest and flesh, as peels contain five to 10 times more vitamins than the fruit itself.

When you're looking to citrus for your vitamin C, remember to use the zest and flesh, as peels contain five to ten times more vitamins than the fruit itself.

You can also get vitamin C in leafy greens, red and orange bell peppers, carrots, and summer and winter squash. If you want to front-load your day with a vitamin-C-packed smoothie, this is a great one to try.

How you know when it's time to supplement

I recommend that you aim to get two grams or 2,000 mg of vitamin C per day. I do add 2 to 3 grams of buffered ascorbic acid to my daily smoothies for an extra boost of vitamin C. Another option for supercharging this anti-aging nutrient is to make an appointment for an IV infusion. I do many IV vitamin C infusions in my practice to help quickly build up your body’s disease- and inflammation-fighting system. Infusions can help reduce fatigue, illnesses, allergies, heart disease, and more. Many of my patients come for infusions who have chronic diseases or conditions, are preparing to travel, or as part of an anti-aging regimen.

Or you could just eat vitamin-packed pumpkin pie for breakfast! And remember, if you want to learn more about hormones and aging from Dr. Taz, be sure to check out mbg's new functional nutrition program!

Taz Bhatia, M.D.
Taz Bhatia, M.D.

Dr. Taz Bhatia is a board-certified physician, specializing in integrative and emergency medicine, pediatrics and prevention, with expertise in women’s health, weight-loss, hormone balance and nutrition. She attended Emory University, the University of Georgia and the Medical College of Georgia, and was a recipient of the Emily Gardner Award for Best Pediatric Resident in 2000. She is the author of the Superwoman RX and The 21-Day Belly Fix. Personal health challenges in her twenties combined with a broken health care system motivated Bhatia to pursue an alternative definition of health and healthy living. As a young resident, she was sick and without answers, and began searching for help to heal her health issues. Studying various systems of medicine including Chinese Medicine, Acupuncture and Ayurveda, she found a wealth of information not yet taught in conventional medical schools. It led her to opening her now nationally-recognized practice, CentreSpring MD (formerly Atlanta Center for Holistic and Integrative Medicine). Today, Bhatia and her team work relentlessly to find a patient’s core health problems, their centre, in order to spring them forth in health, pulling from multiple systems of medicine, including integrative, functional, Chinese and holistic medicine.

Read More About Taz Bhatia, M.D.

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Functional Nutrition Training

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More from the author:

Functional Nutrition Training

Check out Functional Nutrition Coaching

A cutting-edge nutrition deep dive taught by 20+ top health & wellness experts

Learn more
Taz Bhatia, M.D.
Taz Bhatia, M.D.

Dr. Taz Bhatia is a board-certified physician, specializing in integrative and emergency medicine, pediatrics and prevention, with expertise in women’s health, weight-loss, hormone balance and nutrition. She attended Emory University, the University of Georgia and the Medical College of Georgia, and was a recipient of the Emily Gardner Award for Best Pediatric Resident in 2000. She is the author of the Superwoman RX and The 21-Day Belly Fix. Personal health challenges in her twenties combined with a broken health care system motivated Bhatia to pursue an alternative definition of health and healthy living. As a young resident, she was sick and without answers, and began searching for help to heal her health issues. Studying various systems of medicine including Chinese Medicine, Acupuncture and Ayurveda, she found a wealth of information not yet taught in conventional medical schools. It led her to opening her now nationally-recognized practice, CentreSpring MD (formerly Atlanta Center for Holistic and Integrative Medicine). Today, Bhatia and her team work relentlessly to find a patient’s core health problems, their centre, in order to spring them forth in health, pulling from multiple systems of medicine, including integrative, functional, Chinese and holistic medicine.

Read More About Taz Bhatia, M.D.

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