Vitamin C and Stress

The highest concentration of vitamin C in the body is stored in the adrenal glands.
Vitamin C is utilized by the adrenal glands in the production of all of the adrenal hormones. When you are faced with a stressful situation, your vitamin C is rapidly used up in the production of the hormone cortisol and related stress-response hormones.

In adrenal fatigue, your adrenal glands "panic" when they don't have enough vitamin C available. This not only increases your immediate anxiety, but as this state of high cortisol is prolonged, it causes problems with  your blood sugar and blood pressure

Not only are you unable to cope with stress when don't get enough vitamin C, you are also weakening your immune system, and you become more vulnerable to illness, which then adds more stress demands to your adrenals.

Vitamin C stimulates the production of white blood cells (the infection fighters) and virus antibodies.

Smoking dramatically reduces the amount of Vitamin C in the body, and smokers are recommended to take between 25% and 50% more vitamin C than a non smoker.

Antidepressants, Contraceptive Pills and Alcohol also rapidly deplete Vitamin C storage so more should be taken in these cases also.

If we're not already on the 2 litres of water to supplement the Vitamin C, pop over to my hydration blog posts here.

Helen x