I love my dog, he is an awesome rottweiler. He is so awesome that he does make his own vitamin C. And yet, Davey is a dog and he identifies as one. Meanwhile in la la land, a ton of Americans are treating their pets like babies and children. They are not tiny humans, they are animals. This is particularly relevant when it comes to nutrition. What a human needs to be healthy is often quite different from what an animal needs. For humans veganism is sub-0ptimal and that might be fine for you, but it could kill your cat.
Most vertebrate species, like dogs and cats, possess a functioning enzyme that is able to convert gulono-1,4-lactone to ascorbic acid. But not all vertebrates have a functional enzyme at this final step. Most primates, including humans, do not. Neither do bats, guinea pigs, or teleost fish (which constitute 96% of all fish species). So, your dog and cat will be fine without vitamin C in their diet. You, have to get your vitamin C from daily food and supplement intake.
The basic info boils down as follows, take your multivitamin (Legit’s mulit is a great choice) and eat a healthy variety of foods everyday and you will get the vitamin C you need. Personally, my supplementation goes further with two servings of 500mg time release vitamin C daily in addition to my diet and multi.
Let’s take a quick look at some of the benefits of C to get us in the mood to take a little more…
1) Linked to memory and thought process. Low vitamin C levels have been linked to an increased risk of memory and thinking disorders like dementia, while a high intake of vitamin C from foods and supplements has been shown to have a protective effect.
2) Helps with the immune system. Vitamin C may boost immunity by helping white blood cells function more effectively, strengthening your skin’s defense system, and helping wounds heal faster.
3) Vegetarian alert… helps with iron absorption. Vitamin C can improve the absorption of iron that is poorly absorbed, such as iron from meat-free sources. It may also reduce the risk of iron deficiency.
4) Lowers heart disease and high blood pressure risk. Vitamin C supplements have been linked to a reduced risk of heart disease. These supplements may lower heart disease risk factors, including high blood levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol and triglycerides.
5) Reduce risk of chronic disease. Vitamin C is a strong antioxidant that can boost your blood antioxidant levels. This may help reduce the risk of chronic diseases of the vital organs.
Myths and/0r yet to be proven facts… Although vitamin C has many proven benefits, it has not been shown to prevent the common cold, reduce cancer risk, protect against eye diseases, or treat lead toxicity.
The final breakdown…
Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin that must be obtained from the diet or supplements.
It has been linked to many impressive health benefits, such as boosting antioxidant levels, lowering blood pressure, protecting against gout attacks, improving iron absorption, boosting immunity, and reducing heart disease and dementia risk.
Overall, vitamin C supplements are an effective and simple way to boost your vitamin C intake if you struggle to get enough from your diet.
Take care of yourself and your pets, Stay Healthy & Stay Legit.
Strictly opinion and not medical advice. Consult your doctor, pharmacist and/or nutritionist before starting/stopping any supplement or exercise program.
