The most famous benefit of injecting vitamin C is that it can make the skin look whiter and brighter. Not only that, vitamin C injections are also claimed to be good for increasing endurance, so that the body is more fit and does not get sick easily. Medically, are the benefits of vitamin C injections proven true?
In certain conditions, injections of vitamin C do have benefits. But behind that, there are also dangers that lurk, especially if vitamin C injections are given for the wrong purpose and in excessive doses.
Therefore, before deciding to get a vitamin C injection, you should first understand what are the benefits of vitamin C injections and the risks.
What is Vitamin C Injection?
Vitamin C or ascorbic acid is one of the important nutrients the body needs to strengthen the immune system, prevent cell damage, form collagen, and speed up the wound healing process.
Intake of vitamin C into the body can actually be obtained easily through various foods rich in vitamin C or additional vitamin C supplements.
However, sometimes, a person may also need vitamin C injections when he or she is deficient or deficient in vitamin C, for example due to an unhealthy diet, extreme diet, or impaired digestive function.
In addition, vitamin C injections are sometimes also used for various reasons, from increasing the immune system, caring for the skin, to supporting cancer treatment.
There are several methods of injecting vitamin C into the body, namely through muscle, fat tissue under the skin, or through a blood vessel, for example through an IV. This procedure should ideally be performed by a trained doctor or nurse.
In adults, the average daily dose of vitamin C that can be given by injection is about 50–150 mg. Meanwhile, for people with vitamin C deficiency or scurvy, the doctor may give injections of vitamin C in higher doses, which is around 100-300 mg.
Various Benefits of Vitamin C Injections and the fact
Here are the various claims for the benefits of vitamin C injections and medical facts:
1 Mincrease endurance
Vitamin C injections are quite common with the aim of strengthening the immune system. In fact, it is true that vitamin C has a major role in keeping the body's immune system strong, as well as counteracting the effects of free radicals that can trigger various diseases.
However, the benefits of vitamin C can actually be obtained through a healthy diet or the use of additional vitamin C supplements. So, injections of vitamin C do not need to be done by everyone, especially in healthy people.
On the other hand, vitamin C injections may be recommended for people who have certain health problems, such as scurvy or vitamin C deficiency, cancer, or impaired absorption of vitamin C.
2. Help treat skin
Vitamin C is one type of antioxidant that functions to maintain healthy skin. Vitamin C is also known to protect the skin from damage caused by exposure to ultraviolet rays, brighten the skin, reduce and prevent signs of aging, to improve skin texture.
You can get these benefits through the consumption of fruits and vegetables rich in vitamin C and the use of various skin care products skincare containing this vitamin, such as a face cream or serum.
Meanwhile, for injecting vitamin C, the benefits for the health and beauty of human skin are still unclear and continue to be investigated further.
3. Helps overcome vitamin C deficiency
The next benefit of vitamin C injections is to help overcome vitamin C deficiency or deficiency.
Vitamin C deficiency can usually cause sufferers to experience several symptoms, such as bleeding gums, fatigue, joint pain, loose teeth, wounds that are difficult to heal, and the appearance of red spots or bruises on the skin.
In addition, vitamin C injections can also be given to patients who are at risk for vitamin C deficiency due to certain diseases, such as HIV infection, cancer, whooping cough, pneumonia, diphtheria, sinusitis, tuberculosis, or rheumatic fever.
4. Helps the formation of collagen
Vitamin C injections are also useful for supporting the formation of collagen and repair of body tissues. Collagen is a protein that plays an important role in supporting the strength and structure of body tissues, such as skin, muscles, connective tissue, tendons, and bones.
Lack of vitamin C can damage the structure of collagen so that it can cause several symptoms, such as easy bruising, joint pain, and wounds that do not heal. Lack of collagen can also make the skin look dull, dry and wrinkled, and age faster.
5. Help treat cancer
One of the claims of the benefits of injecting vitamin C is that it can support the effectiveness of cancer treatment and reduce the side effects of chemotherapy drugs. Injections of high doses of vitamin C are also considered to inhibit and prevent the growth of cancer cells.
However, the potential benefits of injecting vitamin C on this one are still being studied further. What is clear, until now, vitamin C has not been proven to treat cancer.
Dangers of Vitamin C Injections and Their Side Effects
Common side effects of vitamin C injections are pain and swelling around the injection site, nausea, and headaches. Moreover, if injections of vitamin C are given in high doses, this can cause more serious side effects, such as diarrhea, impaired kidney function, and the formation of kidney stones.
Therefore, if you want to get a vitamin C injection, be sure to consult a doctor first so that you can consider all the potential risks.
In addition, because the injection of vitamin C is also not known for certain whether it can harm the fetus or have an impact on reproductive ability, pregnant women are not recommended to inject vitamin C without a doctor's advice.
So that the benefits of vitamin C injections are obtained optimally, make sure that vitamin C injections are carried out by a doctor or medical professional under the supervision of a doctor. This is also important to prevent the occurrence of side effects or dangers of vitamin C injections that may be fatal.