Vitamin C affects a person’s skin elasticity, immune health, and cardiovascular function. It can help an elderly person to fend off illnesses. In addition, this important vitamin can help your elderly loved one to improve their overall fitness and health. These are just some of the reasons why your elderly loved one should strive to get the recommended daily intake of vitamin C. Home care services aides can help them with this goal.
Still not sure about the importance of this vitamin? Keep reading to learn more about how vitamin C can benefit your elderly loved one.
Enhancing Immune Health
Studies show that a person’s immune system often gets weaker as they age. This means that the elderly population is at a higher risk of contracting a disease, the flu, or even the common cold. A few other important things your elderly loved one should know about vitamin C and immune health include the following:
- Vitamin C enhances the production of white blood cells which help fight diseases and infections
- This vitamin provides a person with antioxidant protection which helps to shield white blood cells from free radicals
- Vitamin C often helps to speed up the process of recovery
Your elderly loved one can get vitamin C from certain foods such as citrus foods and tomato juice. They can also purchase vitamin C supplements in pharmacies or from a store. However, as a family caregiver, it is important to remember that your elderly loved one may not remember to get enough vitamin C. You or home care services providers may need to remind them to do so.
Reducing Oxidative Stress
Many studies have shown that a vitamin C deficiency can cause oxidative stress. This type of stress can speed up the aging process. It can cause wrinkled skin, clog arteries, and create severe medical issues. In most cases, oxidative stress is caused by free radicals that appear when a person isn’t getting enough vitamin C. The best thing an elderly person can do to help reduce oxidative stress is to consume antioxidants. One way to do this is by making sure they are eating enough foods with Vitamin C in them. If needed, you or home care services providers can remind your elderly loved one what foods are best for this purpose.
Boosting Cardiovascular Health
Many studies show that vitamin C improves heart health, lowers blood pressure, and decreases bad cholesterol. For these reasons, as a family caregiver, it is essential to encourage your elderly loved one to get their daily dose of vitamin C. If you can do this, your elderly loved one will have better overall heart health. They will be able to prevent many heart health issues, as well.
Importance of Vitamin C and Home Care Services
There are many reasons why a person needs to get enough vitamin C. Perhaps, the most important one is that this vitamin will decrease their odds of getting a disease. It will also boost your elderly loved one’s overall health. Your elderly loved one may need reminders to get more vitamin C in their diet. Between you and home care services providers, your elderly loved one should be able to get the reminders they need.
Sources: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3783921
If you or a family member are in need of hiring Home Care Services in Massapequa NY, or the surrounding areas, contact the caring professionals at Star Multi Care Services today at (631)956-8835. We are the Right Choice for Home Health Care Services!
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