Posted on 07/02/2025 4:16:46 PM PDT by ConservativeMind
The skin acts as the body's defense against external threats. However, as we age, the epidermis—the outermost layer of skin—gradually becomes thinner and loses its protective strength.
To combat aging's impact on skin, numerous studies have emphasized the benefits of vitamin C (VC).
Now, researchers have discovered VC helps thicken skin by directly activating genes that control skin cell growth and development. Their findings suggest that VC may restore skin function by reactivating genes essential for epidermal renewal.
To investigate how VC affects skin regeneration, the team used human epidermal equivalents and applied VC at 1.0 and 0.1 mM—concentrations comparable to those typically transported from the bloodstream into the epidermis. On assessing its effect, they found that VC-treated skin showed a thicker epidermal cell layer without significantly affecting the stratum corneum (the outer layer composed of dead cells) on day seven.
By day 14, the inner layer was even thicker, and the outer layer was found to be thinner, suggesting that VC promotes the formation and division of keratinocytes. Samples treated with VC showed increased cell proliferation, demonstrated by a higher number of Ki-67-positive cells—a protein marker present in the nucleus of actively dividing cells.
Importantly, the study revealed that VC helps skin cells grow by reactivating genes associated with cell proliferation. It does so by promoting the removal of methyl groups from DNA, in a process known as DNA demethylation.
When DNA is methylated, methyl groups attach to cytosine bases, which can prevent the DNA from being transcribed or read, thereby suppressing gene activity. Conversely, by promoting DNA demethylation, VC promotes gene expression and helps cells to grow, multiply, and differentiate.
The researchers further identified over 10,138 hypomethylated differentially methylated regions in VC-treated skin and observed a 1.6- to 75.2-fold increase in the expression of 12 key proliferation-related genes.
(Excerpt) Read more at medicalxpress.com ...
Although it’s not mentioned, a sustained release vitamin C might provide advantages. We take a sustained vitamin C with 500 mg, each day, with our collagen.
Makes sense because scurvy causes cutaneous lesions.
I’ve taken Vitamin C every morning for tmany years. Had a sick little boy and Dr told me to give him C. fixed him fast.
I’ve been taking C since then, 1000 mg per day. Just last year, my MD asked me to take a cologard test. Flunked it. Bizarre. Went home and looked it up on Web MD and they said too much C could give you a false positive. Took only 500 mg for a few months, went back to MD, test was fine. told him what I did and he gave me a huge grin. H’e’s the one who told me about WebMD in the first place.
And btw, I’ve lived here 18 years and had one cold about 9 years ago.
I take about 6000 Vit C over the course of a day...can’t say it has helped, but then maybe my skin would be REALLY bad if I did not take that much.
Not as much fun as oranges but...cabbage has lots of vit C. Red has more than green, raw more than cooked.
Good to know! Thank you.
People tell me I need to be more thick-skinned. Maybe I should try it. 😯
Have you tried eating raw red cabbage?
If I did that, my belly would be Tangled Up & Blue!
Some folks would have no problem with such a meal.
Raw broccoli or cauliflower, I could deal with.
Damn it! Another pill I’m going to have to take every day. My pill case can only hold so much!
My father-in-law was pretty thick skinned, but that’s another story….
Some days I’m thick as a brick.
So I guess the vitamin c has worked its way all the way through me.
I couldn’t get in my own car, it smelled so bad. I decided to STOP taking it, and it was like flipping a switch. No more gas (except for what had previously been normal). Presently, I take a multivitamin with no problems.
Some days I’m thick as a brick.
Really don’t mind if you sit this one out.
Yes. Put it in a blender, liquefy it, throw in an apple or carrots (whatever) for taste...beats Pepto, and it's very nutritious.
PS: I love broccoli but wouldn't dream of eating it raw. I steam it until it's almost soft.
This seems to be research on vitamin C serum that was applied topically. I wonder if taken orally would affect the skin as well.
“…concentrations comparable to those typically transported from the bloodstream into the epidermis.”
Liposomal vitamin C is the way to go. Fat soluble. Water soluble C is mostly pissed away.
thanks
bkmk
Which liposomal C do you take? TIA.
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