The Complexity of Living Cells

In the 17^th century scientists believed that living cells were simply filled with “juices” or a gelatinous-like substance called protoplasm (now known as cytoplasm). Even in the late 19^th century scientists, knowing significantly more than they did two hundred years earlier, still did not understand the complexity of living cells. But, with advances in microscopy and experimental methods, scientist eventually began to unveil the once hidden world of the living cell.

At this point you are probably wondering what this has to do with your nutrition. Well, fast forward hundreds of years and we know much more about both the living cell and the great complexity of the human body. Unsurprisingly, it is now obvious that we are not just biological vessels filled with a gelatinous substance, but rather are made up of trillions of living, functioning cells. And those living cells, contrary to popular belief of four hundred years ago, consist of a complex array of moving parts, including protein assembly operations, energy harvesting plants and transport systems.

As you can imagine, it takes a lot to keep the cellular factories in trillions of cells running, as well as fueling the many interactions of interconnected body systems. That is where your nutrition comes in. Of course, we all know that we need energy to keep moving about each day; energy in the form of food. But, looking a bit closer, we see that we need many nutrients, including minerals and vitamins, to keep our bodies functioning, including Vitamins B, C and D (as well as others). We will delve into vitamins B and D in a future article. For now, let’s investigate Vitamin C further.

Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is one of several critical vitamins for our body. Of the many functions of Vitamin C is the formation of collagen (as a cofactor for the lysyl and prolyl hydroxylase enzymes), one of the primary constituents of many connective tissues. Collagenous fibers, the most abundant type of fiber in the body, comprise a significant percentage of many connective tissues, including the skin, muscles, tendons, and ligaments. Aside from the obvious importance of muscles, tendons and ligaments, the skin, the largest organ in the body, is an important line of defense against foreign invaders such as bacteria and viruses.

In addition to its role in collagen production, Vitamin C plays an important role in other immune health functions, both as an effective antioxidant and as a cofactor for several biosynthetic and gene regulating enzymes. Further, another key role of Vitamin C is to help facilitate neutrophil migration. Neutrophils are a type of leukocyte, or white blood cell, that help defend against invasion from foreign organisms. Getting neutrophils to an infection site allows them to effectively gather (through phagocytosis) and destroy an offending invader. Finally, Vitamin C is a cofactor for two enzymes involved in carnitine biosynthesis, a molecule that is responsible for transport of fatty acids into cellular mitochondria, the energy factory of cells.

Interestingly, our bodies are incapable of creating Vitamin C due to a mutation in our GULO (gulonolactone oxidase) gene. So, we must acquire all of our Vitamin C through the food we eat, or through dietary supplements. Though many people may get enough Vitamin C through food, many others do not. In our hurry-up world it is not uncommon for our diets to suffer. In addition, intense exercise can affect our immune systems, as can smoking.

Eating a healthy diet and getting quality exercise is key for healthy nutrition levels. But, supplementing your diet with a Vitamin C dietary supplement like Seven Lake’s Bio-C Immune, can help you be sure you are getting the Vitamin C you need to keep you body and immune system healthy.