Vitamin C Oranges and orange juice, red and green peppers, strawberries, blackcurrants, kiwi, broccoli, brussels sprouts, potatoes ↑ collagen synthesis and protects cell membranes from damage caused by free radicals; ↑ keratinocyte differentiation; ↑ lipid synthesis; ↑ fibroblast proliferation and migration
Proliferation, function, and movement of neutrophils, monocytes and phagocytes; ↑ NK cell activities and chemotaxis
↑ Phagocytosis and ROS generation; ↑ microbial killing
↑ Apoptosis and clearance of spent neutrophils from sites of infection by macrophages
↓ Extracellular trap (NET) formation, ↓ tissue damage
↑ Antimicrobial effects; ↑ serum levels of complement proteins
Maintains redox homeostasis within cells and protects against ROS and RNS during oxidative burst; regenerates other important antioxidants, such as glutathione and vitamin E, to their active state; modulates cytokine production and ↓ histamine levels
Roles in production, differentiation, and proliferation of T cells, particularly cytotoxic T cells; ↑ proliferation of lymphocytes, ↑ generation of antibodies [79, 85, 92, 95, 120]