Why Do We Need Vitamin C?

What does Vitamin C do?
Vitamin C is an antioxidant and can protect your body from free radicals, which may cause heart disease and cancer.
Vitamin C is responsible for producing collagen. Collagen is present in your muscles and bones. It is responsible for holding the cells together.
Vitamin C helps your immune system. It helps you heal from scrapes and bruises.
Vitamin C also keeps your gums healthy. People with lack of Vitamin C often develop black, swollen gums otherwise known as scurvy.

Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin, otherwise known as ascorbic acid. Vitamin C is responsible for many functions in your body.
People who do not consume enough Vitamin C often develop the following symptoms:

Swollen Gums (Gingivitis)

Wounds that don't heal

Easy bruising

Bleeding Gums

Dry and splitting hair

Rough, dry and scaly skin

Nosebleed

Swollen and painful joints

Weakened tooth enamel

Anemia

Decreased ability to fight infection

Possible weight gain because of slowed metabolism

 

If you consume too much Vitamin C, it may not be harmful. Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin therefore excess amount is excreted in your urine. But it can develop symptoms such as kidney stones and diarrhea because it is an acid.

The average (nonsmoking) person should consume 60 mg of Vitamin C per day. This can be found in 3/4 cup of orange juice. People who smoke need more Vitamin C than others. Their requirement is 100 mg a day.

You can obtain Vitamin C from citrus fruits such as oranges, tangerines, strawberries, guava and grapefruits. You can also obtain a significant amount from tomatoes, peppers, broccoli, and even potatoes. Other excellent sources include papaya, kiwi, mango, watermelon, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, cabbage, winter squash, red peppers, raspberries, blueberries, cranberries, and pineapples.

Vitamin C is good for protecting your body. For vegetarians it is even healthier. When combined with iron, iron becomes more absorbable allowing an increased iron intake.

Blueberries

Always remember, it’s better to consume fresh the “Vitamin C” food listed above. However due to lifestyle and hectic schedules, many of us rely on supplement. Listed below are 2 recommended Vitamin C supplement:

Vitamin C absorbtion

-Divide your doses. More frequent doses will supply a continuous amount to your body. High doses of vitamin C can cause diarrhea and irritate the digestive tract; dividing doses helps avoid these symptoms.

-Take vitamin C with vitamins E and A. They work synergistically, which means they are more effective when taken together than when taken separately.

-Quit smoking or cut back on cigarette use. Smoking depletes your body of vitamin C.

-Reduce alcohol consumption if you are a heavy drinker. Alcohol depletes your body of vitamin C.