ABC’s continued – Vitamin C’s got a lot to offer

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Vitamin C is great for colds and flu 

And that’s about the extent of most of our knowledge of this substance, but there is actually a lot more to it. We’ll take a look at the benefits of this vitamin, as well as the dangers associated with too much and too little. It is also important to talk about the best sources of Vitamin C 

The orange is not the knight in shining armor we all thought it was! 

Vitamin C is also known as ascorbic acid and while it is indeed found in oranges, this citrus fruit is by no means the only one to contain it and in fact there are others that contain far more.

Blackcurrants are an unsung vitamin C hero 

Vitamin C probably gained its first historical mention of note as a help in the dreaded disease of scurvy. This condition was prevalent amongst sailors during the 1400s – 1700s until the benefits of Vitamin C were properly discovered.  

Popeye knew what he was on about when he suggested spinach 

Fresh vegetables such as spinach, cauliflower, lettuce and green peppers as well as all citrus fruits, are rich in Vitamin C.  

Guavas are another particularly good source and contains your daily requirement of 200 milligrams of Vitamin C in 100 gram portions 

Pregnant women and asthmatics usually require more Vitamin C as it helps with the construction of the muscle greatly needed by both of these conditions. Smokers and those that drink more than two units of alcohol a day will also require more vitamin C as these substances lower its levels in our bodies.  

Vitamin C, like its counterparts, has scores of benefits for the human body.  Not least of these is the prevention of scurvy. But there are others worth mentioning: 

• It’s a great antioxidant and is used in a number of metabolic processes such as tissue and muscle generation and repair
• It can help protect against the negative impact of pollution
• As most of us know, its great for colds and flus and in actual fact reducestheimpact of symptoms associated with these conditions
• Its antioxidant properties mean that its great in the fight against cancer
• It’s also a big help towards the prevention of cataracts (so make sure you eat those carrots!)
• It’s even thought to be great for Parkinson’s – again this is due to its ability to assist in building muscle and tissue

But like all things – moderation is the key.  

It’s not advisable to take too much Vitamin C.  

Many people simply pop a Vitamin C pill hoping that it will rid their body of all evils and this is not the best idea. It is likely that constant recommendation of the substance for anything from a cold to a sore toe could be the reason for overdosing. 

Research conducted by the University of California in 2000, suggested that people who took a supplement everyday were more than twice as likely to hasten the progression of the thickening of the carotid artery.  It is important to note though that these supplements were taken in addition to having a healthy diet (which contains the daily Vitamin C requirement).  

The moral of the story – don’t pop pills if you can get in your daily diet! 

To support this assertion, it was also found that synthetic vitamins can cause deficiencies as they don’t always interact chemically with other substances as they would in a natural environment.  It is therefore important then to make sure that you don’t exceed your daily requirement of 200mg and don’t always pop a vitamin C tablet as they are typically 1000mg! 

Make sure that you eat a balanced diet and only take Vitamin C in supplements on the advice of your health practitioner

Tagged with: antioxidant • ascorbic acid • colds and flu • scurvy • vitamin c

Filed under: health • immune system

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