A lot of people have taken vitamin C at some stage in their life, but how much do you really know about ths commonly used vitamin.
Well to start with there is a good chance that the vitamin C you may have taken, was in the form of synthetic ascorbic acid which is a low-cost, manufactured mimic of food-state vitamin C. Non food-state ascorbic acid is made via a chemical laboratory process and therefore doesn't contain the co-factors and bio-markers that food-state vitamin C does. It is far better to take a natural food-state vitamin C because it has no chemical tag-alongs, and because of its bio-markers and co-factors, the body naturally recognises, assimilates and utilises the nutrient more readily.
A Few Facts About Vitamin C
Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin
The human body cannot synthesise its own vitamin C therefore it must be acquired from the diet
Only very small amounts of vitamin C are stored in the body therefore it is necessary to ingest vitamin C on a regular basis for good health
Vitamin C is an unstable vitamin that is sensitive to heat and light, and is easily lost during cooking of foods, making it more readily available in raw foods
Vitamin C is almost non-existent in animal foods. The highest food sources of vitamin C are fruits and vegetables
Vitamin C is an important co-factor for transformation and utilisation of many of the other vitamins
Vitamin C plays a role in hundreds of metabolic processes in the body
What Increases the Need for Vitamin C?
Alcohol consumption
Smoking
Stress
Viruses
Infections
Heavy metal contamination
Taking of pharmaceutical medications
Exposure to toxins
What is Vitamin C Good For?
Vitamin C promotes collagen production which maintains healthy skin and blood vessels, and effective wound healing
Vitamin C is important for good adrenal health
Vitamin C promotes healthy gums
Vitamin C improves immunity
Vitamin C is a good anti-oxidant i.e it assists in "mopping up" free-radicals in the body that cause tissue damage
Vitamin C aids detoxification
Vitamin C aids the metabolism and conversion of other nutrients, such as tryptophan and tyrosine, into "feel good" neurotransmitters that are important for mental and emotional well-being
Vitamin C is good for cardiovascular health issues such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and atherosclerosis
Vitamin C may assist in relieving constipation. Higher dosages of vitamin C can cause the stools to become loose
Good Food Sources of Vitamin C
Amla, acerola cherries, citrus, berries, quavas, persimmons, kiwifruit, capsicum, tomatoes, broccoli, onions, leafy greens, peas, brussel sprouts, cabbage, parsley and sprouted seeds.
If the dietary sources of vitamin C are inadequate or the body's vitamin C requirements are increased due to contributing factors as mentioned previously, Power of Nature recommends either of these two all natural food-state Vitamin C supplements: Premier Research Labs Premier Vitamin C capsules or Lifestream Organic Vitamin C powder
