Description: Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin. Vitamin C prevents the oldest known
disease of nutrient deficiency: scurvy. Another name for vitamin C, ascorbic acid,
literally means "without scurvy." Vitamin C is well absorbed, but the amount absorbed
decreases with increasing dosages. Maximum absorption is obtained from multiple small
doses throughout the day. Vitamin C is destroyed with cooking or improper storage and
handling of food. There is no evidence that natural forms of supplemental vitamin C,
such as rose hips or acerola berries, are better absorbed or used by the body than
synthetic vitamin C.
Use: Vitamin C is an antioxidant that protects the watery areas of the
body from free radicals, which are compounds associated with many degenerative diseases,
such as heart disease, cancer, and premature aging.
- Vitamin C is essential for making collagen, protein found in connective tissue,
skin, bone, teeth, and other parts of the body; collagen holds tissues together.
- Vitamin C helps maintain vitamin E levels in the body.
- Iron absorption is improved with vitamin C.
- Scurvy is the classic deficiency disease.
How much do I need? The Daily Value for vitamin C is 60mg.
- Cigarette smoking deletes the body of vitamin C, which is why the RDA for smokers
is 100mg.
- Although scurvy is prevented with just 10mg. of vitamin C daily, vitamin C needs
are much higher during physical or emotional stress, infection, illness, and use of
oral contraceptives.
- The body's tissues are saturated with vitamin C at daily intakes of 200mg.
- Optimal intake of vitamin C might be much higher than the Daily Value; some health
experts recommend that adults consume daily between 250mg. and 1,000mg. of
vitamin C.
Is it safe? Vitamin C is reportedly non-toxic even at high doses, since
excesses are excreted in the urine.
- Some children and sensitive adults can experience nausea, diarrhea, and stomach
cramping with high intakes of vitamin C.
- Vitamin C might aggravate kidney stone formation in individuals with kidney disease,
although this remains unclear.
- Very high intakes of vitamin C can produce false positive result on glucose tolerance
test for diabetes.
What foods are good sources? Excellent sources of vitamin C are citrus fruits,
such as oranges, grapefruit, tangerines, and lemons.
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