Vitamin C, found naturally in many fruits and vegetables, is needed for the growth and repair of tissues and because our body does do not store vitamin C; we need to consume it on a regular basis. In fact, Humans and guinea pigs are the only mammals in the world that do not produce vitamin C themselves, which is why it is so important to ingest either via diet or supplementation.
We need vitamin C to make collagen – a protein that helps support tendons, ligaments and blood vessels and keeps the skin and other organs together. Vitamin C also improves the absorption of iron from plant-based foods and helps strengthen our immune system, protecting us from diseases. Vitamin C helps our energy levels by aiding in the production of dopamine in the nervous system. It also supports the adrenal function for increased metabolic energy and supports the liver in detoxifying the body. Vitamin C helps the body deal with stress by reducing the elevated levels of stress, hormones, and cortisol. Vitamin C also reduces the severity of cold symptoms and acts as an effective antihistamine that lessens the effects of the common cold, including inflammation, runny nose, and aches. It reduces the histamine level and often shortens the duration of the cold.
Citrus fruits such as oranges, grapefruit, and their juices, as well as red and green pepper and kiwi fruit, contain large amounts of vitamin C. Other fruits and vegetables, which contain significant quantities of vitamin C are broccoli, strawberries, cantaloupes, baked potatoes, and tomatoes.
Vitamin C is also widely available in the form of dietary supplements. It is available in tablets, capsules, drink mix packets and crystalline powder. Tablets and capsules range from 25mg to 1,500mg. A typical 150 lb. mammal produces about 15,000mg a day, yet the FDA recommends just 90mg a day for men and 75mg a day for women. Also, recent research studies have shown that vitamin C when taken at higher doses, than what the FDA recommends (we suggest 1000mg a day for either sex), plays a greater role in decreasing the chances of a fatal heart attack than blood cholesterol or dietary fat.
Vitamin C deficiency is rare because almost all the foods that we include in our diet contain some amount of vitamin C. Smoking cigarettes lowers the absorption of vitamin C, however, so smokers have a higher risk of vitamin C deficiency than nonsmokers. Symptoms of vitamin C deficiency include dry and splitting hair, inflammation or bleeding of the gums, rough, dry and scaly skin, easy bruising, and nosebleeds and decreased the ability to ward off infections. The most severe form of vitamin C deficiency is scurvy. Low levels of vitamin C may lead to high blood pressure, gallbladder disease, stroke, cancer and the build-up of plaque that can lead to heart attack and stroke. Make sure you eat enough Vitamin C foods to reduce the risk of developing any of these conditions.
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