Vitamin C

by Talia Henderson |

Rev-up your immune system for summertime! Vitamin C is an essential nutrient that, unlike other mammals, the human body cannot produce on its own. It is important to get your daily intake to maintain a healthy and happy lifestyle.

A little bit of history: Vitamin C was used to treat skin conditions and wounds, scurvy (a disease caused by vitamin C deficiency), high blood pressure and male infertility. Jacques Cartier, an established explorer, curiously noted that his sailors who had digested oranges, limes and berries did not get scurvy. In 1742, James Lind, a British doctor, was the first person to establish that there was a definite connection between the diet and scurvy.

Many plants today regarded as weeds were eaten in the past to supplement a poor diet, and some of these, such as goosegrass (Galium aparine), were rich in vitamin C and would have helped prevent scurvy. In the Native American tradition, cranberries, now known to be a rich source of vitamin C, were also used to prevent and treat scurvy. Various types of cranberries were eaten raw in the summer and dried for winter use.

Help rid summer allergies naturally! Essentially used for its anti-oxidant power, vitamin C can help the body rid itself of pollutants, allergens or drugs. It can protect your body from free radicals, which may cause heart disease and cancer. Vitamin C is also important because it helps protect the fat-soluble vitamins A and E as well as fatty acids from oxidation.

Anti-oxidants help protect against bruising by strengthening the capillary walls, which means vitamin C is great for your skin! It is responsible for the formation, maintenance and repair of collagen, the substance that forms and repairs the foundation of skin, ligaments, cartilage, vertebral discs, joint linings, capillary walls, and the bones and teeth. Topical creams and lotions containing Vitamin C can be absorbed through the skin. They may also protect against UVA and UVB damage such as redness, formation of abnormal cells and immunosuppression, an illness that reduces the activation or efficacy of the immune system.

Fruits and vegetables should be included in your daily diet to make sure you get enough of this ascorbic acid. Fruits and vegetable with vitamin C content include berries, citrus fruits and green vegetables. Here is a short list:

Good sources include asparagus, avocados, beet greens, black currants, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cantaloupe, collards, dandelion greens, dulse, grapefruit, kale, lemons, mangos, mustard greens, onions, oranges, papayas, green peas, sweet peppers, persimmons, pineapple, radishes, rose hips, spinach, strawberries, Swiss chard, tomatoes, turnip greens and watercress.

Although there are supplements available for your daily intake of vitamin C, the best way for your body to absorb this nutrient is naturally, through foods. Vitamin C is the most unstable and easily destroyed vitamin. Oxygen and high temperatures diminish it, thus cooking your fruits and vegetables can reduce your intake of it. Cooking is a chemical process that changes the molecular structure of the food, thus it is best to eat foods high in vitamin C content raw or uncooked.

Daily intake depends on the individual; the governments recommended daily allowance (RDA) is 60 mg daily for the average man and woman. Contact a nutritionist or natural Health Care provider for a personal consultation. 

References:

1. 1. www.health911.com/remedies/rem_bruis.htm
2.  www.health-care-clinic.org/vitamins/vitamin-c.html
3.  www.rawhealing.com/whyraw.html
4.  www.skincareguide.ca/365skincaretips.html
5. www.globalhealthandfitness.com
6. edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/fy/fy21500.pdf
7. students.depaul.edu/~svonk/linkfour.html
8. Hatfield, Gabrielle. Encyclopedia of Folk Medicine; Old World and New World Traditions. 2004.