 |
| |
Important facts you should know about Vitamin C : |
||
|
Chemical Name and Definition: Ascorbic Acid
Vitamin C is a water-soluble, heat- & light- sensitive multi-functional vitamin that is an essential element necessary for normal cell growth, cell development and a healthy metabolism. Any heat above140°F will destroy vitamin C in liquid form. Therefore any canned food or pasteurized juices (heated over 175°F) contain zero vitamin C, until added after cooling, which is hard to do w/ canned or bottled vacuum sealed containers. Can the human body store vitamin C and build a reserve for ”bad” times…? No! The human body does not manufacture vitamin C on its own, nor is it capable of storing it! Therefore it is very important to include plenty (>300 mg) of vitamin C- containing foods or dietary supplements with your daily diet. Medical studies showed, that in 10-18 hrs from the time of intake, the human body “used” (metabolized) the majority of the registered amount of the vitamin C; the “unused” will be eliminated /excreted with the regular human waste. Furthermore, these studies showed that in “stressful situations” (mental and/or physical) the human metabolism is able to metabolize more than triple the amount of “normally needed” vitamin C. Function: Vitamin C is required for the growth and repair of tissues in all parts of your body! It is necessary to form collagen, an important protein used to make skin, scar tissue, tendons, ligaments, and blood vessels. Vitamin C is essential for the healing of wounds, and for the repair and maintenance of cartilage, bones, and teeth. Vitamin C offers a wide range of support for the human body. It is an antioxidant and a free radical scavenger. Vitamin C can also help reduce the damage to body cells caused by toxic chemicals, cigarette smoke and industrial pollutants. Here is a fact for cigarette smokers: The body uses an average of 80 mg vitamin C to break down the chemical compounds from the inhaled smoke of one cigarette. These results show that cigarette smokers should increase their daily vitamin C intake adequately to their smoking habit to prevent/ counteract developing vitamin C deficiencies and possible developing health-disorders. The build up of toxic by-products (free radicals) over time is largely responsible for the pre-aging process, and can contribute to the development of various health- disorders such as different cancers, heart disease, high blood pressure, and a host of inflammatory conditions like arthritis, rheumatism, colitis, etc. Vitamin C aids in the absorption of iron and the formation of red blood cells and converts folic acid to other active compounds. It has histamine lowering properties and can reduce allergic reactions (asthma or general allergies), increases lymphocyte formation of B & T-cells to strengthen the autoimmune system to fight health disorders, incl. secondary infections from viral intrusions and is also required for the synthesis of carnitine (occurs in the liver, skeletal muscle) and steroids. Vitamin C supports the body's defense system by enhancing white blood cell function and activity, and increasing interferon levels, antibody responses, and secretion of thymic and thyroidal hormones to regulate protein synthesis and carbohydrate metabolism, which otherwise could generate obese conditions ! Vitamin C may also help neutralize nitrites (potentially cancer-causing preservatives found in foods such as hot dogs and lunch meats) and nitrates (found naturally in drinking water and some vegetables). Vitamin C Deficiency: Vitamin C deficiency can lead to a long list of health-disorders like…gingivitis (inflammation of the gums) and bleeding gums, rough, dry, and scaly skin; a decreased wound-healing rate, easy bruising [contusion] often seen on elderly persons with extended hermorrhages beneath the skin, nosebleeds, weakened enamel of the teeth, swollen and painful joints, anemia, decreased ability to ward off infection, and weight gain because of a slowed metabolic rate and energy expenditure. A severe form of vitamin C deficiency is known as “scurvy” , which mainly affects older, malnourished adults and is noticed by spongy and bleeding gums, easy bruising (contusions) on extremities like hands, arms, legs & mostly visible as larger areas of dark purple blotches, which represent the bursting & bleeding (hemorrhaging) of millions & millions of tiny blood vessels under the skin, due to weakened cell-walls from the lack of vitamin C. Food Source of Vitamin C: All raw [non-heated] fruits and vegetables contain some amount of vitamin C. Foods with the highest sources of vitamin C as listed here in a numeric order include: 1. green bell peppers; 2. citrus fruits; 3. fresh, non-pasteurized juices; 4. strawberries; 5. tomatoes; 6. broccoli; 7. turnip greens and other leafy greens. Other good sources include papaya, mango, watermelon, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, cabbage, winter squash, red peppers, raspberries, blueberries, cranberries, and the last but not the least…fresh pineapple. Side Effects: Due to its water solubility, vitamin C is regularly excreted by the body, therefore a standardized “toxicity” was never established. Amounts greater than 3,000 mg/ day, however, are “not recommended” by the FDA as such dosage might cause gastrointestinal irritation (heartburn). A control group of individuals like busdrivers, flight attandents, controllers, etc. took up to 7,000 mg vitamin C daily for a month during the flu-season, being exposed daily to coughing & sneezing people. They experienced no side effects whatsoever and never had to “call in sick” once. Obviously the vitamin C strengthened their autoimmune system to fight off the by the flu-virus induced secondary infections! |
| NEXT PAGE |
|
|
WebSiteCenter.com