What is Vitamin C
Vitamin C is a nutrient that is effective at boosting the immune system, making it more equipped to fight the common cold and for other infections. Vitamin C has been proven to be effective against eye disease and skin wrinkles. Recent studies have shown that regular intake of Vitamin C can improve your lifespan.
The recommended daily intake for Vitamin C is set at between seventy-five to ninety milligrams which is very low. When fighting an infection, research shows that you need five hundred milligrams to make a dent on the infection. The most Vitamin C anyone should take is two thousand milligrams a day. It is important to keep taking Vitamin C because the body does not store it, it is expelled from the body rapidly.
Supplement Dosages
Vitamin C supplement dosages start at the five hundred level milligrams and go up to the one thousand milligrams. That is a lot higher than the daily recommended dosage - five to ten times more potent than needed. Most Vitamin C supplements are designed to be taken with other
vitamins and minerals such as zinc and Echinacea. Both also boost the immune system and support fighting off infections. Vitamin C supplements are normally used for those that a suffering from the common cold or the flu, and while it does not cure the cold and flu, it does
support the immune system to fight the cold and flu symptoms.
Food Sources
When we think of Vitamin C we automatically think oranges. What is surprising is that oranges are not the best source of Vitamin C. Believe it or not, yellow Bell Peppers are the highest source of Vitamin C! Vitamin C can be found in a wide variety of foods, from fruit varieties to vegetables. Citrus fruits like oranges, tomatoes, mandarins, lemons, limes and potatoes are a good source of Vitamin C. Green leafy vegetables such as broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower and spinach are also great sources of Vitamin C. Given such a wide variety of fruit and vegetables are abundant in Vitamin C, finding a good source of Vitamin C to add to your diet is fairly easy.
Effects
Vitamin C is important to a healthy immune system and as a result it is needed daily to help fight off a variety of diseases, including infections such as the cold and the flu. It also helps with regulating blood sugar, eye diseases, and the production of collagen which helps in slowing down the ageing process. Insulin helps Vitamin C and glucose get into the cells, so diabetics might not have enough Vitamin C in their blood.
People who take a Vitamin C when sick normally bounce back to health quickly and return to their lives faster than those that don’t. Those that take a
multivitamin on a regular basis get sick even less because their body has enough Vitamin C coming in to fight off infections and to support the body’s immune system on an ongoing basis. While taking a Vitamin C supplement might be easier for some, depending on your diet preferences, it is also very easy to get the daily recommended intake of Vitamin C directly from food as it is abundant in so many common fruits and vegetables.
Read More:
