The Health Benefits of Vitamin C: Learn How to Protect Your Immune System With Healthy Food

The History of Vitamin C

The history of Vitamin C actually began over three hundred years ago when a British doctor treated sailors for scurvy. He discovered that limes and lemons helped the sailors. It wasn’t until the 1930’s that Vitamin C was isolated. Today, Vitamin C is known as an antioxidant that protects the immune system and helps rebuild vital tissues in the body. Recent studies indicate that Vitamin C may shorten the duration of a cold, protect against heart disease, and aid diabetics by regulating sugar levels in the blood. Because humans cannot manufacturer Vitamin C, foods containing the vitamin or vitamin supplements are essential.

The Chemical Makeup of Vitamin C

Vitamin C or ascorbic acid is a water-soluble vitamin. It is essential to humans to protect against scurvy and maintain optimum health. Its chemical formula, C6H8O6, (six atoms of carbon, eight atoms of hydrogen, and six atoms of oxygen) is only part of why Vitamin C works. It is the arrangement of its molecules that makes it an acid, inhibiting the growth of bacteria and viruses.

The Benefits of Vitamin C

Vitamin C is essential to the human body and has multiple functions. Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that protects against cancer, aging and heart disease. It also helps the immune system and white blood cell function. Vitamin C is needed in the formation of collagen which is a protein used to form tissues. It’s needed for healthy gums, teeth, and blood vessels. It can be used to absorb iron and calcium. It even helps heal wounds and bruises.

Studies show that Vitamin C may help with the duration of a cold. It protects the body’s immune system, which is important in fighting cancer. Diabetics benefit from Vitamin C because it helps regulate blood sugar. Vitamin C is a natural food preservative, so it can stop food from discoloring. Vitamin C is beneficial for seniors because it helps prevent cataracts and may slow the progression of macular degeneration.

Warnings

Without Vitamin C, the body is at risk for scurvy. Too little Vitamin C can lead to bleeding gums, dry skin, swollen joints, bruising, anemia, and the inability to fight infection. Deficient amounts of Vitamin C has been associated with increased risks of heart disease. High dosages can lead to stomach upset and diarrhea. Because Vitamin C does not stay in the body, toxicity is rare.

The Vitamin C Solution

Vitamin C is available in a large array of foods making it an easy vitamin to ingest. It can be taken as a supplement as well. Some foods high in vitamin C are papaya, red peppers, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, strawberries, oranges, cantaloupe, kiwi, cauliflower, and kale. Vitamin C foods are best when digested fresh and raw. Cooking will eliminate some of the vitamin. Twenty-five percent of the vitamin can be lost through steaming vegetables for a few minutes. Fifty percent is lost cooking vegetables for twenty or thirty minutes. Freezing and thawing vegetables and fruits causes a lost of twenty-five percent of the vitamin. If you choose to take Vitamin C supplements, 500 to 1000 milligrams a day is enough. Preferably, take half the dosage in the morning and half at night to keep the Vitamin C in your body throughout the day.

Vitamin C is certainly an important vitamin to maintain a healthy body. Thank goodness it is available in so many delicious foods making the ingestion of Vitamin C enjoyable. If you don’t like broccoli, don’t worry. Grab some strawberries and make a healthy smoothie. Enjoy the drink as you ingest all those antioxidants.