Vitamin C

Vitamin C

Vitamin C, sometimes called ascorbic acid, is possibly the most well known of all the vitamins.

It first came to the publics attention in the 1960’s, when Linus Pauling was researching it’s effect on the common cold. Vitamin C has been in the limelight ever since.

How Vitamin C helps
	Powerful antioxidant
	Helps slow the aging process
	Helps prevent heart disease
	Helps prevent cancer
	Essential for healthy teeth, gums and bones
	Helps heal wounds, scar tissue and fractures
	Helps fight infection by building antibodies
	Helps prevent fatigue
	Reduces symptoms and shortens duration of the common cold
	Strengthens blood vessels
	Increases the absorption of iron.
	Strengthens all connective tissue
	Reduces allergic reactions by lowering histamine in the bloodstream
	Protects against pollution

Symptoms of deficiency may include
Soft and bleeding gums, tooth decay, slow-healing of wounds and fractures, bruising, nosebleeds, loss of appetite, muscular weakness, skin hemorrhages, capillary weakness, anemia

Natural food sources
Citrus fruits, berries, green vegetables, broccoli, sweet peppers, tomatoes, onions, cantaloupe, mangos, strawberries, pineapple

Important
	Vitamin C is easily destroyed by cooking and food processing.
	Smoking and taking alcohol may reduce your bodies vitamin C levels. Some nutritionists suggest smokers take a daily supplement of 500 mg of Vitamin C.
	Some research has found that oral contraceptives, aspirin and analgesics may reduce blood levels of Vitamin C