Taking A Look At Vitamin C And Its Benefits
Since the body does not normally produce vitamin C on its own, it is essential that you ingest it through your diet. You can derive your daily quota from fresh, raw foods like fruits and vegetables. The best sources are green peppers, oranges, grapefruits, juice, strawberries, tomatoes, broccoli, leafy greens, sweet potatoes, white potatoes and cantaloupe. Other decent sources include papayas, mangoes, watermelon, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, cabbage, winter squash, red peppers, raspberries, blueberries, cranberries and pineapples. Cooking often destroys much of the vitamin content in foods, especially when boiled, yet steaming can minimize the loss. Twenty-five percent of the vitamin content is lost when freezing and unthawing fruits or vegetables too, so great care should be taken to intake at least one rich source each day.
You might need extra of the C vitamin if you’re a smoker or a drinker, if you have a virus or fever, if you’re extremely stressed all the time, if you are taking antibiotics or cortisone or if you’re exposed to environmental toxins like lead, mercury or cadmium. This vitamin aids in the formation of collagen and other connective tissues. It takes an active role in maintaining healthy blood vessels, healing wounds, producing thyroid hormones, metabolizing folic acid and tryptophan, as well as regulating the excretion of stress hormones like norepinephrine and epinephrine. Without this vitamin, we’d have a hard time regulating proper iron and calcium absorption.
Extremely low levels of vitamin C may result in a deficiency. The earliest symptoms include dry and splitting hair, gingivitis and bleeding gums, scaly skin and a slow wound-healing rate, easy bruising, nosebleeds, swollen and painful joints, anemia, weight gain and a diminished immune system. At worst, someone with an inadequate amount of this vitamin can contract scurvy, resulting in dark purple spots on the legs, spongy gums, sunken-in eyes, abnormal bleeding, nail loss, open scars, skin discoloration, severe diarrhea and even death.
For people with sensitive stomachs and vitamin/mineral deficiencies, magnesium ascorbate is a great solution. You’ll get a vitamin C and a magnesium supplement in one pill, which will be a vital defense for the body. The vitamin will aid in the prevention of artery stiffening or blood platelet clumping, in addition to stimulating collagen production and protecting LDL cholesterol oxidation. The magnesium will soothe your stomach muscles, while also helping you form energy, generate cells, form bones and build protein. Whether you get your vitamins through food or through supplements, you’ll likely find yourself feeling much better.