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Why Do We Need Vitamin C?
By rwakefield
Vitamin C, the Super Vitamin
Vitamin C is without doubt the highest profile of all the vitamins. It has masssive coverage on TV and in health magazines, and most people know a little about it, but what are the real facts?Scientists now believe that Vitamin C helps the body carry out hundreds of different functions, and without it, we would eventually die.
The C Vitamin has many health benefits, but perhaps its most important are its ability to help reduce cardian problems and some forms of cancer. As both these conditions are a major problem in modern society, it is no wonder that Vitamin C comes in for so much attention. It is also essential for the body's ability to produce collagen.
Your body uses collagen in a number of different ways, including repairing cuts and healing burns. It is also important for effective joint mobility. None of this would be possible if it wasn't for The C Vitamin.
Another great benefit of Vitamin C is that it is an antioxidant, (a substance that prevents the damage often caused by free radicals.) In doing this, it also helps the body to process and absorb other vital minerals and vitamins, specifically iron and folic acid. There is also a very strong view held by some experts that The C Vitamin has a major part to play in fighting off colds and influenza. Although this view is not universal, there is little doubt tht Vitamin C does help the body whne it is recovring from a cold or flu.
So where do we get The C Vitamin from? Sadly, unlike many other animals, we are unable to produce our own vitamin C, needing to obtain it from fruit and vegetables. Amost every fruit or vegetable has some vitamin C, but some are real superstars in the this area. Most tropical fruits are very high in vitamin C, as are cranberries (which also have many other healthy benefits).
The members
of the capsicum family (chili peppers, bell peppers etc) are also a great source of vitamin c. The spicier the pepper, the more vitamin C it tends to have. Sadly, vitamin C does not survive well when cooked, and it disolves in water. This means that the best way to increase your vitamin c intake is through raw vegetables and fruit.
Many nutrition experts recommend eating 5 portions of vegetables each day in order to get adequate amounts of vitamin C in your diet. Whereas this is true, there is no doubt that cooking the vegetables quickly or eating them raw is going to help significantly in this aim.
If you want to make sure that you get enough vitamin C, then the easiest way for many people is to take vitamin C supplements. These are widely available, and undoubtedly work well, however, you should not think they can act as a replacement for eating fruit or vegetables. Our bodies need many minerals, and nutrients that are in fruit and vegetables, and no pill can hope to replace them all.
However, if you are feeling down or going down with a cold or flu, then taking vitmain C supplmemts is a great 'easy fix' and the good news is that you can pretty much take as much as you like, as any surplus is excreted by the body. So, hopefully you are now a bit better informed in this wonderful vitamin. You should now know how vital it is, and how to make sure that you get enough in your diet to stay healthy and happy. R.Wakefield is a content contributor for: recipe ideas, which offers amateur chefs a selection of delicious cranberry recipes guaranteed to impress your dinner guests.
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