Why We Need Vitamin C

Also known as: Ascorbic Acid

Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin that functions as a powerful antioxidant. Acting as an antioxidant, one of vitamin C's important functions is to protect LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol from oxidative damage.

 Vitamin C:

• Is needed to make collagen, which strengthens and protects many parts of the body such as muscles and blood vessels.
• Helps the body absorb iron for healthy gums, teeth, and bones.
• Plays important roles in wound healing and acts as a natural antihistamine.
• Aids in the formation of liver bile, helps to fight viruses, detoxify alcohol and other substances.

The human body cannot store vitamin C and so the body soon depletes itself if fresh supplies are not consumed through the digestive system. Although vitamin C appears to have only a small effect in preventing the common cold, it reduces the duration and severity of a cold. Large amounts of vitamin C (e.g., 1000 grams daily) taken at the onset of a cold episode shorten the duration of illness by an average of 23%.

Recently, researchers have shown that vitamin C improves nitric oxide activity. Nitric oxide is needed for the dilation of blood vessels, potentially important in lowering blood pressure and preventing spasm of arteries in the heart that might otherwise lead to heart attacks.

Evidence indicates that vitamin C levels in the eye decrease with age and that supplementing with vitamin C prevents this decrease, leading to a lower risk of developing cataracts. There is some speculative evidence that vitamin C might help prevent gallstones; however, supportive evidence remains preliminary.

United States vitamin C recommendations**:

 Too much may be risky! Large amounts may cause nausea, stomach cramps, and diarrhea.

Top Ten vitamin C-rich foods:

• papaya, 1 medium (188 mg)
• broccoli, 1 cup, boiled (116 mg)
• orange juice, from frozen concentrate, 8 oz (97 mg)
• strawberries, 1 cup raw (84 mg)
• orange, 1 navel (75 mg)
• kiwi, 1 (74 mg)
• cantaloupe, 1 cup (68 mg)
• grapefruit juice, 8 oz (67 mg)
• mango, raw, 1 (57 mg)
• peppers, chopped, raw, 1/2 cup (45 mg)

Sources: Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA), 1989. Last updated: April 1999.

** US Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA). Retrieved on February 19, 2007.

University of Maryland Medical Center (April 2002)