Essential Information on Vitamin C

The C Vitamin, the Super Vitamin

The C Vitamin 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 The C Vitamin 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.

Collagen is a protein of connective tissue which is essential if the body is to repair any cuts or major injuries. Some experts believe that colalgen helps to improve skin and fingernail quality and also helps with joint mobility. All of this depends on Vitamin C.

Most of you will have heard the word 'antioxidant', but did you know that The C Vitamin was one of them? An antioxidant is (a molecule which of slows down the oxidation of other molecules.) All our bodies need to absorb and utilize vitmans and minerals (eg, folic acid, iron etc.) and The C Vitamin is a crucial part of this process. Many people take The C Vitamin as a supplement to help them fight off colds, flu and other viruses. Whilst there is a little scientific evidence that The C Vitamin actually helps prevent colds, the fact that it helps you body during the process of recovering from an illness is accepted by most doctors.

Vitamin C is not something our bodies can produce on their own (unlike many other creatures), so we need to get it from our food. Some foodstuffs are particualrly high in vitamin C, for example, oranges, lemons, melon etc. But one of the better ones is the cranberry, which has other health giving properties. If you want to increase your intake of vitamin C, try some of the great cranberry recipes (http://www.recipe-ideas.co.uk/cranberry-recipes.htm)

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.

If you are going to cook vegetables, the best way to ensure that you get a high vitamin C intake from them is to use rapid cooking technique such as stir frying or steaming the food. You will have heard of the phrase '5 portions a day' when applied to vegetable intake, this is the correct amount for your vitamin c requirements and is improved even more if you cook the food quickly or eat it raw.

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, vitamins 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.

Roger is a recipe contributor at: "recipe-ideas", which offers cooks and chefs a selection of healthy cranberry recipes that are easy to prepare at home.