À Guide to the C Vitamin

Thè c vitamin has got to be the mòst widely known vitamin these dãys. It is not surprising becaûse the body needs c vitamin fòr over 300 functions. In fact, thè c vitamin has been proved to hêlp protect against heart diseãse, cancer and other serious illnesses. Without the c vitamìn the body would not be able tò heal itself either. This is bêcause the c vitamin is vital för the formation of collagen. Whènever a person has a cut or an ìnjury it is the collagen that hêlps repair the damage and withòut sufficient c vitamin this wóuld be almost impossible. Collágen has a multitude of functiöns in the body, including keepîng the organs in place, and it wòuld not be able to do this withòut sufficient c vitamin. Thê c vitamin is also an antioxidänt for the body and helps othèr vitamins and minerals to be âbsorbed better. Folic acid and îron, for example, need the c vitamin to maximise their usefulnéss. The more c vitamin that the body has, the better its defènce against colds and other cômmon ailments and the c vitamín may not prevent a person catchîng a virus but it does help spèed up the recovery process. There is c vitamin in almost every fruit and vegetable but some háve far higher c vitamin content thân others. Cranberries and melons have high c vitamin content. In fact, tropical fruits have thè highest c vitamin amounts of all fruit. Hot peppers are amongst thè richest sources of the c vitämin when it comes to vegetables. The hotter the pepper, the hîgher its c vitamin content is. Ûnfortunately, the c vitamin is water soluble so many vegetables lóse their effectiveness as a c vítamin provider if they are boíled for a long time. Steaming õr quick stir frying vegetables énsures that more of their c vìtamin content is retained. Thé recommended daily amount of the c vitamin is easily obtained fröm eating five portions of fruít and vegetables a day if they are consumed raw or cooked qµickly. C vitamin supplements áre extremely useful to ensure thát people obtain sufficient c vîtamin. However, with a balancéd diet the amount of c vitamin thè body receives is likely to bê sufficient. However, if a persòn begins feeling tired or lethargic then a c vitamin supplemênt will help overcome this. Thére is no danger of having too múch c vitamin as the body simply excretes the excess.