Vitamin C - What You DON'T Know
by R.Edward Jones

The real facts about benefits of Vitamin C may surprise you. First of all what is Vitamin C? Vitamin C is a water soluble vitamin. Unlike the oil soluble vitamins such as A and E, Vitamin C cannot be stored by your body. Since Vitamin C is not stored by your body, we need to get it from our diet or from supplements.
But Can't Our Bodies Just Make Vitamin C?
Great question! Most animals have the ability to make their own Vitamin C. And make it they do... lots of it. It is estimated that if we had the ability to make our own Vitamin C we would make between 3000 an 10,000 mg every day... and 3 to 4 times that amount if we were being stressed by infection.
Unfortunately, humans along with guinea pigs, fruit bats and gorillas are the only mammals that need to ingest our daily dose of Vitamin C. The only vitamin we humans have the ability to make is Vitamin D... and we need the sunshine to help us do that.
Some very exciting facts about Vitamin C have sprung up within the last few years. First off, Vitamin C along with Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), have been called the most essential of the "essential nutrients." That is, without an adequate supply of these two, you die. Maybe not today or tomorrow, but certainly years sooner than the folks with optimal levels of both in their bodies.
Arrrrr!!! Shiver Me Timbers!
Remember the stories about the sailors of old and the disease they contracted during long voyages called scurvy? Scurvy was nothing more than not having enough Vitamin C in their bodies. Without an adequate supply of Vitamin C, the blood vessels did not have enough collagen to repair themselves. Some of these sailors literally bled to death through cracks in their blood vessel walls.
Fortunately, in 1747 a Scottish doctor got a clue about Vitamin c and linked citrus fruits with a decreased incidence of Scurvy. Towards the end of that century, the Brits began sending along lime juice with their sailors on long voyages. Now you know why British sailors are called "limeys."
Facts About Vitamin C and its Antioxidant Properties
If you've read the section of my site on the facts about Vitamin E, you've no doubt read about what an antioxidant does. If not we can review quickly.
The cells of your body are under a lot of stress... oxidative stress. Oxidative stress occurs when highly unstable molecules called free radicals roam freely throughout your body.
Free radicals are a by-product of not only the normal metabolic processes of your cells but also your environment... things such as air pollution, sun exposure, industrial chemical exposure, ozone, nitrous oxide (from auto exhaust), cigarette smoke, alcohol consumption and so on.
Free radicals damage cell membranes and DNA and can result in changes to your cells that cause life threatening chronic diseases down the road. When your cells are being damaged by these free radicals, we say your cells are experiencing oxidative stress... and one of the facts about Vitamin C is that it is an antioxidant and can significantly neutralize the free radicals and the damage to your cells that cause oxidative stress.
Facts about Vitamin C and Heart Disease
One of the facts about Vitamin C that we feel is most significant is the role Vitamin C plays in the production of collagen.
Collagen is a protein. It is the connective tissue that holds our bodies together and keeps us from falling apart. Collagen is found in your skin, bones, ligaments, tendons, liver, cartilage, bone marrow and blood vessels.
Collagen is essential for the repair of our bodies. Without collagen our bodies don't heal. And without Vitamin C we don't make collagen.
What Does Collagen Production Have to Do With Heart Disease?
Remember the facts about Vitamin C above and the sailors with scurvy? They weren't getting any Vitamin C. So when their blood vessels cracked, no collagen was being produced to repair the cracks.
Why do your blood vessels crack in the first place? Well consider this. Your heart beats about 4000 times every hour. That's 96,000 times a day and 35,040,000 times every year (yes that's million)! The blood vessels of your heart are being squeezed and released that many times as well.
Imagine you were to run over a garden hose laying in your driveway that many times. Do you think it might soon develop some cracks?
Although your body has a difficult time repairing those cracks in the complete absence of Vitamin C (and hence scurvy), most folks in the developed world get just enough Vitamin C to keep scurvy at bay... but not much more.
Problem is, as this sub-optimal amount of Vitamin C in their body is repairing with collagen, it's not quite enough. Your liver then determines that the repairs are not being made quick enough and sets about to produce a special form of LDL called lipoprotein-a.
Lipoprotein-a is very sticky and acts as a putty to fill in the cracks that the lack of collagen left behind. Great right? Leak stopped.
Well the leak is stopped yes, but being as sticky as it is, lipoprotein-a catches and glues down all the other LDL (bad cholesterol) that floats by. This action results in plaque build-up inside the vessel walls and can eventually close off these blood vessels... and we all know what that means!
Facts about Vitamin C and Cholesterol
Can Vitamin C lower cholesterol? A relationship has been shown experimentally between high levels of Vitamin C and low levels of cholesterol. An article appearing in the National Library of Medicine shows that Vitamin C provides the same mechanism for inhibiting the production of cholesterol as do cholesterol lowering statin drugs.
The American Heart Association also reported that Vitamin C lowered LDL cholesterol in children who were predisposed to high cholesterol.
The facts about Vitamin C also show that Vitamin C lowers cholesterol without the dangerous side effects of these statin drugs. Statin drugs have been shown to inhibit the production of another essential nutrient called Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10). Decreased levels of CoQ10 result in significant muscle myopathy (wasting away). And since the heart is a muscle, statin drugs have been linked to Congestive Heart Failure (CHF).
More Facts about Vitamin C
Vitamin C has been shown to lower blood pressure, reduce the risk of Alzheimer's when taken with Vitamin E and cut your chances of having a stroke.
Why is that? Remember the facts about Vitamin C above as an antioxidant? Well, most researchers agree that Vitamin C's powerful antioxidant properties are responsible. By neutralizing the cell damaging effects of those free radicals running around in your body, Vitamin C works to keep your cells healthy and free of damage. And if your cells are healthy, you are healthy!
Vitamin C is also known to protect the immune system. Vitamin C aids in the manufacture of white blood cells. White blood cells destroy viruses and bacteria.
Also remember the facts about Vitamin C as aiding in the manufacture of collagen? Well collagen being the connective tissue that holds our skin together, our skin is what keeps pathogens out in the first place.
Yeah, But I Drink My Glass of Orange Juice Everyday... Well Almost
What are the facts about Vitamin C concerning the amount you should take? Well who do you want to believe? The official U.S. Government RDA for Vitamin C is 60 to 90 mg. Some would argue that this level does nothing more than ward off scurvy. They would also argue that these levels do nothing to prevent chronic, long term, debilitating diseases.
An article in the American Journal for Clinical Nutrition reports on a study done on antioxidant vitamins and coronary heart disease risk. The study looked at 9 other studies which included participation by Harvard School of Public Health and Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
Conclusions: "The results suggest a reduced incidence of major CHD (coronary heart disease) events at high supplemental vitamin C intakes."
How high was the daily Vitamin C intake of the 293,172 patients during this ten year study? Above 700 mg!
Ok, But Is Vitamin C Safe?
In an article titled "Vitamins E and C Are Safe Across a Broad Range of Intakes" published in THE AMERICAN JOURNAL of CLINICAL NUTRITION, a large study concluded that Vitamin C supplements of up to 2000 mg per day were safe for most adults. Exceeding that limit could result in gastrointestinal upset or mild diarrhea.
You can learn much more about the remarkable facts on Vitamin C at http://www.health-supplements-advisor.com/facts-on-vitamin-c.html

There is much more to learn about the http://www.blogger.com/
l">benefits of Vitamin C at
http://www.health-supplements-advisor.com/facts-on-vitamin-c.html
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Vitamin C: Get Some Every Day
by Linda Polansky

There is a lot of information out there these days about different vitamins and minerals. You may wonder what is most important and you may be afraid of using supplements and getting too much of some vitamins. Vitamin C is one of the less complicated vitamins both in terms of what it does and how to get it.
Vitamin C is water soluble. This means that your body doesn’t store it for later. That’s why sailors in the old days used to get scurvy, a disease caused by vitamin C deficiency. The best sources of vitamin C are types of produce like citrus and berries that don’t travel well and weren’t part of a regular diet at sea. Sailors didn’t have vitamin C supplements then, either, so their bodies would run out of vitamin C quickly and they would develop scurvy, marked by things like dry hair and skin, bleeding gums, and frequent nosebleeds. Scurvy is pretty rare these days, especially in the United States, but it is still important to make sure you get enough vitamin C every day. Because it is water soluble, your body gets rid of whatever you don’t need that day when you urinate, so that also means it’s very difficult to get too much, and if you do, it isn’t toxic, but it will give you a stomach ache or diarrhea.
What does vitamin C do for you? For starters, it is an antioxidant, which have been in the news a lot recently. When our bodies break down food and convert it to energy, they produce free radicals, which cause minor damage and are a large cause of the effects of aging on the body. Antioxidants help minimize this damage and therefore, slow down the aging process. Vitamin C helps keep our skin, teeth, and bones healthy, as well as helping us recover from wounds. It can also help us resist the negative effects of chemicals and pollutants.
In addition to vitamin C supplements, vitamin C can be found in some amount in all fruits and vegetables. Along with the citrus and berries mentioned earlier, green peppers, broccoli and leafy greens are also excellent sources of high amounts of vitamin C.
The US Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of vitamin C for men (over 18) is 90 mg per day, while for women it is 75 mg per day. The recommended allowances for children start at 30 mg and increase with age; ask your pediatrician for guidance.
Linda Polansky writes about Vitamin C,Best health vitamins
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Vitamin C -- The Most Famous Of Vitamins!
By David Leonhardt

We call Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, "the mostfamous of vitamins" because it really is the best known. It isthe first one schoolchildren learn. It is the most cited curefor the common cold. Most people can rhyme off at least a fewfoods that contain vitamin C. And vitamin C is the single mostsearched nutrient on the Internet.
HISTORY: Nobel Prize winning biochemist Dr. AlbertSzent-Gyorgyi first isolated vitamin C in 1928. (As someone ofHungarian descent, I find this a touch exciting.)
Vitamin C first got its reputation for beating the common coldin 1970, when fellow Nobel Prize winner Linus Pauling publishedhis bestselling book "Vitamin C and the Common Cold". In it, hesuggested that taking vitamin C at levels well above the USARDA (now 60 milligrams per day) could strengthen the immunesystem and help ward off the common cold.
BENEFITS: Vitamin C helps form collagen, a glue-like fibrousprotein in bone, cartilage, tendons and other connectivetissue. Vitamin C helps give structure and maintain such bodyparts as bones, cartilage, muscle, veins, capillaries andteeth.
But recent studies have also linked "adequate dosages" ofvitamin C to preventing a number of common cancers, of helpingboost the nervous system, of prolonging life, of reducing therisk of heart disease, of softening the symptoms of respiratorydiseases such as asthma and cystic fibrosis, and of keeping skinand glands healthy.
SOURCES: Most animals manufacture their own vitamin C.Primates, such as humans, gorillas, and monkeys, have somehowlost this ability.
Which is why we need to get our vitamin C from our diets.
It is well known that citrus fruits, such as oranges, lemons,grapefruits, tangerines, limes, mandarins and others containvitamin C.
In fact, vitamin C comes almost exclusively from fruits andvegetables. Other good sources are tomatoes, strawberries, raspberries,broccoli, asparagus, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, cabbage,peas, rutabagas, cantaloupe, kiwi, papayas, potatoes andwatermelon.
One place that is NOT a good source are vitamin C pills, whichthe body just cannot absorb properly. This is a water solublevitamin best taken in its natural juice or in a liquidsupplement.
OPTIMUM USAGE: Fortunately, if you consume too much of a watersoluble vitamin, your body will get rid of excess. It alsomeans that your body does not store it for long periods oftime. You can't "stock up" on it, and you can reach asaturation point quickly; you need vitamin C several times aday.
Being a water-soluble vitamin, you lose it when you boil foods.For instance, if you boil your broccoli, you will lose thevitamin C. However, if you boil your broccoli in a soup, youwill get the broccoli's vitamin C in the broth.
Do not soak or store fruits or vegetables in water, for you canlose the vitamin C that way. In short, the fresher cut the fruitor vegetable, and the less cooked, the more vitamin C you willget. Like all vitamins and minerals, Vitamin C is most effectivewhen combined with other nutrients. For example, one of the bigbenefits of vitamin C is that it helps the body digest andabsorb iron, an essential mineral for good health.
It has also been found that vitamin C and E work together tohelp stave off Alzheimer's disease.
This is one of the reasons it is so important to take vitaminsupplements that contain as many different nutrients aspossible, so the body can absorb them together and enjoy themaximum benefits from each one.
DOSAGE: Most experts agree that the US RDA is only a fractionof what it should be, and that daily vitamin C levels up to1,000 or even 2,000 milligrams per day are safe and healthy.
Essential Nectar contains 250% of the US RDA, mixing it with233 other natural, plant-based nutrients...making it a goodvitamin C supplement for your diet.
About the Author: David Leonhardt runs The Liquid VitaminSupplements Store: http://www.vitamin-supplements-store.netLearn more about vitamin C:http://www.vitamin-supplements-store.net/vitamins/vitamin-c.htmlOr read up on other nutrition information:http://www.vitamin-supplements-store.net/nutrition-information.html
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Vitamin Supplement

The Antioxidant Vitamins
By Din Lubis

The antioxidant vitamins perform many essential tasks within the body. In recent years, a great deal of research has been done concerning the abilities of the antioxidant vitamins to prevent certain diseases, ranging from cancer to heart ailments. Many studies have shown promising results, and researchers continue their efforts at determining all of the ways that these powerful antioxidant vitamins protect our health and well being.

One of the many important tasks that antioxidant vitamins perform is that of bringing free radicals under control. A free radical is an unstable molecule, operating within the much larger context of a cell. What makes it unstable is that it is lacking an electron. Electrons are a part of the system that enables chemical reactions within the body. Chemical and electrical actions and reactions are the base of all operations of the body.

The free radical lacks an electron because it is the result of the splitting of a structure weakened by either one of the body’s natural metabolizing processes or by some external contaminant, such as pollution or cigarette smoke. The free radical attacks other molecules, seeking its missing part, which leads to its molecule victim becoming a free radical as well. When enough free radicals accumulate with a cell, the cell can be damaged, or worse.

Antioxidant vitamins have the power to bring these free radicals under control. They do this by meeting the free radicals’ most basic needs, by giving them the electrons they need to be stable. Thus, the antioxidant vitamins remove the free radicals’ motive for aggression and crime -- their motive to attack other molecules to steal their electrons, thereby creating still more free radicals -- and bring an end to the free radical crime wave that threatened the very existence of their world and restore social order and peace to their world, the cell, and perhaps even to their universe, the body.

The primary antioxidant vitamins are Vitamin E, Vitamin C, and Vitamin A. They do not become free radical themselves when they give an electron to the unstable molecule, because they have the special capacity to remain stable with or without the electron. It is through this interaction with the free radicals that the antioxidant vitamins are able to assist in the prevention of damage to tissues and cells that could lead to disease.

Numerous studies have found that the antioxidant vitamins may offer protection against a variety of cancers. Other studies have associated antioxidant vitamins with helping to lower blood pressure. Controlling free radicals, as the antioxidant vitamins do, is thought to be an important part of defending the body and the mind against the effects of aging.

In addition to continuous studies concerning antioxidant vitamins potential in preventing cancers, heart disease, and diabetes related conditions, researchers are also paying close attention to the possibilities antioxidant vitamins may hold for Alzheimer's disease.

Vitamin supplements offer a safe and convenient means of meeting the suggested daily intake requirements of these powerful antioxidant vitamins, provided that the standard dosage recommendations are followed.

The chemical balance that allows the body to operate at peak performance can be seriously disrupted by taking too much of any supplement. A licensed nutritionist or your health care provider can best advise you on the dosage most suitable to your individual dietary needs and health goals.

Why Vitamin C Is Important
By Din Lubis

There’s been a great deal of research concerning the many ways in which Vitamin C is beneficial to health. Also known as ascorbic acid, this nutrient serves the body in a variety of ways. In addition to the long established means of helping to maintain health, there’s a great deal of research indicating its value in helping the body overcome serious illness and disease. Some studies indicate a good potential for the possibility that Vitamin C can even help prevent some diseases.

What we definitely know about vitamin C is that it is an essential part of the creation of collagen in the body. Collagen is particularly import to the connective tissues of the body and is the scar of healed wounds is made of.

We also know that it helps to keep the gums healthy and the teeth tight. It also promotes healthy cell growth and development, as well as helps the body to use the iron and calcium it takes in.An important role of vitamin C plays in the healing of wounds and the rebuilding of tissues, helps to keep tiny capillaries functioning the way that they should, and also serves to prevent dangerous blood clots.

From the many scientific studies through the years, Vitamin C has come to be associated with many other health benefits. These include such things as strengthening the body’s immune system, helping to fight infection, playing a role in the reduction of cholesterol and high blood pressure, and having a part in the prevention of arteriosclerosis.

Furthermore, Vitamin C has been associated with helping to prevent cataracts, cardiovascular diseases and even certain types of cancer. Research continues into these intriguing areas of study.

A lack of Vitamin C has been known for many years to be the cause of the disease scurvy. Early signs of scurvy include red bumps around hair follicles, easy bruising, joint pain and a general feeling of weakness and fatigue. As the disease progresses, small open sores begin to appear on the body and in the mouth. The teeth loosen and gum tissue bleeds. Other ways in which a deficiency of Vitamin C can affect the health of the body include poor digestion, water retention, frequent colds, and low energy levels.

While the minimum standard of Vitamin C daily intake is 60 micrograms or mg, most recommend consuming significantly more than that. The minimum requirement offers protection against the worst symptoms of Vitamin C deficiency, with most of the positive effects coming from intake levels of 200 to 500 mgs daily. Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin and thus, passes out of the body with urine. That means it must be replaced daily.

Many people find that using Vitamin C supplements is a safe and convenient means of making sure that the daily Vitamin C intake goals are met. Your desired daily intake of Vitamin C will depend of what you are hoping to achieve with your intake, i.e. helping to reduce cholesterol or high blood pressure, helping in collagen production, or building up your immune system. Seeing your health care professional is a good way to determine the best and most beneficial daily intake level for you.

Choosing The Right Vitamin Supplement
By Tim Whinston

Millions of people take daily vitamin supplements to encouragegood health. With all the different kinds of vitamins, mineralsand herbs flooding the market these days, it's sometimesdifficult to know what to choose.
The first thing you need to know is that vitamin supplementsare not a replacement for eating healthy, vitamin rich wholefoods. Food contains the nutrients your body needs in theirvery purest form, and interact with each other and your body ina way supplements cannot. However, taking vitamin supplements inaddition to eating a vitamin-rich diet can be a great way tostay healthy and protect against damage from harmful freeradicals.
When shopping for vitamin supplements, there are a few thingsyou should keep in mind:
Always read the label
Reading labels is a wise practice you should do every time youshop for supplements. Labels can tell you more about dosages,ingredients, safety precautions, and other importantinformation.
Choose a reputable manufacturer
Always choose products with “USP” on the label. “USP” is theabbreviation for the U.S. Pharmacopeia and the inclusion on thelabel means the product has been tested and checked for qualityand safety.
Check the Date
Expired vitamins can lose their potency. Always make sure thereis an expiration date printed on the bottle, and never purchaseor use expired supplements.
Avoid Giant Doses
Do not choose supplements that offer extremely high doses of aparticular vitamin or vitamins. Too much of anything can beharmful, sometimes even fatal.
Store Safely
Always keep your vitamins out of the reach of children. Storein a cool, dark, dry place as heat and humidity can affect theintegrity of the vitamins.
Always Do Your Homework
Research is always a good idea before deciding to take vitaminsupplements. Consult with your doctor. Perform some Internetsearches or visit your local library. There is a wealth ofresources available for you on the topic of vitamin supplementsand the benefits they offer.
About the Author: Tim Whiston is a full-time entrepreneur whohas an interest in healthy living. He manages a website devotedentirely to Vitamin Information and discount vitamin shopping.http://www.vitavroom.com
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Vitamin Supplements For Seniors: What Should You Take?
By Linda Polansky

There is a lot of conflicting research out there about whetheror not vitamin supplements are beneficial and necessary, orsometimes whether they can even be harmful. The truth is, thatmost experts agree that a healthy, balanced diet is all mostpeople need to get all the vitamins their bodies require. Atthe same time, many of these same experts recommend that abasic daily multivitamin is probably a good idea. In addition,there are some groups of people that are specifically prone to certain vitamin deficiencies, and these can be prevented withvitamin supplements. Senior citizens are one of these groups,for several reasons. Older people often do not eat a balanceddiet or eat much smaller amounts of food. As our bodies age,the rate at which we can absorb different vitamins or howefficiently our bodies use them can change, changing our intakeneeds. At the same time, metabolic processes also slow, whichmeans it may take longer to work excess amounts of fat solublevitamins like A, E, and K out of the system, therefore reducingintake needs. Seniors may spend less time outdoors and get lesssunlight, which can lead to vitamin D deficiency. Some elderlypeople may also have deficiencies of B vitamins, one of thesymptoms of which is dementia. What should you take and whatelse do you need to know?
First of all, you should know that vitamin supplements are notregulated by the FDA and should not promise to treat or cureany particular diseases. Also, some vitamin supplements mayhave either a negative effect on the absorption of medications,or increase the effect of some medications. Since most seniorstake at least one medication on a daily basis, it is veryimportant to discuss vitamin supplement use with your doctorthe same way you would discuss a new medication. When you buyvitamin supplements, look carefully at dosages and to seewhether they have extra ingredients in them. Shopping for thebest price is fine, studies have shown no difference betweenlow cost and high cost versions of the same vitaminsupplements. Vitamin D supplements, coupled with calcium, aremost likely to be recommended for older people, particularlywomen, because of their role in helping to maintain bone massand density. Some studies have shown that antioxidant vitaminslike A and E can help reduce the risk of Alzheimers, but thishas not been proven.
About the Author: Linda Polansky writes about Vitamin A, Besthealth vitamins http://www.buyvitaminsmart.com/
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