Category: Vitamin C

We’ve all heard about vitamin c and how important it is, but do we actually know how much we can take each day? I believe that we would probably say that taking a single tablet (500-1000mg) is good enough. Let’s see what other authority sites say about our daily requirements of vitamin c.

The WebMD web site says the RDA of vitamin c is approximately 90 mg/day. However, they say that up to 2000mg is safe. There’s a chart on the WebMD web site with RDAs for all age groups. Search Google to find additional information on this all important vitamin.

Below is an article from TriVita® which should answer any questions you have regarding vitamin c and how much you can safely take on a daily basis. Please read and enjoy!

Spring clean with Vitamin C

by Brazos Minshew, TriVita’s Chief Science Officer

Well, it’s officially spring in the Northern Hemisphere. This is the traditional time for spring cleaning – in our home and inside our body. Time to rid ourselves of all the junk we can’t use anymore and start fresh!

Vitamin C can help us clean out the old and make room for the new.

Would you like to hear something interesting about Vitamin C? Almost all mammals except humans produce Vitamin C as ascorbic acid in their livers. But not just mammals: Almost all animals in the Animal Kingdom produce Vitamin C every day to maintain their health. Why don’t humans produce Vitamin C? How much Vitamin C do people need to take? What effect does Vitamin C have in your body?

The role of Vitamin C

Let’s answer the easy question first: How much Vitamin C does a person need to take? Well, when animals produce Vitamin C it is according to their needs at that moment and during that particular time in their life. A young dolphin may produce much more Vitamin C than an older sibling or parent. However, all dolphins – and all other animals – produce more Vitamin C when they have an infection, when they are exposed to toxins and when they are under stress.

So, we understand that people need different amounts of Vitamin C at different times in their life. We also need more Vitamin C when we face challenges to our health and well-being. In a recent Weekly Wellness Report on colds and flu, we discussed how a Vitamin C flush can help you determine the precise amount of Vitamin C you can use during a given period in your life. The Vitamin C flush was recommended by two-time Nobel Laureate Dr. Linus Pauling, his protegé Dr. Alfred Libby and former director of the National Institutes of Health, Dr. Russell Jaffe.

What does your body do with all that Vitamin C?

Vitamin C makes things happen in your body.

• Bones – All of the minerals in your bones require Vitamin C to turn them from lifeless rocks into health-building minerals.
• Blood – Your blood needs Vitamin C to convert iron into hemoglobin.
• Thyroid – Your thyroid gland needs Vitamin C to convert copper into thyroid enzymes that carry protein.
• Collagen – All of the collagen in your skin, gums and the rest of your body requires Vitamin C to convert dead protein from your diet into living tissue. This makes you look good as well as feel good!
• Immune system function – Vitamin C activates a certain kind of immune cell called a lymphocyte. Lymphocytes, as the name implies, live mostly in your lymph system. However, they can travel in and out of your bloodstream as well. Lymphocytes that have been activated by your thymus gland can go anywhere in your body to fight disease. The thymus gland uses Vitamin C to program lymphocytes to search out one specific target and destroy it.
• Antioxidant protection – Vitamin C is also an antioxidant. Your body uses it to make glutathione – the “mother” of all antioxidants. What’s more, all other antioxidants can be refreshed by Vitamin C. Important antioxidants like Vitamins A and E can have their lifespan extended by Vitamin C. Antioxidants protect you from premature aging.

Vitamin C has so many functions that you could spend a lifetime studying this one important vitamin. Try the Vitamin C flush and determine how much Vitamin C you can use each day. It can be quite the “spring cleaning,” as it helps remove old lymphocytes and other debris held over in your body. I suggest that you repeat this procedure quarterly – at the change of the seasons. You will find your need for Vitamin C will diminish when you eat fresh fruits and vegetables. It will increase when you are under stress or facing illness.

Conclusion

Why don’t humans produce Vitamin C like other animals? The answer is that we don’t know. What we do know is that people are healthier when they eat Vitamin C-rich fruits and vegetables. And in this stress-filled, toxic world we have created, more Vitamin C is needed than a depleted diet can provide. This is why we have supplements to help us compensate for the special circumstances we find ourselves in today.

So, do your spring cleaning and start this season of your life in the best possible shape!

** End of Article **

Most pharmaceutical companies claim that all supplements are the same. However, I believe there is a difference. Although I don’t have all the answers, I personally prefer the Vitamin C crystals, but it’s up to you to find the supplements that deliver the best results. One way to find a supplement that will meet your needs is to search Google.

Jeffrey Sloe
TriVita Independent Business Owner, 12871028

The above information presented herein is intended for educational purposes only. These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, cure, treat or prevent disease. Individual results may vary, and before using any supplements, it is always advisable to consult with your own health care provider.

Many of us have heard about the importance of vitamin C, yet we sometimes forget and need a reminder of the many benefits of this all important vitamin. With that said, I’ve gathered some information from the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMM). Because this vitamin is so important to your health, I’ve left the majority of the site’s content intact, and I give UMM full credit for this information.

“Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin, meaning that your body doesn’t store it. You get what we need, instead, from food. You need vitamin C for the growth and repair of tissues in all parts of your body. It helps the body make collagen, an important protein in skin, cartilage, tendons, ligaments, and blood vessels. Vitamin C is essential for healing wounds, and for repairing and maintaining bones and teeth.

Vitamin C is an antioxidant. Antioxidants block some of the damage caused by free radicals, which occur naturally when our bodies transform food into energy. The build-up of free radicals over time may be largely responsible for the aging process and can contribute to the development of health conditions such as cancer, heart disease, and arthritis.

Some evidence suggests that many people may be mildly deficient in vitamin C, although serious deficiencies are rare in industrialized countries. Smoking cigarettes lowers the amount of vitamin C in the body, so smokers are more at risk of deficiency. Signs of vitamin deficiency include dry and splitting hair; gingivitis (inflammation of the gums) and bleeding gums; rough, dry, scaly skin; decreased wound-healing rate, easy bruising; nosebleed; and a decreased ability to ward off infection. A severe form of vitamin C deficiency is known as scurvy.

Low levels of vitamin C have been associated with a number of conditions, including high blood pressure, gallbladder disease, stroke, some cancers, and atherosclerosis (the build-of plaque in blood vessels that can lead to heart attack and stroke). Getting enough vitamin C from your diet (by eating lots of fruit and vegetables) may help reduce the risk of developing some of these conditions. The evidence that taking vitamin C supplements will help or prevent any of these conditions is lacking, however.

Results of scientific studies on whether vitamin C is helpful for preventing heart attack or stroke are mixed. Vitamin C doesn’t lower cholesterol levels or reduce the overall risk of heart attack, but some evidence suggests that it may help protect arteries against damage.

Some studies — though not all — suggest that vitamin C, acting as an antioxidant, can slow down the progression of atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries). It helps prevent damage to LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, which then builds up as plaque in the arteries and can cause heart attack or stroke. Other studies suggest that vitamin C may help keep arteries flexible.

In addition, people who have low levels of vitamin C may be more likely to have a heart attack, stroke, or peripheral artery disease, all potential results of having atherosclerosis. Peripheral artery disease is the term used to describe atherosclerosis of the blood vessels to the legs. This can lead to pain when walking, known as intermittent claudication. But there is no evidence that taking vitamin C supplements will help.

The best thing to do is get enough vitamin C through your diet. That way, you also get the benefit of other antioxidants and nutrients contained in food. If you have low levels of vitamin C and have trouble getting enough through the foods you eat, ask your doctor about taking a supplement.

Vitamin C (500 mg) appears to work with other antioxidants, including zinc (80 mg), beta-carotene (15 mg), and vitamin E (400 IU) to protect the eyes against developing macular degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of legal blindness in people over 55 in the United States. The people who seem to benefit are those with advanced AMD. It isn’t known whether this combination of nutrients helps prevent AMD or is beneficial for people with less advanced AMD.

Some excellent sources of vitamin C are oranges, green peppers, watermelon, papaya, grapefruit, cantaloupe, strawberries, kiwi, mango, broccoli, tomatoes, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, cabbage, and citrus juices or juices fortified with vitamin C. Raw and cooked leafy greens (turnip greens, spinach), red and green peppers, canned and fresh tomatoes, potatoes, winter squash, raspberries, blueberries, cranberries, and pineapple are also rich sources of vitamin C. Vitamin C is sensitive to light, air, and heat, so you’ll get the most vitamin C if you eat fruits and vegetables raw or lightly cooked.” [1]

Since vitamin c is so important to your health, and it’s so sensitive to light, air, and heat, I believe you should take a daily supplement to make sure you get enough of this essential vitamin. This is my choice for a healthier body, and I’m not alone!

Many nutritionists and medical doctors consider Vitamin C absolutely vital to good health. So much so that many doctors have written extensively about its extraordinary importance on living longer.

In the early 1990s, several large population studies showed a reduction in cardiovascular disease in those who consumed vitamin C. The most significant report came from UCLA in 1992, where it was announced that men who took 800 mg a day of vitamin C lived six years longer than those who consumed the FDA’s recommended daily allowance of 60 mg a day. The study, which evaluated 11,348 participants over a ten-year period of time, showed that high vitamin C intake extended average life span and reduced mortality from cardiovascular disease by 42%. This study was published in the journal Epidemiology (1992; 3:3, pp 194-202).

Separately, Thomas Levy, MD, JD, Cardiologist has said this, “The lower your vitamin C blood and tissue levels go, the greater your chances of developing significant heart disease.”

Most pharmaceutical companies claim that all supplements are the same. I believe there is a difference between many supplements. Although I don’t have all the answers, I personally prefer Vitamin C crystals. Although this is what I prefer, it’s up to each individual to find the supplements that deliver the best results for you.

After reading this article, I think we can all AGREE on the importance of vitamin c. It’s not a mystery regarding the benefits of vitamin c. Case studies and scientific evidence has proven that vitamin c is essential to your daily diet. If you’re not getting enough through your regular diet, Vitamin C crystals may be right for you.

To learn more about vitamin c, please contact me.

Find Vitamin C and other great supplements at My TriVita Business Site.

Sources:
[1] http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/vitamin-c-000339.htm

It’s no secret to the importance of Vitamin C. Ever since you were a child your mother was probably giving vitamin c, and as you grew older she probably reminded you to take your vitamin c.

Here is the science behind it;

Vitamin C is required in the synthesis of collagen in connective tissue, neurotransmitters, steroid hormones, carnitine, conversion of cholesterol to bile acids and enhances iron bioavailability. Ascorbic acid is a great antioxidant and helps protect the body against pollutants.

Because vitamin C is a biological reducing agent, it is also linked to prevention of degenerative diseases – such as cataracts, certain cancers and cardiovascular diseases.

Ascorbic acid also promotes healthy cell development, proper calcium absorption, normal tissue growth and repair – such as healing of wounds and burns. It assists in the prevention of blood clotting and bruising, and strengthening the walls of the capillaries.

Vitamin C is also needed for healthy gums, to help protect against infection, and assisting with clearing up infections and is thought to enhance the immune system and help reduce cholesterol levels, high blood pressure and preventing arteriosclerosis.[1]

So what happens when there is a deficiency of vitamin C? According to experts, a variety of problems could occur, although scurvy is the only disease clinically treated with vitamin C. However, a shortage of vitamin C may result in “pinpoint” hemorrhages under the skin and a tendency to bruise easily, poor wound healing, soft and spongy bleeding gums and loose teeth.

Edema (water retention) also happens with a shortage of vitamin C, and weakness, a lack of energy, poor digestion, painful joints and bronchial infection and colds are also indicative of an under-supply.

Now I’m no doctor of medical expert, but I do remember the advice from me mother about vitamin C, and the importance of taking it daily, especially during the cold and flu season. I still take vitamin C today, and will continue to do so as long as I’m alive.

According to nutritionists, the best sources of vitamin C come from fruits and vegetables. Although most people are constantly on the go, in turn, they very rarely eat the proper amount of fruits and vegetables. That’s why when someone asks me, I always recommend taking vitamin C on a regular basis.

Some vitamin C supplements are made with crystalline cells, which are a primary advantage compared to many tablet Vitamin C supplements. That’s because the six-sided, crystalline cell structure provides much more surface area than finely-ground granulated cells. This in turn allows for more thorough and complete nutrient absorption by the body, before the supplement is eliminated.

In other words, the crystalline form of Vitamin C releases more of the full potency of the nutrient into your body compared to other forms, even the finely-ground granulated form.

Some popular vitamin C supplements use the crystalline cell form of Vitamin C. Typically, the crystalline cells come in a loose, powdered form. Time-released tablets, are typically a better choice, especially if the crystalline cells come in a compressed tablet form.

For superior Vitamin C potency, your body is better served with crystalline cells (in either the loose or tablet form) versus the finely-ground, granular form.

Find Vitamin C and other great supplements at My TriVita Business Site.

References:
[1] http://www.anyvitamins.com/vitamin-c-ascorbicacid-info.htm#Enemy%20of%20vitamin%20C