Vitamin C, The Vital Vitamin

The C Vitamin, an Essential Nutrient
Of all the vitamins, Vitamin C is the one that is most well known. Although everyone has heard of it, and most people know it is a 'good thing', very few people really know the truth. Hopefully, this article will help to put that right.Medical experts have long known that The C Vitamin is important for our body's normal functioning.

Vitamin C 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 The C Vitamin.

Another great benefit of The C Vitamin is that it is an antioxidant, (a molecule which bonds with and neutralizes dangerous free-radicals in the body.) In doing this, it also helps the body to process and absorb other vital minerals and vitamins, specifically iron and folic acid. There is also a very strong view held by some experts that Vitamin C has a major part to play in fighting off colds and influenza. Although this view is not universal, there is little doubt tht Vitamin C does help the body whne it is recovring from a cold or flu.

So where do we get The C Vitamin from? Sadly, unlike many other animals, we are unable to produce our own vitamin C, needing to obtain it from fruit and vegetables. Amost every fruit or vegetable has some vitamin C, but some are real superstars in the this area. Most tropical fruits are very high in vitamin C, as are cranberries (which also have many other healthy benefits).

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.