This Week in Focus--Vitamin C, health magic in a bottle

[book]

As part of our discussions focusing on a nutrient or nutrient family, I am starting off a discussion of the Vitamin C. I will start with a simple breakdown of this important nutrient. Please view this as a springboard for discussion, and feel free to add what you have learned or read about these. If you have been greatly benefited by adding these to your diet, as I have, please share that as well.

We would also like to invite you to share in opening our discussions. If you would like to do the research and present another vita-nutrient, please pm Skank or myself with your choice, and we will fit you in!

As for my personal experience with vitamin C is, when I started Atkins my teeth started hurting. After supplementing this stopped, and no more bleeding gums when I brush!

[book]

Most of us are familiar with this vitamin, in fact we can think of it as being so common that we might overlook its extreme importance! So this week we will discuss some of the benefits of an adequate intake of vitamin C. Is it a weight loss vitamin? Well, it does play a role in reducing blood pressure and cholesterol levels, as well as playing a role in making energy available to the cells. But vitamin C plays many key roles in your overall health. Let's consider a few.

Its role as an antioxidant

What does that mean, antioxidant? Oxygen is very reactive. Watch what it does to your cast iron skillet, and there you have oxidation. A very loose analogy is that vitamin C works with other nutrients, notably vitamin E as well, to 'clean this up.' One expert states it is more correct to call it a 'redox agent,' as it acts as an antioxidant in some cases, and as an oxidant in others. But they agree that vitamin C is vital in reducing the damaging effects of too much oxidation, which contributes to aging and tissue and organ damage.

Vitamin C and your immune system

Any stress on your body depletes your vitamin C stores. Interestingly, it takes a molecule of vitamin C to produce a molecule of adrenalin, the substance your adrenal gland puts out in response to stress. And this includes any stress, including getting soaked in a cold rain! The rain did not cause your case of flu, but your immune system was 'down' because of the way your body had to cope. You fell low in ascorbic acid, which is toxic to viruses, bacteria, and even malignant tumor cells. You want to always have enough vitamin C on hand, to keep your resistance high!

You have all heard of scurvy

The deficiency disease of inadequate vitamin C is scurvy, and it symptoms include bleeding gums and easy bruising. Collagen is a 'ground substance' between our cells, sort of a cement. Vitamin C is vital to maintain these collagen tissues, which are also principal components of tendons, ligamints, skin, bone, teeth, cartilage, ntervertebral discs, cornea, eye lens, and heart valves as well. Sounds like pretty much your whole body, right?

How much do I take, you ask

Dr. Pauling, highly respected researcher in this field, recommended 1000 mg a day or more. Look up your RDA and it will say 60 mg a day, 100 if you smoke. Do you need 1000 mg? Keep in mind that the RDA is based on what you need to avoid scurvy. Do you want to just avoid disease, or give your cells and tissues plenty of what they need? Nutritionists who believe in Vitamin C will often tell you to start with 1000 and work your way up toward 2000, back off when you get diarrhea. This gives you your personal 'high limit,' and generally 2000 a day is too much.

Vitamin C and Atkins

Allowable foods during induction that include good amounts of vitamin C include broccoli, chili peppers, parsley, bell pepper, cauliflower, kale, mustard greens, lemon juice, and brussels sprouts. Move to OWL and add strawberries, and much later, oranges. Vitamin C is fairly easy to destroy in cooking and food preparation, being highly sensitive to air, water, and temperature.

So the upshot? Supplement your vitamin C. Cheap health insurance, and too important to neglect!

[prettygirl]

HI! Book,
What a nice post. When I was in 6th grade, for easter that year we had a lot of food (variety of meats, fruits, rice, bread etc). I had a lot of that with jack fruit, the next day omg I had eruptions on my skin pretty bad ones may be an allergic reaction...i don't know for sure, my dad had some but his disappeared after 3-4 days. The eruptions which were all over my body (face, hands, legs, chest, back, tummy) stayed close to 2 months and it was summer (hot and sweaty), when I scratched it the skin used to peel off and it looked nasty. My doc told me to take Vitamin B-complex and C and sure enough all the eruptions disappeared completely in a week.
But recently I had infections in my mouth which healed well thankfully, unfortunately my gums still bleed sometimes when I brush my teeth, they scare and hurt too. Do you think Vitamin C will help this condition? Just curious. I will mention it to my dentist the next time I visit him.

[kebaldwin]

Nice write up.

I like your point that even though newer vitamins/minerals have been getting more attention lately it is important not to forget your Vitamin C. Along with A, B complex, E. These should be part of your base vitamins. Most multivitamins will contain Vitamin C.

Atkins recommends 500 to 1,000 mg as a base dose. He describes it as "the nutrient that does it all". Atkins says it helps with infections, asthma and allergies, cancer, heart disease, stress, obesity (helps the body get rid of wastes), gout, gallstones, vision, drug addiction.

[book]

I think Vitamin C has a good shot at helping that, and it is cheap, so why not? Definitely see the dentist, gums bleeding are a bad sign.

Another thing about vitamin C, you can take it any time of day, splitting doses is a good idea, say 500 in the morning, 500 in the evening, with food or without, okay either way.

Thanks for your comments!

book

[JeffGuidry]

Here's a great article about Vitamin C. You may rethink your daily dose after you read it...

http://www.medical-library.net/sites/vitamin_c_and_vascular_disease.html

[BestestNana]

Wow, this is some really interesting information.... I already take B Complex, but think I may need to add C.... I need to re-read this article and truly digest.... very good stuff!!! :yes

[kkat55]

Re: This Week in Focus--Vitamin C, health magic in a bottle

Vit C has so many health benefits. A great thread to bump!

[mirna05]

Re: This Week in Focus--Vitamin C, health magic in a bottle

When a cold starts I take 10 grams of vitamin C just one day and the cold stops the next day! That works for me... I know it is a lot n(the usual dose is just 1 gram), it is what Dr. Atkins recommends in the vitanutrients I decided to give it a try and it worked!

[kkat55]

Re: This Week in Focus--Vitamin C, health magic in a bottle

When a cold starts I take 10 grams of vitamin C just one day and the cold stops the next day! That works for me... I know it is a lot n(the usual dose is just 1 gram), it is what Dr. Atkins recommends in the vitanutrients I decided to give it a try and it worked!

Wow! That is amazing! Do you take it all at one time or spread throughout the day?