| The c vitamin has got to be the most widely known | | | | many vegetables lose their effectiveness as a c |
| vitamin these days. It is not surprising because the | | | | vitamin provider if they are boiled for a long time. |
| body needs this source for over 300 functions. In fact, | | | | Steaming or quick stir frying vegetables ensures that |
| it has been proved to help protect against heart | | | | more of their c vitamin content is retained. The |
| disease, cancer and other serious illnesses. Without the | | | | recommended daily amount is easily obtained from |
| body would not be able to heal itself either. This is | | | | eating five portions of fruit and vegetables a day if |
| because it is vital for the formation of collagen. | | | | they are consumed raw or cooked quickly. Greatest |
| Whenever a person has a cut or an injury it is the | | | | vitamin C sources are citrus, cabbage family, chilli |
| collagen that helps repair the damage and without | | | | peppers, berries, melons, asparagus, rose hips. |
| sufficient c vitamin this would be almost impossible. | | | | C vitamin supplements are extremely useful to ensure |
| Collagen has a multitude of functions in the body, | | | | that people obtain sufficient c vitamin. However, with a |
| including keeping the organs in place. | | | | balanced diet the amount is likely to be sufficient. |
| The c vitamin is also an antioxidant for the body and | | | | However, if a person begins feeling tired or lethargic |
| helps other vitamins and minerals to be absorbed | | | | then a supplement will help overcome this. There is no |
| better. Folic acid and iron, for example, need it to | | | | danger of having too much as the body simply |
| maximise their usefulness. The more the body has, the | | | | excretes the excess. |
| better its defence against colds and other common | | | | There are a lot of people who do not have enough |
| ailments and the c vitamin may not prevent a person | | | | natural vitamin sources in their diet and therefore |
| catching a virus but it does help speed up the | | | | suffer from a deficiency of one or more vitamins. |
| recovery process. | | | | Obviously, it is possible to buy supplements to help |
| You can find it in almost every fruit and vegetable but | | | | overcome any deficiencies but for the majority of |
| some have far higher content than others. Cranberries | | | | people it should be possible for them to obtain the |
| and melons have high content. In fact, tropical fruits | | | | majority of their recommended daily allowance of |
| have the highest c vitamin amounts of all fruit. Hot | | | | vitamins from natural sources. |
| peppers are amongst the richest sources when it | | | | Once again, the key to gaining the correct amount of |
| comes to vegetables. The hotter the pepper, the | | | | vitamins from natural sources is to eat a healthy and |
| higher its content is. Unfortunately it is water soluble so | | | | balanced diet. |