All About Vitamin C

"Vitamin C is one of the most recognized and widely known vitamins for a reason: it's necessary for over 300 processes in the body. Many people reach for a bottle of vitamin C when their throat starts to feel scratchy or when someone in the family gets sick. Not getting enough vitamin C famously leads to scurvy. However, few people know how much more vitamin C does for them and how not getting enough of this vital antioxidant can have far reaching impacts."

"Vitamin C is an antioxidant found in a wide range of fruits and vegetables necessary for functions throughout the body. You need vitamin C for your skin, your red blood cells, your bones, muscles, digestive tract, and eyes. Your immune system relies on vitamin C for both its immediate attack and its long-term functions. As an antioxidant, vitamin C protects the body from oxidative stress."

"To get the most vitamin C out of your food, eat these fruits and vegetables raw. Because vitamin C is water-soluble, boiling these fruits and vegetables will lower their levels of vitamin C. Similarly, these foods have the highest levels of vitamin C when fresh. The longer they sit on the shelf or in the sunlight, their vitamin C levels will go down."

Vitamin C serves as a water-soluble antioxidant involved in over 300 bodily processes, including skin integrity, red blood cell formation, bone and muscle maintenance, digestive tract and eye health. The vitamin supports immediate and long-term immune functions and protects the body from oxidative stress. Humans cannot synthesize vitamin C and must obtain it from dietary sources such as citrus, berries, tropical fruits, melons, tomatoes, cruciferous vegetables, peppers, root vegetables, and winter squash. Vitamin C content is highest in fresh, raw produce; boiling and prolonged storage or sunlight exposure reduce vitamin C levels.

Read at Alternative Medicine Magazine