Vitamin C (ascorbic acid)

Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, is a water-soluble vitamin.

Vitamin C is best known for its antioxidant properties and its possible role in the prevention of certain chronic degenerative disorders. In fact, ascorbic acid may be the most important water-soluble antioxidant in the body. Many of the nutrients important to human health can be destroyed by oxidation. Vitamin C protects them from oxidation by being oxidized itself. In the blood, Vitamin C protects sensitive blood constituents from oxidation, and helps to protect Vitamin E. Red blood cells are thought to recycle the "used" Vitamin C back into the active form to conserve the supply. The antioxidant roles of Vitamin C are the focus of extensive study, especially in relation to disease prevention. Vitamin C is also required for the production and maintenance of collagen, a protein substance that forms the base for all connective tissues in the body: bones, teeth, skin and tendons. Collagen forms the scar tissue that heals wounds, the reinforcing structure that mends fractures, and the supporting material of capillaries that help prevent or heal bruises. Vitamin C is also known to help enhance the immune response to protect against infection, and is important to the production of thyroxine, the hormone that regulates basal metabolic rate and body temperature, and thus is also important in weight control, metabolism, and overall healthy body weight.

Recommended Dietary Allowances: Men = 90 mg; Women = 75 mg; Pregnant Women = 70 mg; Smokers = 125 mg

IMPORTANCE:

Essential for healthy teeth, gums & Bones
helps heal wounds, scar tissue, & Fractures
prevents scurvy
builds resistance to infection
aids in the prevention & treatment of the common cold
gives strength to blood vessels
aids in the absorption of iron.
It is required for the synthesis of collagen, the intercellular "cement" which holds tissues together.
It is also one of the major antioxidant nutrients.
It prevents the conversion of nitrates (from tobacco smoke, smog, bacon, lunch meats, & some vegetables) into cancer-causing substances.
According to Dr. Lines Pauling, the foremost authority on Vitamin C, Vitamin C will decrease the risk of getting certain cancers by 75%.

DEFICIENCY SYMPTOMS:

soft & bleeding gums
swollen or painful joints
slow-healing wounds & fractures
bruising, nosebleeds
tooth decay
loss of appetite
muscular weakness
skin hemorrhages
capillary weakness
anemia
impaired digestion

Vitamins

Vitamin A

(Retinol)

Beta-Carotene

(Vitamin A precursor)

Vitamine B complex

	Vitamin B-1 (Thiamine)
	Vitamin B-2 (Riboflavin)
	Vitamin B-3 (Niacine)
	Vitamin B-4 (Adenine)
	Vitamin B-5 (Pantothenic Acid)
	Vitamin B-6 (Pyridoxine)
	Vitamin B-7 (Vitamin H) (Biotin)
	Vitamin B-9 (Folic Acid)
	Vitamin B-12 (Cyanocobalamin)
	Vitamin B-15 (Pangamic Acid)
	Vitamin B-17 Amygdalin
	Vitamin B-x Para-aminobenzoic acid