VIT-C-HELP PREVENT HEART DISEASE

Want the benefits of Vitamin C without puckering up to ultra-tall glasses of orange juice at each meal? Here’s the great news: Vitamin C is plentiful in many foods and has great health benefits that you probably didn’t even know about. Until recently, Vitamin C has been mainly used to chase away sniffles and stifle sneezes that define those seasonal colds and viruses.  Recent studies, however, note that Vitamin C can help you not only stop coughing, but it can work magic on almost every body part to lower high blood pressure, fight cancer, keep blood vessels healthy, and more. 

HELP PREVENT HEART DISEASE

A healthy heart is at the crux of a healthy life. Atherosclerosis is the hardening of the arteries, the blood vessels that carry blood away from the heart to our organs. In early stages of this disease, white blood cells build up on the walls of these blood vessels, which cause plaque to  build up.  The breakdown of bad cholesterol also contributes to plaque build-up. This build-up narrows arteries and makes them less flexible, which lowers the blood flow to vital organs, including the heart.  Studies show that white blood cells and platelets that can build up become much less “sticky” with daily doses of Vitamin C. Those with lower levels of Vitamin C were also more likely to have heart disease and have narrowed blood vessels in their legs and feet.  The biggest danger of atherosclerosis is having a heart attack or stroke as a result of less blood getting to our hearts or brains. Studies also show that Vitamin C keeps heart valves from stiffening, making for fewer cardiac crisese.

HELP LOWER BLOOD PRESSURE

A close relative to heart disease, high blood pressure means that there is more pressure inside of your blood vessels, either when the heart is actually pumping, at rest, or both.  Too much blood in the vessels from too much salt in the diet or from other diseases can cause too much pressure in the blood vessels.  Stiff blood vessel walls can also raise blood pressure. Consistent high blood pressure can cause damage to the lining of your blood vessels, thickening them and making it hard for blood to get through to your vital organs.  High blood pressure can damage your kidneys, your heart, and your brain, leading to strokes, dementia, and heart failure. Studies with subjects taking Vitamin C supplements showed that their blood pressure dropped. Some studies also suggest that Vitamin C may prevent early births by controlling high blood pressure in pregnant women.

Help Asthma Sufferers

Studies show that people with asthma may have lower levels of Vitamin C than others, making it likely that greater intake of Vitamin C will help. Those taking Vitamin C supplements had fewer asthma symptoms from exercising and from environmental triggers. Other studies show that those taking Vitamin C supplements needed less medicine for their asthma.

HELP FIGHT CANCER

Vitamin C can help fight cancer at every stage. Some studies say it might even help prevent it.  Still more studies show that Vitamin C helps both to promote the good effects of chemotherapy, and reduce the toxic side effects of it. It may also lower your risk of a harmful stomach bacteria and lower your gastric cancer risk.

HELP WITH DIABETES 

Recent data shows that in the United States 25.8 million children and adults–that’s a whopping 8.3 percent– have diabetes.  According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), if current trends continue, 1 in 3 Americans will have diabetes by 2050.  Diabetes, one of the top three disabilities in the US, has many causes, but one of the most predominant is an unhealthy diet and lifestyle.  Studies demonstrate that Vitamin C can lower blood sugar to reduce the risk of getting diabetes, and improve the symptoms of existing cases.

AND…

And that’s not the end of it.  Studies show that the power of Vitamin C may help reduce the risk of an eye disease that can make you blind as you age, reduce the bad effects of smoking or exposure to second-hand smoke, reduce body mass index to help prevent obesity and lessen soreness from free radicals released during exercising.  But unlike most animals, humans cannot produce their own Vitamin C.  To get the Vitamin C you need, look for it in supplement form and in Vitamin C rich foods like red peppers, kiwi, and broccoli.   Just note that chopping, cutting and storing foods can deplete their Vitamin C content.

As mentioned, many people rely on supplements to get the amount of Vitamin C they need to stay healthy. How much you need depends on your age, stress level, degree of health and what medicines you take.  A general rule of thumb is to take from one to four grams of Vitamin C per day, with much larger amounts needed for those with severe illnesses.  It is always best to consult with your doctor to determine what is best for you.

Just remember – there’s no need to go overboard with your Vitamin C intake to get its health benefits. It’s as easy as good nutrition and a healthy dietary supplement.

Resources:

http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/vitamin-c-000339.htm

http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2008/apr2008_Newly-Discovered-Benefits-Of-Vitamin-C_01.htm

http://www.naturalnews.com/032027_vitamin_C_immune_system.html

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/high-blood-pressure/HI00062

http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/diabetes-statistics/

http://smartypantsvitamins.com/5-benefits-of-vitamin-c/

7 Health Benefits of Vitamin C

Vitamin C, or ascorbic acid, 

is a water-soluble nutrient that is vital to all creatures. Foods that are especially rich in vitamin C are parsley, broccoli, bell peppers, strawberries, oranges, lemon juice, papaya, cauliflower, kale, mustard greens and Brussels sprouts. Here are seven health benefits of vitamin C.

Immunity

Not only is vitamin C a well-known component of your immune system, it is also necessary for collagen, the main structural protein found in connective tissue. A healthy dose of vitamin C will protect your body from infection and maintain healthy bones and teeth, as well as quicken the body's ability to repair wounds. 

Common Cold

Along with its immune functions that fight against bacteria, viruses, and infection, vitamin C also serves as an effective antihistamine that will lessen the unpleasant effects of the common cold, including inflammation, stuffy nose and aches.

Antioxidant 

Vitamin C is a powerful and effective antioxidant that protects our bodies from free radicals that cause oxidative stress. Excessive oxidative stress, or "cellular rust," can lead to a host of severe medical conditions, such as atherosclerosis that can cause both heart disease and stroke, and is associated with many different types of cancer, including lung, mouth, throat, colon, stomach and esophagus. Vitamin C also helps to regenerate your supplies of vitamin E (another useful antioxidant).

Hypertension

Vitamin C has been shown to lower blood pressure, and therefore lessen the probability of hypertension, as well as the serious health problems that follow, such as cardiovascular disease. 

Blood Vessels

Along with lowering your blood pressure, vitamin C ensures proper dilation of blood vessels, which can prevents such diseases as atherosclerosis, high cholesterol, congestive heart failure, and angina pectoris (a inadequate supply of blood to the heart that causes severe chest pains).

Lead Toxicity 

Vitamin C dramatically lowers your blood lead level. This is especially important for children living in urban areas, as studies have shown that lead toxicity can lead to behavioral and developmental problems, such as learning disabilities and lowered IQ. Adults, moreover, may suffer from kidney damage and high blood pressure. 

Cataracts

The lens of the human eye requires vitamin C to function properly, and a deficiency can lead to cataracts (a condition in which the lens becomes increasingly opaque, causing blurry vision). A higher intake of vitamin C has been shown to fight cataracts by increasing the amount of blood flow to the eye.

The health benefits of vitamin C

The health benefits of vitamin C go well beyond a stronger immune system

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/032027_vitamin_C_immune_system.html#ixzz2LWsoDGC6

(NaturalNews) Vitamin C is perhaps best known for its ability to strengthen the immune system. But this potent nutrient also has many other important roles that control significant aspects of our health.

When we get enough in our diets, vitamin C helps detoxify our bodies, promotes healing of all of our cells, and allows us to better deal with stress. It also supports the good bacteria in our gut, destroys detrimental bacteria and viruses, neutralizes harmful free radicals, removes heavy metals, protects us from pollution, and much more.

Unfortunately, most Americans are not getting anywhere near enough of this vitamin to experience these health benefits. That's especially true for our children.

One reason why we fall so short is that our diet simply does not consist of nearly enough raw fruits and vegetables. Another reason is that the RDA of 90 mg for vitamin C is set much too low, which is the same problem we see with vitamin D. Such a low RDA leads people into a false sense of security that they are meeting their daily requirements. It also makes them wary of taking the much higher dosages that are required for good health.

So the question becomes just how much vitamin C does a human need? A good starting point is to look at animals that are able to synthesize their own vitamin C.

All animals except humans, primates, guinea pigs, and a handful of other species are able to make their own vitamin C. We know that the vast majority of animals make approximately 30 mg per kg of body weight. That works out to be about 2 grams of vitamin C for a 150 pound person. We also know that when animals are under stress, injured, or sick, they can make up to ten times more vitamin C than their normal daily requirements.

Since humans are unable to make vitamin C, we must get it from our diets. When the differences in body weights are equalized, primates and guinea pigs consume 20 to 80 times the RDA suggested amount. The great apes, our closest living relatives, require anywhere from 2-6 grams (2,000 - 6,000 mg) of Vitamin C per day under normal healthy conditions.

How much we humans need can be a bit more complicated, as it depends on many variables such as diet, age, stress level, amount of exposure to pollutants, amount of medications we take, and overall health. A generic amount is around 1-4 grams per day for a healthy individual. People with serious illnesses will need much, much more.

Excellent food sources of this potent nutrient include rose hips, acerola cherries, and camu camu fruit. More common produce such as chili peppers, red peppers, parsley, kiwifruit, and broccoli are also good sources. It is important to note that most of the vitamin C in foods will be destroyed with cutting, cooking, storing, and other forms of processing.

As far as supplements are concerned, natural vitamin C complexes are much more potent than the common and less expensive ascorbate forms. However, someone that needs a lot of vitamin C will find that the natural complexes can be cost prohibitive. Mineral ascorbates and ascorbic acid are acceptable forms to take for reaping all of vitamin C's many health benefits. Just be sure to look for vitamin C supplements that are non-GMO, as the vast majority of these supplements come from GMO corn.

Sources:

http://www.how-to-boost-your-immune-system.com/benefits-of-vitamin-c....

http://www.how-to-boost-your-immune-system.com/best-vitamin-c.html

http://www.vitamincfoundation.org 

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/032027_vitamin_C_immune_system.html#ixzz2LWtA7qBE