Vitamin Supplementing

Today's lifestyles make it more necessary to supplement our diets. There are groups of people to whom supplementing may really not be a choice.

This will include you if;
i) You are sixty five years and older:- At this age some vitamins are not easily absorbed by your body system. Multivitamins may improve your immunity and lower risk of some infections.

ii) You are a post menopausal woman:- Supplement with calcium and vitamin D to help against osteoporosis.

iii) You do not eat the recommended five servings of fruit and vegetables a day.

iv) You are on a low calorie diet. E.g. You are trying to lose weight

v) You smoke -The tobacco interferes and diminishes vitamin uptake of vitamins like vitamin B6, vitamin C, folic acid and even niacin.
Ps: This will not make up for the health risk of smoking.

vi) You drink excessively that is more than a bottle a day. Long term excessive drinking will reduce absorption of vitamins. Vitamins affected are thiamin (Vitamin B), Folic acid, Vitamin A & D, as well as Vitamin B12.

vii) You are pregnant or trying to be pregnant.

There is a wide choice of vitamin supplements in the markets to choose from. When choosing vitamins, consider the following:-
a) Bioavailability of the vitamin: Choose vitamins supplements whose source of ingredients is from the human food chain. Many vitamins are extracted from "natural sources", like algae, which we do not normally eat. This may not be easily available to your body.

b) Wide spectrum of vitamins: Prefer to use multivitamins that give a number of positively interacting vitamins. Remember we require all nutrients in varying quantities. It is better to have a multivitamin providing daily values instead of megadoses of a single or few vitamins.

c) Expiry date of the vitamin: Vitamins do expire. Buy to use only for the month. When you need more you can always purchase again.

d) Store Vitamins safely: Store in a cool dry place away from sunlight and children

e) Health concern: If you have a health condition e.g diabetes or having medication, please first consult your physician.

Also note, if you are in a weight loss program you need to consider your vitamin intake and find out if you your meal plans have any deficiencies. If there are, supplement.

About Vitamin C - The Wonder Vitamin?

Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid) may possibly be a "wonder vitamin" in some people's books. A lot of claims have been made for it in the past few years, not the least of which was Dr. Linus Pauling's claims for its ability to prevent and lessen the duration and intensity of the common cold when taken in large doses.

Unfortunately, although vitamin C is anti-viral and does support the immune system, it is not necessarily a magic bullet that will defeat the common cold or even cancer! In fact, some recent studies seem to be indicating that Dr. Pauling's claims might be a little overstated.

Vitamin C, like most other vitamins and mineral supplements primarily helps the body do its job effectively. Deficiencies of vitamin C CAN predispose the body to certain ills, and proper intake either through daily diet or vitamin supplementation can HELP prevent certain conditions and illnesses. Vitamins and mineral supplements should never be used as the only path to health, but should be part of a lifestyle that includes overall attention to nutrition, activity (okay, exercise), proper rest and sleep, and enjoyable forms of recreation and relaxation. I personally would throw in yoga and meditation, but those are MY enjoyable forms of recreation, relaxation, and exercise, I guess. You will have to find what works best for you.

SOURCES
Vitamin C is a water soluble vitamin, and, as such, is not stored in the body. This means it must be regularly replaced by diet and/or supplementation. The most commonly recognized sources of vitamin C are citrus and other fruits - oranges, tangerines, limes, guava, lemons, papayas, strawberries, black currants, grapefruit and mangoes - as well as a wide range of vegetables. Some vegetables which contain Vitamin C include collard greens, sweet and hot peppers, broccoli, tomatoes, brussel sprouts, cabbage, potatoes, kale, spinach, and watercress.

Just How Much Vitamin C Do You Need For Optimum Health?

Many benefits of vitamin C have been identified since the consumption of citrus fruit was first recognised as the immediately effective cure and preventative for the scurvy which so dreadfully afflicted the long distance sailors of a few centuries ago.

Numerous studies have recognised the vitamin as a possible protector against coronary heart disease, stroke, atherosclerosis, hypertension and cancer, to name but a few, and it is possible that all of these effects stem ultimately from vitamin C's acknowledged role as a powerful anti-oxidant, active in preventing the free radical damage which is a known cause of premature ageing and many chronic degenerative diseases.

So the absence of acute deficiency diseases such as scurvy in modern affluent societies should not be taken as implying that the typical Western diet contains an adequate intake of vitamin C for optimum long-term health.

The United States Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for vitamin C is 90 mg per day for a healthy, non-smoking man and 75 mg for a woman. But these suggested requirements are increased to 125mg and 110 mg respectively in the case of smokers, a tacit acknowledgement of the increased requirement for this vitamin which increased toxic stress places on the body. But these RDAs nevertheless appear to be set at a level sufficient only to avoid outright deficiency disease.

To be sure of obtaining all the optimum benefits of vitamin C, the authoritative Linus Pauling Institute has recommended a daily minimum intake of at least 400 mg. This amount has been shown to achieve saturation levels of the vitamin within the body's tissues in healthy young adults who are non-smokers. To get this in perspective, even the consumption of the recommended five daily servings of fruits and vegetables may provide just 200 mg of vitamin C, whilst even commercial multi-vitamin supplements typically provide only around 60 mg.

AFFECTS

Vitamin C is a nutrient valuable for tissue growth, protection of cell membranes from toxic wastes, wound healing, and, as mentioned, support of the immune system. It supports the growth of collagen and cartilage, protecting in this way against many of the effects of aging.

As an antioxidant, vitamin C helps combat free radicals, and it may help with cancer, high cholesterol, cataracts, diabetes, allergies, asthma, and periodontal disease.
The effectiveness of vitamin C is believed to be increased when taken with vitamin E.

DOSES
The recommended daily intake of Vitamin C is 60 mg per day for adults, although many people, following Dr. Pauling's lead, take much higher doses in hopes of preventing colds and warding off the effects of aging. However, in higher doses there may be some toxicity with one of the side effects being diarrhea. In some cases, higher doses of vitamin C may cause kidney stones or anemia, due to an interference with the absorption of vitamin B12.

A reminder: vitamin C is water soluble, and unused portions will be flushed from the body, so daily intake of foods rich in vitamin C or supplementation with a multivitamin may be of value.

While there do not seem to be major problems associated with an high doses of Vitamin C, it might a good idea to stick within recommended daily allowances since the jury is still out on side effects.

DEFICIENCIES
The most well-known result of a vitamin C deficiency is scurvy, a condition characterized by weakness, anemia, gum disease, and skin lesions. Fortunately, scurvy is very rare in our modern society although still found to a greater degree in areas of poor nutrition.

Frequent infections, severe colds, nose bleeds, tiredness, and painful joints may also indicate a deficiency.

Vitamin C - Benefits, Deficiency Symptoms And Food Sources

Vitamin C is a water soluble and an antioxidant vitamin. Vitamin C is also known as ascorbic acid. It is one of the more readily available vitamins for most people around the world. Commercial vitamin C is often a mix of ascorbic acid, sodium ascorbate and/or other ascorbates.

Vitamin C is a nutrient required in very small amounts to allow a range of essential metabolic reactions in the body. Vitamin C is principally known as a water-soluble anti-oxidant and has been found to prevent scurvy. It is also known by the chemical name of its principal form, L-ascorbic acid or simply ascorbic acid.

Functions and benefits of Vitamin C
Vitamin C is required for the growth and repair of tissues in all parts of body. It is necessary to form collagen, an important protein used to make skin, scar tissue, tendons, ligaments, and blood vessels. Vitamin C is essential for the healing of wounds, and for the repair and maintenance of cartilage, bones, and teeth.

Vitamin C is one of many antioxidants. Vitamin E and beta-carotene are two other well-known antioxidants. Antioxidants are nutrients that block some of the damage caused by free radicals, which are by-products that result when our bodies transform food into energy.

Vitamin C also helps prevent atherosclerosis by strenghtening the artery walls through its participation in the synthesis of collagen, and by preventing the undesirable adhesion of white blood cells to damaged arteries. An adequate intake of the vitamin is highly protective against stroke and heart attack.

Recommended Dosage for Vitamin C
Early US and Canadian RDAs suggested that 20 mg of Vitamin C per day would prevent scurvy; and, to leave a margin of error, 40 mg per day was recommended. Later, concerns that Vitamin C is destroyed by storage and cooking, and that food estimates of Vitamin C content may be misleading, lead to the increase in RDA to 60 mg per day.

Food sources of Vitamin C
Some excellent sources of vitamin C are oranges, green peppers, watermelon, papaya, grapefruit, cantaloupe, strawberries, kiwi, mango, broccoli, tomatoes, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, cabbage, and citrus juices or juices fortified with Vitamin C. Meat, fish, poultry, eggs, and dairy products contain much smaller amounts, and cereal grains contain essentially none. Losses of vitamin C occur when foods are cooked in large amounts of water, exposed to extensive heating, or exposed to air.

Deficiency Symptoms of Vitamin C
Symptoms of the vitamin C deficiency disease called scurvy - including bleeding gums and skin discoloration due to ruptured blood vessels - are rare in the U.S. Poor wound healing, however, is not rare, and can be a symptom of vitamin C deficiency. Weak immune function, including susceptibility to colds and other infections, can also be a telltale sign of vitamin C deficiency. Since the lining of our respiratory tract also depend heavily on vitamin C for protection, respiratory infection and other lung-related conditions can also be symptomatic of vitamin C deficiency.

A deficiency in vitamin C will result in a loss of collagen, which means the body will tend to bruise easier, as well as bleed, and be unable to form supportive scar tissue - a critical factor in healing. Symptoms include fatigue, depression, and connective tissue defects. In infants and children, bone growth may be impaired.

Vitamin C - A Natural Remedy For High Cholesterol

Cholesterol: two words that strike fear into the hearts of many people. High cholesterol: something that can strike more than fear into a person’s heart if it goes untreated. Conventional medications for the treatment of high cholesterol may or may not be effective, but they certainly cause side effects: muscle pain, nausea, and if taken for too long, liver damage. Clearly medication is not a long-term measure, which is why many people try to find a natural remedy for high cholesterol; something that can lower cholesterol levels, and keep them down. Is Vitamin C a natural remedy for high cholesterol? That is what we will discuss in this article. But first…

The Skinny on Cholesterol
The truth is that most of the cholesterol in your body does not come from the diet, but is produced by your own body. What? How could your own body do such a thing to you! But cholesterol is vital for the body to function, as it is used in cell repair and maintenance. When doctors or nutritionists talk about high cholesterol, they are referring to the amount of cholesterol in the blood. Cholesterol travels in the blood so that it can be used anywhere in the body as and when it is needed. However, if blood levels become too high, cholesterol deposits itself onto the walls of your arteries, as a kind of “plaque.” As the cholesterol builds up, the blood has less and less space to travel through the arteries. This causes a build-up in pressure, and high cholesterol easily leads onto hypertension, and hypertension severely increases the risk of heart disease, heart attack, and stroke.

So, a natural remedy for high cholesterol must seek to lower cholesterol in the blood, rather than eliminating it all together. What natural supplement could help in this?

Vitamin C’s role in High Cholesterol Treatment
Vitamin C is considered an excellent natural remedy for high cholesterol because of its properties in dealing with the effects of high cholesterol and because it actively reduces cholesterol levels in the blood.