More than 200 years ago, any man who joined the crew of a seagoing ship knew he had only half a chance of returning alive - not because he might be slain by pirates or die in a storm, but because he might contract scurvy, a disease that often killed as many as 2/3 of a ships crew on a long voyage.
The first nutrition experiment to be conducted on human beings was devised 250 years ago, to find a cure for scurvy. A physician divided some British sailors with scurvy into groups. Each group received a different test substance: vinegar, sulfuric acid, seawater, oranges, or lemons. Those receiving the citrus fruits were cured within a short time.
Sadly it took 50 years for the British navy to make use of the information and require all its vessels to provide lime juice to every sailor daily. This is why British sailors are sometimes called Limeys! The vitamin in these fruits are called ascorbic acid, which literally means "no-scurvy-acid." It is more commonly known today as Vitamin C.
Vitamin C assists several enzymes in performing their jobs. In particular, the enzymes involved in the formation and maintenance of the protein collagen depend on vitamin C for their activity. Collagen forms the base for all of the connective tissues: bones, teeth, skin, and tendons.
In addition to assisting enzymes, vitamin C also acts in a more general way as an antioxidant. Vitamin C protects substances found in foods and in the body from oxidation by being oxidized itself. For example: cells of the immune system maintain high levels of vitamin C to protect themselves from free radicals generated during assaults on bacteria and other invaders. Some oxidized vitamin C is degraded irretrievably and must be replaced by the diet. In layman's term, vitamin C sacrifices itself to help protect the body.
In the intestines, vitamin C protects iron from oxidation as well. In the blood, vitamin C protects sensitive blood constituents from oxidation, reduces inflammation, and helps to protect vitamin E and recycle it to its active form. The antioxidant roles of vitamin C are the focus of extensive study, especially in relation to disease prevention.
Unfortunately, research has yielded only disappointing results. Vitamin C supplements seem useless against heart disease, cancer, and other diseases! Vitamin C supplements can only help cure deficiencies.
What happens if you don't get enough vitamin C in your daily diet? You can come down with scurvy, with pinpoint hemorrhages, fatigue, bleeding gums, bruises; bone fragility, joint pain; poor wound healing, and frequent infections.
The recommended intake for vitamin C is 90mg for men per day, 75mg for women per day, and if you're a smoker add an extra 35mg each day.
Now, it is possible to get to much vitamin C! The tolerable upper intake levels is 2000mg per day. When taking to much vitamin C you can become nauseated, have abdominal cramps, diarrhea and rashes. It can interfere with medical tests and drug therapies, and in some cases aggravate gout or kidney stones.
Just like junk food, vitamins also should be taken with moderation. You want just enough, not to little and not to much!
Please make use of this list to help your body get enough vitamin C!
Orange juice (1/2cup = 62 mg)
Sweet red pepper (raw - 1/2cup = 142mg)
Brussels sprouts (cooked - 1/2cup = 48mg)
Sweet potatoes ( 1/2cup = 20mg)
Strawberries ( 1/2cup = 42mg)
Feel free to message me with for a longer list of good sources of vitamin C, or if you have any other questions! My ask is always open, with no judgment.
