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Vitamin C, also known as Absorbic Acid, is an important antioxidant that helps
boost immune systems. It is a CCU (critical component unit) in healing wounds and maintaining healthy
blood vessels.
Vitamin C provides intensive care:
- It reduces risks for minor illnesses such as common colds
- It fights major body infections
- It may fight eye diseases and delay the formation of cataracts
- It helps in the fight against radical diseases such as some cancers
It's a water-soluble vitamin that travels freely through the body and excess amounts are
excreted easily by the kidneys. A body needs frequent, small doses of Vitamin C and it is unlikely to
ever reach toxic levels.
Vitamin C is one of the least stable, most fragile vitamins:
- It's easily oxidized in air
- It's sensitive to light
- It is lost or destroyed by cooking, especially when cooking with water, since Vitamin C is mostly contained in the watery parts of fruits and vegetables
- Instead, steaming vegetables is the preferred preparation method since it minimizes the loss of Vitamin C
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RDA – children
- Ages 4-8: 25 mg
- Ages 9-13: 45 mg
- Ages 14-18: 65-75 mg
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In extreme cases, scurvy, the oldest known disease of nutritional deficiency, causes
bleeding gums, bruises and reduced resistance to colds and infections.
Moderate cases show symptoms of:
- Slow wound healing
- Easy bruising
- Fatigue
- Gastrointestinal problems
- Chronic gingivitis
- Impaired formation/maintenance of collagen
- Impaired multiple hormonal functions
- Reduced insulin production
- Vascular degeneration
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- Anemia
- Shortness of breath
- Nosebleeds/frequent infections
- Depression
- Increased risk for various cancers
- Dermatitis
- Arthritis
- Some types of male infertility
- Gallstone formation
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Smoking increases the body’s demand for Vitamin C,
increasing the RDA by 25 mg. more than non-smokers.
Vitamin C is non-toxic even at high consumption, however, excessive Vitamin C intake can cause:
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Diarrhea
Insomnia
Headaches
PMS
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Abdominal Cramps
Irritability
Hypo-glycemia
Reduced Estrogen
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High Stomach Acid
Joint Pains
Weakness
Reduced Progesterone
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Increased Urination
Osteoporosis
Anemia
Reduced Prolactin
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| Individuals who are likely to be Vitamin C deficient are people suffering from: |
AIDS
Cancer
Infection (prolonged)
Stomach Ulcer Surgical removal
of stomach
Patients using an artificial kidney
(on hemodialysis) |
Alcoholism
Diarrhea (prolonged)
Intestinal diseases
Stress (continuing) Overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism)
Patients who undergo surgery
Children and/or adults with compromised immune systems
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Burns
Fever (prolonged)
Smokers
Tuberculosis
Infants receiving unfortified formulas
Individuals who are exposed to long periods of cold temperatures |
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Sources:
USDA - Nutrient Data Lab (Sept. 1996)
USDA School Meals Initiative for Healthy Children
US Dept of health and Human Services, Guidelines for School health programs to Promote Lifelong Healthy Eating, June 1996
CNN.com, Food Resource Planner
2004 President and Fellows of Harvard College.
AHA Science Advisory: Stanol/Sterol Ester-Containing Foods and Blood Cholesterol Levels, #71-0201 Circulation. 2001;103:1177
Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, School Lunch Report, August 2004
WebMD Health
National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements
AHA Conference Proceedings: Summary of the Scientific Conference on Dietary Fatty Acids and Cardiovascular Health, #71-0200 Circulation. 2001;103:1034-1039
Journal of Epidemiology (May, 1992)
The Vitamin and Nutrition Center, 2004
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