Foods high in Vitamin C
Foods high in Vitamin C |
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Vitamin C Rich Foods List
Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is possibly the most well known vitamin of all. It performs a variety of vital functions for health. You should therefore ensure that you are getting adequate supplies each day. Vitamin C is an extremely valuable vitamin as it plays a part in so many body functions, including maintaining and repairing body tissue; strengthening blood vessels; and absorbing calcium in order to assist in the formation of bones and teeth. It also helps to maintain resistance to infections and lowers levels of blood cholesterol. Finally, it aids the absorption of iron from food so that it can be utilized by the body, thus preventing anaemia. Because vitamin C is water-soluble the body is unable to store it, so the supply must be replenished daily either from high vitamin C foods or from supplements.
A point to remember is that we gain a good amount of the nutrient from potatoes, they are generally NOT a high vitamin C food source, however, they make an important contribution because they are often eaten in large quantities.
The RNI* for vitamin C for an average adult (not including pregnant or lactating women) is 40mg per day. Consult your doctor before increasing intake of any nutrient or changing your diet in any way!
A List of Rich Sources of Vitamin C
"Citrus fruit is an important high source of vitamin C because, although the nutrient is present in vegetables, it is fragile and can easily be destroyed by the cooking process".
What if you're not getting vitamin C from rich foods?A lack of vitamin C will almost certainly result in scurvy. In this disease, blood vessels break down and there is bleeding into the skin, joints and from the gums. teeth become loose, bruises appear, resistance to infection is lowered and anaemia may result. Even in less extreme cases of deficiency, similar symptoms occur, together with listlessness, nose bleeds and swollen painful joints. Who Needs Vitamin C?Those who are pregnant or breast-feeding, babies who are bottle-fed on cow's milk and are not drinking orange juice, and children who refuse high vitamin C foods, may need to take a vitamin C supplement. The elderly, whose ability to absorb vitamins decreases with age and whose diets may not be as balanced as they should be, also need extra vitamin C. Women on the pill, particularly those who have been on it for many years, may need to increase their vitamin C intake as estrogen is involved in a process which renders the nutrient inactive. Those who smoke and drink heavily have lower levels of vitamin C and therefore require additional amounts. During illness and before and after surgery, and during convalescence, especially when aspirin and antibiotics are being taken, there should be a vitamin C supplementation. finally, anyone who has an unbalanced diet, with lots of canteen or take-away meals, should have more vitamin C as such food is kept hot for long periods and so loses its vitamin C content. Body Balance liquid offers naturally occurring vitamins
RNI* = REFERENCE NUTRIENT INTAKE - a UK dietary reference value! It means an amount of a nutrient that is enough for almost every individual, even someone who has high needs for the nutrient. This level of intake is, therefore, considerably higher than most people need. If individuals are consuming the RNI of a nutrient, they are most unlikely to be deficient in that nutrient. For more information on UK dietary reference values follow the next link: http://www.nutrition.org.uk/upload/DRVs.pdf
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