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By
Diane Forrest, RN
It
was in 1984 when I first became introduced to Vitamin C. I was never much of a fan of vitamins. When I was younger my mother used to give me
these multivitamins, not the good chewable Flintstone vitamins, but these
little orange multivitamins from Upjohn. It tasted like cod liver oil (or what I
imagine cod liver oil would taste like) and every morning when she gave one to
me, I would make a trip to the bathroom and flush it. However, when I was away from home, going to
college I had started to develop that "you are fixing to get a cold"
feeling. You know the one, scratchy
throat, watery eyes, and sniffles. I was
at the home of my future mother in law, who happened to also work part time as
a pharmacist assistant, and she gave me some Vitamin C. She instructed me to take one a day until the
cold symptoms passed. I followed her
instructions, and the full blown cold never occurred, and I have been a
believer ever since.
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Many
sources disprove the benefits of Vitamin C and the common cold, but I have
always had positive results when using it.
Vitamin C is also beneficial with other health problems. Scurvy, a disease caused by the depletion of
Vitamin C, has been around for centuries.
In 400 B.C Hippocrates wrote about it.
It mainly affected travelers on the seas, because do to their long voyages;
they were not able to transport fruits and vegetables without them
spoiling. Scurvy was not related to
vitamin C deficiency until 1932. Other
benefits of Vitamin C include, but are not fully supported, treatment of
pneumonia, lowering uric acid levels for the treatment of gout, and decreasing
the chance of strokes.
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When
I take Vitamin C, I normally take 1000 milligrams in the morning and at night,
however consult your doctor for your personal dosage. Supplements are a good way to monitor your intake;
however Vitamin C is found naturally in Citrus fruits, dark green leafy
vegetables and even small amounts occurring in meat and dairy.
Plant source
|
Amount
(mg / 100g)
|
Kakadu
plum
|
1000-5300
|
Camu
Camu
|
2800
|
Acerola
|
1677]
|
Seabuckthorn
|
695
|
Mica
Muro
|
500
|
Indian
gooseberry
|
445
|
Rose
hip
|
426
|
Baobab
|
400
|
Chili
pepper (green)
|
244
|
Guava
(common, raw)
|
228.3
|
Blackcurrant
|
200
|
Red
pepper
|
190
|
Chili
pepper (red)
|
144
|
Parsley
|
130
|
Kiwifruit
|
90
|
Broccoli
|
90
|
Loganberry
|
80
|
Redcurrant
|
80
|
Brussels
sprouts
|
80
|
Wolfberry
(Goji)
|
73 †
|
Lychee
|
70
|
Persimmon
(native, raw)
|
66.0
|
Cloudberry
|
60
|
Elderberry
|
60
|
60
|
|
60
|
|
50
|
|
41
|
|
40
|
|
Melon, cantaloupe
|
40
|
40
|
|
31
|
|
30
|
|
30
|
|
30
|
|
30
|
|
30
|
|
30
|
|
Cabbage raw green
|
30
|
30
|
|
28
|
|
21
|
|
20
|
|
Melon, honeydew
|
20
|
Tomato,
red
|
13.7
|
13
|
|
Tomato
|
10
|
Blueberry
|
10
|
Pineapple
|
10
|
Pawpaw
|
10
|
Grape
|
10
|
Apricot
|
10
|
Plum
|
10
|
Watermelon
|
10
|
Banana
|
9
|
Carrot
|
9
|
Avocado
|
8
|
Crabapple
|
8
|
Persimmon
(Japanese, fresh)
|
7.5
|
Onion
|
7.4
|
Cherry
|
7
|
Peach
|
7
|
Apple
|
6
|
Asparagus
|
6
|
Horned
melon
|
5.3
|
Beetroot
|
5
|
Chokecherry
|
5
|
Pear
|
4
|
Lettuce
|
4
|
Cucumber
|
3
|
Eggplant
|
2
|
Raisin
|
2
|
Fig
|
2
|
Bilberry
|
1
|
0.3
|
Today is Vitamin C Day, a great way to start the day is with
a nice ice cold glass of orange juice! It tastes good, and is good for
you.
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For more information about Vitamin C, click here: http://www.webmd.com/diet/guide/the-benefits-of-vitamin-c
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