The well-known Vitamin C is probably one of the most talked about vitamins out there, but how much do you know about it really? It is also known as ascorbic acid and it is a vital important substance that we all need to survive. The base function of Vitamin C is to act as an antioxidant. These antioxidants help reduce damage to the bodies cells caused by free radical cells loose in the body. Most animals produce their own vitamin C and can even adjust the amount their bodies produce. An ill animal can immediately release ten times their normal vitamin C into their body. Unfortunately, humans are the rare exception and we have to consume food or drinks with Vitamin C supplements in them.

The Vitamin C Benefits

The key point of this vitamin is to keep your immune system healthy and working a peak performance. If you for some reason were not aware of this, your immune system fights off everything from the common cold to cancer. Keeping your immune system healthy with strong sources of Vitamin C isn’t really optional. Either you find rich Vitamin C foods or you are just not going to live for very long. The really is no reason not to find good sources of Vitamin C, anyways. Vitamin C is water-soluble. Which means it can be dissolved into water and a whole host of other beverages.

Commonly you will find Vitamin C in things like orange juice and other fresh squeezed juices. Some of these items will even be sold in stores with Vitamin C benefits listed on them. Some of those benefits are obvious while others are a little more recluse. Vitamin C promotes a healthy circulatory system but strengthening blood cells. It also regulates cholesterol levels in the bloodstream. In a nutshell, this means less chance of a heart attack. The antioxidant benefits also help the human body manage stress, which reduces things like chronic fatigue.The adrenal glands carry the highest levels of Vitamin C in the body and for good reason. They release the most oxidants and free radicals when the body is stressed. Basically, Vitamin C is detox for the human body.

Vitamin C: Required By All

If you haven’t figured it out already, Vitamin C is something that every person on Earth needs to ingest some of if they want to continue living a strong and healthy life, or living at all for that matter. The problem is that our Vitamin C is polluted by a polluted planet Earth. Toxic agents and chemicals have made their way into the Earth’s soil, the very soil that we grow our food in. Scientists with the USFDA say that there is thirty percent less Vitamin C in today’s broccoli than the broccoli of thirty years ago. It stands to reason that we all require more Vitamin C than we are receiving in our regular diets.

So what is the good news in all of this? There are plenty of Natural Vitamin C and ascorbic acid supplements on the market today. If you can’t find a source of Vitamin C in your local grocery store, then you are simply not looking. Whether you want to take Vitamin C in pill for or drink some sort of protein shake, you will find it in a store near you. If you are feeling picky then go to a vitamin store or health store chain. You might even be able to find ascorbic acid powder. You should also be able to find such ingredients online for better prices than you will in grocery stores.

How Much Vitamin C Is Enough?

The answer to this question is highly dependent on your current health situation. If your body is strong then you definitely do not need as much as a severely ill person. However, it would be very wise to take some extra Vitamin C anyways as you want to stay healthy for as long as humanly possible. On the other side of the stick, you should obviously take enough Vitamin C to prevent something such as Scurvy, which is a severe Vitamin C deficiency. The normal minimum for Vitamin C intake is less than a hundred milligrams. However, that low an amount will make a chain smoker Vitamin C deficient. Also, any serious health event like cancer, heart attacks, strokes and other serious ones have a tendency to make the body need even more Vitamin C. Just something to think about the next time you are passing up those vitamins.

When To Take Vitamin C & It’s Side Effects

The simplest way to ingest more Vitamin C is to just eat more foods that are really rich in it. Such foods are oranges, grapefruits, limes, cherries, lemons, strawberries, guavas, mangoes, pineapple, dark leafy greens, sweet peppers, broccoli, tomatoes, cauliflower, papaya, melon, bananas, kiwi and green peas. Basically… Anything you would consider healthy to eat in the first place. So there really is no excuse for you not to eat at least some of this. Considering all the other key nutrients that these foods provide, you should be eating them anyways. If you’re not… Well, don’t tell your doctor that you aren’t. He might start flipping tables.

Really the problem is that you would have to eat almost thirty oranges a day to get to a thousand milligrams of Vitamin C. So, taking vitamin pills and other Vitamin C supplements is preferred, unless you are up to the challenge of eating thirty oranges tomorrow. As for the side effects of Vitamin C… Are you really asking? There are no side effects of Vitamin C. You’re going to feel great. Unless you are one of the few that has a slight allergy to high doses of Vitamin C, then you have nothing to worry about. It’s not like those other pills you take that have a long list of nasty side effects. So take your Vitamin C and like it! Literally.