Vitamin C

What is vitamin C?

Vitamin C, or ascorbic acid, is probably the best-known vitamin. It is most often associated with citrus fruit and is known for its ability to boost the immune system, increasing the body's resistance to infections like cold and flu in winter.

Vitamin C is an antioxidant that performs a variety of roles in the body. It helps to promote healthy gums and teeth, aids in mineral absorption, and helps heal wounds.

This vitamin is also a water-soluble vitamin that is expressed quantitatively as milligrams.

What vitamin C does for you

Vitamin C is essential for the production and maintenance of collagen, which ensures the cohesion of the cells in the skin, gums and tendons. It also ensures that wounds heal properly and enables white blood cells to fight infection.

Vitamin C helps prevent infections, and neutralizes free radicals, the agents that trigger ageing and changes in DNA that can lead to cancer.

Which foods have vitamin C?

Papaya, guava, berries, green peppers, rose hips, broccoli, strawberries, kiwi fruit, citrus fruit such as oranges, lemons and naartjies, cabbage and cauliflower.
Signs of vitamin C deficiency

You’re likely to suffer from vitamin C deficiency if you smoke, are exposed to pollution, drink caffeine in any form, are under stress, are recovering from illness or surgery, take aspirin regularly or are over the age of 55.

If you bruise easily, are susceptible to infections and colds, lack energy, have gums that bleed easily and have nosebleeds regularly, it’s likely that you need more vitamin C.

How much vitamin C is too much?

Taking more than 5 000mg (5g) or more may cause diarrhoea and may be harmful to the liver. People who suffer from kidney stones should also avoid large doses.
New research on vitamin C

Vitamin C supplements have been shown to reduce the risk of developing cataracts later in life.
New research also shows that vitamin C may help prevent heart disease and cancer.
People who eat a diet rich in this vitamin may also be at lower risk of suffering strokes, and smokers who do so may benefit the most, research shows.