Do not miss the three most basic nutrients – Calcium, Vitamin B and Vitamin C.
Early discovery
Double Noble Prize winner Linus Pauling stressed for years that animal produce their own vitamin C and humans do not (lacking the enzyme in the liver), explains why our arteries can harden and face coronary death. He led medical researchers to conclude that high dosage of Vitamin C and the amino acid lysine can reverse atherosclerosis in our heart and brain.
In the past, sailors out in the sea for too long were deficient in Vitamin C and developed a condition called scurvy. Sufferers felt lightheaded, weak, had bleeding gums, poor wound healing, joint pains and poor digestion etc. By the middle of the 18th century, lemon juice rich in vitamin C was used to prevent sailors from getting this disease.
Benefits
+ Vitamin C acts as an antioxidant required for 300 metabolic functions in the body. The entire body is subjected to the inexorable effects of free radicals that produce a deterioration in its condition and capabilities. For minor ailments flu and colds can develop. In serious cases, presence of large amount of free radicals results in cellular oxidation, thereby altering the cell DNA, preventing cell renewal or altering its normal functioning, leading to serious diseases such as cancer, AIDS or premature aging.
As an antioxidant it plays an important role of releasing toxins faster from the body by promoting the elimination of free radicals from within as well as those coming from external sources. It is capable of stimulating the immune system to increase the activity of white blood cells, T-cells and antibodies against bacteria and viruses.
+ An important role it plays is to hold cells together in our tissues and organs. A deficient causes more bodily damages and can upset the biochemistry more than any single nutrient. By providing the body the material to synthesise collagen necessary for the repair and reinforce of the arterial walls, it can prevent plaque build-up that causes heart disease and remove existing deposits from the cell walls. This helps to reduce the LDL (bad cholesterol), increases HDL (good cholesterol) and lowers blood pressure. A related benefit is strengthening the capillary walls, and thus prevent bruising.
+ Collagen working closely with elastin, a group of connective tissue to facilitate the deposition of calcium and phosphates in the bones, enabling cell rejuvenation and repair works on wounds with new connective tissue.
+ Vitamin C (Ascorbic acid) is related to carbohydrate metabolism and a deficiency can cause a drop in production of insulin.
+ It takes part in maturation of red blood cells, blood clotting and prevents anemia as it helps in iron absorption.
+ It helps in the production of anti-stress hormones, thus helps to manage stress better.
+ As an anti-histamine agent it decreases symptoms of asthma and allergy.
+ It can help to eliminate pollutants which cause serious health problems, especially to the liver, kidneys and nerves. For examples,
++ Lead ingestion through polluted water increases blood pressure in elderly. Lead is also found in dangerously high quantities in those tasty snacks like dried fruits.
++ Nitrites and nitrates are commonly used in the preparation of meat to preserve and give it a better appearance. These components are highly toxic and can cause stomach cancer. Vitamin C has the ability to inhibit the growth of Helicobacter pylori in the stomach, and thus very useful in preventing or healing stomach diseases eg. stomach cancer tumors.
To fulfill the daily requirement, you need to take anyone singly – 5 cups of broccoli, 6 slices of guava, 8 kiwifruit, 11 whole lemons, 56 red apples, 5 cups of orange juice.
Note: As animal sources are generally poor source, milk given to infants should be supplemented with a good source of ascorbic acid e.g. orange juice.
Other comments
The dosage varies depending on some factors such as age, gender, weight, life style etc. Following people need to increase Vitamin C intake:
+ Pregnant women need more nutrients to keep her baby healthy
+ Smokers as smoking decreases the level of vitamin C in the body
+ Drinkers (more than 2 drinks per day) as alcohol reduces the level of vitamin C in the body
+ Persons who take lots of canned and prolonged cooking foods as much vitamins are being destroyed
+ Persons who take analgesics, anticoagulants, antidepressants and oral contraceptives require greater amounts as these drugs reduce vitamin C levels in the body. Same for those who live in polluted areas or are exposed to second hand smokers’ pollution.
+ Persons who are depressed and stressed.
The next time you get tenderness and pain during movement of arms and legs, loss of appetite and eventual weight loss or bleeding gum, try popping one of those Vitamin C to see if it works.
Forms available
Taking a once-daily supplement is safe, effective and easy to do. Though there is no worry about overdose as excess can be quickly released through the urine, for some people it can aggravate the condition of acidity in the body. Thus, it is advisable to reduce the intake for a few weeks and carry out a thorough detoxification program. However, for healthy individuals, citrus fruits are not that harmful as seemed because they do have alkalinizing effect on the body.
As a complement, this vitamin is mainly taken in the form of tablets, capsules, mixed with honey, wafers, etc. The main types of supplements containing vitamin C are the following combinations:
- Capsules and tablets of ascorbic acid: Mostly used and are easy to swallow.
- Vitamin C with bioflavonoids: This combination will achieve a mutual collaboration between the two components.
- Non-acidic Vitamin C: This consists of sodium or calcium ascorbate, especially suited for people who have heartburn problems.
- Slow release Vitamin C tablets: They are used with the same stomach disturbance.
- Vitamin C chewable tablets: They are used especially for children. They taste between sour and sweet.
The best way to take vitamin C supplements is 2 – 3 times per day with meals and 250 – 500 mg each time.
VIVA Life Science offers a concentrated pill form VIVA C Complex and VIVA C-Chewable which contain bioflavonoids such as ascerola and rose hips, lemon bioflavonoids and enzymes. The acidity of these products is controlled using calcium ascorbate, different from those available in the market that often impairs the gastrointestinal tract and teeth, especially bad for those suffering from heartburn.
Double Noble Prize winner Linus Pauling stressed for years that animal produce their own vitamin C and humans do not (lacking the enzyme in the liver), explains why our arteries can harden and face coronary death. He led medical researchers to conclude that high dosage of Vitamin C and the amino acid lysine can reverse atherosclerosis in our heart and brain.
Benefits
+ Vitamin C acts as an antioxidant required for 300 metabolic functions in the body. The entire body is subjected to the inexorable effects of free radicals that produce a deterioration in its condition and capabilities. For minor ailments flu and colds can develop. In serious cases, presence of large amount of free radicals results in cellular oxidation, thereby altering the cell DNA, preventing cell renewal or altering its normal functioning, leading to serious diseases such as cancer, AIDS or premature aging.
As an antioxidant it plays an important role of releasing toxins faster from the body by promoting the elimination of free radicals from within as well as those coming from external sources. It is capable of stimulating the immune system to increase the activity of white blood cells, T-cells and antibodies against bacteria and viruses.
+ An important role it plays is to hold cells together in our tissues and organs. A deficient causes more bodily damages and can upset the biochemistry more than any single nutrient. By providing the body the material to synthesise collagen necessary for the repair and reinforce of the arterial walls, it can prevent plaque build-up that causes heart disease and remove existing deposits from the cell walls. This helps to reduce the LDL (bad cholesterol), increases HDL (good cholesterol) and lowers blood pressure. A related benefit is strengthening the capillary walls, and thus prevent bruising.
+ Collagen working closely with elastin, a group of connective tissue to facilitate the deposition of calcium and phosphates in the bones, enabling cell rejuvenation and repair works on wounds with new connective tissue.
+ Vitamin C (Ascorbic acid) is related to carbohydrate metabolism and a deficiency can cause a drop in production of insulin.
+ It takes part in maturation of red blood cells, blood clotting and prevents anemia as it helps in iron absorption.
+ It helps in the production of anti-stress hormones, thus helps to manage stress better.
+ As an anti-histamine agent it decreases symptoms of asthma and allergy.
+ It can help to eliminate pollutants which cause serious health problems, especially to the liver, kidneys and nerves. For examples,
++ Lead ingestion through polluted water increases blood pressure in elderly. Lead is also found in dangerously high quantities in those tasty snacks like dried fruits.
++ Nitrites and nitrates are commonly used in the preparation of meat to preserve and give it a better appearance. These components are highly toxic and can cause stomach cancer. Vitamin C has the ability to inhibit the growth of Helicobacter pylori in the stomach, and thus very useful in preventing or healing stomach diseases eg. stomach cancer tumors.
+ It can prevent degenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, fibromyalgia and multiple sclerosis with its antioxidant properties.
+ It helps to ward off the attacks of sun radiation which damage our skin surface manifested as pigmentation (inhibits melanin production), wrinkles, skin sagging, dryness, sunburn or worst case, melanomas or skin cancers. The combined effect of Vitamin A, C and E should yield much better results than using anyone singly.
+ It can aid in boosting sperm count and fertility rate.
+ It improves gum bleeding when brushing teeth.
Sources
As our body cannot manufacture vitamin C, it must be derived from food source and mostly present in citrus fruits and other green vegetables. Most of the studies examined used 500 daily milligrams of vitamin C met by eating five servings of fruits and vegetables to achieve health results. However, not many adults get the recommended servings of fruits and vegetables daily. Also, high depletion rate of vitamin C during the cooking process and preparation method.
To fulfill the daily requirement, you need to take anyone singly – 5 cups of broccoli, 6 slices of guava, 8 kiwifruit, 11 whole lemons, 56 red apples, 5 cups of orange juice.
Note: As animal sources are generally poor source, milk given to infants should be supplemented with a good source of ascorbic acid e.g. orange juice.
Other comments
The dosage varies depending on some factors such as age, gender, weight, life style etc. Following people need to increase Vitamin C intake:
+ Pregnant women need more nutrients to keep her baby healthy
+ Smokers as smoking decreases the level of vitamin C in the body
+ Drinkers (more than 2 drinks per day) as alcohol reduces the level of vitamin C in the body
+ Persons who take lots of canned and prolonged cooking foods as much vitamins are being destroyed
+ Persons who take analgesics, anticoagulants, antidepressants and oral contraceptives require greater amounts as these drugs reduce vitamin C levels in the body. Same for those who live in polluted areas or are exposed to second hand smokers’ pollution.
+ Persons who are depressed and stressed.
The next time you get tenderness and pain during movement of arms and legs, loss of appetite and eventual weight loss or bleeding gum, try popping one of those Vitamin C to see if it works.
Forms available
Taking a once-daily supplement is safe, effective and easy to do. Though there is no worry about overdose as excess can be quickly released through the urine, for some people it can aggravate the condition of acidity in the body. Thus, it is advisable to reduce the intake for a few weeks and carry out a thorough detoxification program. However, for healthy individuals, citrus fruits are not that harmful as seemed because they do have alkalinizing effect on the body.
As a complement, this vitamin is mainly taken in the form of tablets, capsules, mixed with honey, wafers, etc. The main types of supplements containing vitamin C are the following combinations:
- Vitamin C effervescent: It consists of ascorbic acid, citric acid and sodium bicarbonate – very tolerable for the body.
- Capsules and tablets of ascorbic acid: Mostly used and are easy to swallow.
- Vitamin C with bioflavonoids: This combination will achieve a mutual collaboration between the two components.
- Non-acidic Vitamin C: This consists of sodium or calcium ascorbate, especially suited for people who have heartburn problems.
- Slow release Vitamin C tablets: They are used with the same stomach disturbance.
- Vitamin C chewable tablets: They are used especially for children. They taste between sour and sweet.
The best way to take vitamin C supplements is 2 – 3 times per day with meals and 250 – 500 mg each time.
VIVA corner
VIVA Life Science offers a concentrated pill form VIVA C Complex and VIVA C-Chewable which contain bioflavonoids such as ascerola and rose hips, lemon bioflavonoids and enzymes. The acidity of these products is controlled using calcium ascorbate, different from those available in the market that often impairs the gastrointestinal tract and teeth, especially bad for those suffering from heartburn.