The Handy-Dandy, Exhaustive Guide To Vitamins & Minerals; Complete From Vitamin A to Zinc [Part 1]

What is Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid)

Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant, which fights off disease-inducing, age-accelerating free radicals, and it’s used for the synthesis of collagen — a protein that supports healthy growth/repair of blood vessels, tendons, ligaments, scar tissue, and skin.

It also improves iron absorption from food sources; and evidence suggests it may boost the immune system, ward-off disease & infection, and decrease the frequency/severity of the common cold.¹²³⁴⁵⁶

• Best Sources of Vitamin C — Think FRUIT & GREEN VEGGIES. Guava, peppers, kale, peaches, kiwi, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, lemon, oranges, OJ & grapefruit juice, lychee, and strawberries are all vitamin C heavy. We’ve covered the top 39 sources of vitamin C in-depth here.⁷
• Recommended Daily Intake — Men = 90 mg/day; women = 70 mg/day.⁸
• Vitamin C Deficiency — Causes scurvy, but it’s extremely rare in modern diets. More commonly, deficiency causes fatigue, gum inflammation, issues with wound healing, and joint pain.

Vitamins: Vitamin A | B Vitamins | Vitamin C | Vitamin D | Vitamin E | Vitamin K

References

1. Effect of vitamin C on common cold: randomized controlled trial. Sasazuki S, Sasaki S, Tsubono Y, Okubo S, Hayashi M, Tsugane S. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2006 Jan;60(1):9-17. [↩]
2. The effectiveness of vitamin C in preventing and relieving the symptoms of virus-induced respiratory infections. Gorton HC, Jarvis K. J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 1999 Oct;22(8):530-3. [↩]
3. A combination of high-dose vitamin C plus zinc for the common cold. Maggini S, Beveridge S, Suter M. J Int Med Res. 2012;40(1):28-42. [↩]
4. ODS - Vitamin C [↩]
5. UMD - Vitamin C [↩]
6. Medline - Vitamin C [↩]
7. NutritionData - Vitamin C [↩]
8. ODS - Vitamin C [↩]

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