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From the desk of Richard
Penfounde, your Naturally Healthy Lifestyle specialist. VITAMIN C never ceases to amaze in the healthful benefits it
delivers. Most animals make up to 20 g of vitamin C per day from
glucose in their bodies. We used to make it too, but scientists say
we lost that ability by the end of the Ice Age.
Since then we've had to find vitamin C-rich foods for survival.
Another problem is that vitamin C is water-soluble so it's not
stored for long in our bodies. That's why a daily intake is needed.
Most of us know the damage a lack of this vitamin can do.
Ocean-going ships used to lose substantial numbers of their crew to
a disease popularly called scurvy. Symptoms were (and are still if
supplies reach rock-bottom) lethargy, bleeding gums, skin ulcers,
swollen joints, susceptibility to colds and other infections, and
finally almost certain death. Vasco da Gama knew all about it: when
he got to the Cape at the end of the 15th Century, well over half
his crew had perished from scurvy.
Vitamin C meanwhile has been found to play another important role
-that of anti-oxidant supremo.
There is much research on this; if you don't have time to read it
all, you can do your own in the kitchen.
Halve an apple and squeeze lemon juice over one half only. Leave
both pieces exposed to the air and soon the one half will turn brown
(ie will oxidise) while the one with lemon juice won't (ie will not
oxidise). The vitamin C in the lemon juice acted as an anti-oxidant.
Whilst some oxidation is necessary to help break down food into
energy, too much can cause cell membrane damage and mutations.
With a daily dose of vitamin C, there is some protection against
such damage. It may even help prevent the cancer that nitrates,
found in many of our foods, can cause.
During winter the link between our immune system and vitamin C
becomes more important. This is especially so amidst current signals
that the effectiveness of antibiotics may be dwindling after years
of over-use; more and more of the bacteria are getting back on top.
Over the past two decades, American scientist and Nobel Prize winner
Linus Pauling has been saying consistently that taking large amounts
of vitamin C prevents and reduces the severity of a cold.
Very controversial stuff, say some, but use your own judgment as to
what's right for you. Clinical evidence has shown Pauling to be
largely right. Pauling and others based their early hypotheses on
the experience of animals. They observed that when animals
synthesize their own vitamin C they make far more than would be
proportionate to their body weights.
Also, in their natural habitat, monkeys (who, like us, can't make
their own vitamin C) have a diet with more of it than Western
governments propose as the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA).
In addition, monkeys don't smoke 30 cigarettes a day, which robs
smokers of up to 750 mg of vitamin C per day.
Linus Pauling took up to 15g of vitamin C every day and managed to
live to his nineties. Should he be listened to?
Ask your local health professional and judge for yourself.
In the meantime, don't take high doses of vitamin C without
consultation, as each one of us has different tolerances and needs.
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