Good Morning, evening, and afternoon. I hope you are all doing well and in good health. Today is warm and quite dusty… Have you read why clean air is essential? Today reminds me of what I learned researching for that blog. The air today is a bit stagnate and chemically, but hopefully, it will clear up soon. 

In the meantime, lets us talk about some more holistic nutrition. Today is Vitamin C. I am sure we have all heard about Vitamin c and bits and bobs of what it can do… but let us take a moment to break it down.

What is Vitamin C?

Vitamin C or L-ascorbic acid is water soluble. So your body takes what it needs and “leaves the rest” through your urine. 

What does Vitamin C do in the body?

• It helps protect cells and keeps them healthy.
• Maintain Healthy skin
• Powerful antioxidant which could protect you from sickness.
• It may relieve lower blood pressure.
• May strengthen your heart. 
• It may reduce Uric acid. 
• It helps with the absorption of iron.
• It helps to produce collagen (Which is essential for connective tissue.)
• Helps to produce L-Creatin
• It helps to produce some neurotransmitters.
• Enhances wound healing
• Lowers the risk of some cancers 

How much should we have? 

I found a nifty graft from the NIH. 
Daily Recommended allowance for Vitamin C

What are the signs of deficiency?

• Bumpy skin (keratosis pilaris)
• Bumpy “chicken skin” happens on the back of the upper arms, thighs, or buttocks due to a buildup of keratin protein inside the pore.
• Corkscrewed curly body hair. (due to the protein not having enough vitamin c)
• Spoon shape nails with red spots
• Dry skin
• easy bruised
• swollen joints
• slow healing
• bleeding gums
• Scurvy- (Scurvy causes general weakness, anemia, gum disease, and skin hemorrhages.) Scurvy has been around since the 1500 hundreds. 
• Irritability
• Anorexia
• Anemia 

Why or how can you become deficient?

• People with celiac.
• People with Crohn’s
• People (Which is not done anymore.) that have had a jejunal bypass
• Not a nutrient-dense diet. (with fruits and vegetables)
• Illness anorexia
• Mental health -Depression (not eating or not eating well)
• Older age. Due to absorption, there may be a lack of family support to ensure they eat well. 
• Drinking and Drug use
• Smokers (these chemicals can inhibit the absorption of vitamins)

Medications that interact inhibit absorption. 

• Aluminum (could increase absorption of the aluminum) 
• Chemotherapy ( might reduce the effect of chemotherapy drugs)
  • But also vitamin C has been shown to help with cancer too. 
• Estrogen (oral contraceptives or hormone replacement may increase your estrogen levels.)
• protease inhibitors (oral use of vitamin c may reduce the effects of antivirals) 
• warfarin (Jantoven) High doses of Vitamin C may reduce response to the Anticoagulant)
• Acetaminophen (high doses of Vit C may cause acetaminophen in your blood to rise)
• Barbiturates- may lower the effect of vitamin C
  • Phenobarbital
  • Pentobarbital 
  • Secobarbital

Where to find Vitamin C?

• Citrus fruit (lemons, oranges, Grapefruit, ect) 
• Strawberries
• Blackcurrant
• Kakadu plums
• Acerola Cherries
• Rose hips
• Guavas
• Cantaloupe
• Lychees

Vegetables that are high in Vitamin c? 

• Peppers 
• Chili peppers
• Broccoli
• Brussels sprouts
• Potatoes
• Parsley
• Mustard spinach
• Kale

Again about supplements… Eating from a whole-nutrient diet is always better, but sometimes people need more. 
I recommend a whole food supplement called Garden of Life; it is a great brand. You can find it here https://amzn.to/3yTZieW 

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