Vitamin C- why its one of the good guys!
Vitamin C is a common vitamin that, at a guess, everyone has heard of. They may reach for it when a cold starts its attack or perhaps its thought of it when consuming an orange. It has been a ‘go to’ since its discovery many moons ago, with its unique ability to assist in remedying pesky scurvy, that was taking out all the good people.
Since we do not produce or store vitamin C in our bodies, it is important that our diet includes adequate amounts. I’m sure it’s no surprise to hear, that fruits and vegetable are the best way to obtain our required amounts. Some of the top food sources are citrus fruits, oranges, lemons, lime, as well as berries, kiwi, papaya, guava and grapefruit. Then there are our vegetable friends such as broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts and capsicum. The humble capsicum packs a large vitamin C punch, with one cup (100g) of raw red capsicum providing 152mg of vitamin C (1).
There are a few key processes that vitamin C supports within the body, one of the main roles it holds is as leading lady/man/person/vitamin in the story of “Free Radicals; attacking the cell”. Free radicals are sneaky little molecules produced from exposure to toxins such as cigarette smoking, air pollution, processed foods and also our normal every day metabolism. Free radicals are the molecules we would like to minimise because too many of them are shown to increase our ageing and our risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer (2). Vitamin C is one of the antidotes to too many free radicals causing damage, it assists in protecting cells from free radical damage and therefor can reduce our risk of previously mention diseases and altered health states.
Collagen is something that anyone over the age of 25 may have thought about or even researched, as it is the foundation for many cells in our body and is essential for healthy skin and minimal wrinkles. It is also important for healing of cuts, wounds, connective tissue, our gums, blood vessels, bones, cartilage and muscles, and is only synthesised efficiently when there is enough vitamin C to do so (3).
The recommended daily intake (RDI) of vitamin C in Australia is 45 mg/daily for adult males and females, there are differing requirements for children and during pregnancy and lactation (4). This amount of vitamin C intake can be achieved through a number of different foods, recipes and perhaps some new habits. Include high vitamin C foods such as red capsicum (raw) in your salads (152mg vit C/100g), include parsley as a garnish or in dishes regularly( 117mg vit C/100g) include some raw cherry tomatoes ( 28mg vit C/100g) and zucchini (22 mg vit C/100g) in more of your meals. Fruit is also an easy way to make sure you are consuming enough vitamin C; 100g of strawberries contain 45mg vit C/100g and the same amount of Paw Paw(papaya) will give you 60mg of vitamin C, oranges are a great, easy and a tasty way of consuming vitamin C with 44-58mg vitamin C per 100g (1).
Including a wide variety of foods in your diet and eating plan, will ensure you are consuming enough vitamin C to keep your body functioning optimally!
