Nutrition with Samantha: Vitamin C

Vitamin C, also called ascorbic acid, is water-soluble and one of the antioxidant vitamins. Vitamin C helps heal wounds, maintains bone and teeth health, strengthens blood vessel walls, strengthens the body's resistance to infection, and helps the body absorb iron.

A vitamin C deficiency can cause scurvy. Scurvy is characterized by bleeding gums, tooth loss, and even death. Vitamin C deficiencies can also cause anemia, depression, frequent infections, pinpoint hemorrhages, muscle degeneration, rough skin, fragile bones, poor wound healing, and hysteria.

Vitamin C is found is citrus fruits, cabbage-type vegetables, tomatoes, potatoes, dark green vegetables, peppers, lettuce, cantaloupe, strawberries, raspberries, mangoes, and papayas. Too much of a good thing can be bad. Intakes of more than 1 gram of vitamin C per day can cause nausea, abdominal cramps, diarrhea, and an increased risk for kidney stones.

Vitamin C works with vitamin E, another antioxidant vitamin. Antioxidants prevent free radicals from injuring the body. Vitamins C and E appear to work together to prevent heart disease and cancer. It is recommended that people who smoke consume an additional 35 milligrams of vitamin C per day as compared to nonsmokers because the more smoke a person inhales, the more free radicals are produced, and the body will require more vitamin C to fight those free radicals.

Vitamin C is needed for the production of collagen. Collagen is connective tissue found in bones, teeth, skin, and tendons. Vitamin C can help fight stress and may reduce the risk of heart disease and certain types of cancer. Contrary to popular believe, there is no hard evidence that consuming mega doses of vitamin C will prevent a cold. It is recommended that adult men consume 90 mg and adult women consume 75 mg of vitamin C each day.

Papaya (1) - 187 mg