The Importance of Vitamin C

Image by comingstobrazil via Flickr

We all know that there are a lot and I mean a lot of vitamins that every one needs every single day of our lives for our body to function correctly and properly of course.

And I guess one of the most popular most needed is vitamin C. There are so many stuffs around there that could give you your daily dose of Vitamin C, but I still think that the best way is to have a well balanced diet, a diet that has foods like citrus fruits, green leafy vegetables, potatoes, milk, fish tomatoes; A well balanced meal has to have all the major vitamins on it. Vitamin C is also known as Ascorbic acid, There are times that we are worried that we are not getting enough amounts of vitamin c naturally in our food, then you could ask your doctor,

he could recommend some Vitamin C supplement that is suitable to your body , I mean the enough dosage or proper levels of vitamin C that should be taken for you. Ascorbic Acid or Vitamin c is one of the 13 vitamins that our body needs. This vitamin is not fat-soluble, Thus our body cannot store it, so you have to consumed it everyday, Now the vitamin levels and dosages depends on your age, gender, weight, lifestyle, pregnant or not. So you really have to consult your doctor to know the perfect dosage for you.

What does vitamin C do? Basically , vitamin C is an antioxidant, which means that it battles the forces in our body that can cause organ, tissue, and cell damage. Therefore, vitamin C protects the body and may specifically be linked to reducing the signs of aging. If you do not have enough vitamin C in your body, you will develop scurvy. Scurvy is very uncommon in the United States, but can cause anemia, gum disease, skin hemorrhages, and weakness.

When you begin taking vitamin C supplements, make sure that you follow your doctor’s recommendations. If you take to much vitamin C, you can overdose, just as you would with a typical drug. This is rare, because vitamin C is water soluble and high amounts will leave the body at a normal rate, but when it does happen, it can cause kidney stones and interfere with vitamin B12 absorption, causing anemia. Diarrhea is also a side effect. Therefore, it is best to listen to you doctor’s recommendation.

In most cases, you will automatically get enough vitamin C in your foods, especially if you are eating a healthy diet. If you are not and your doctor tells you to begin taking vitamin C supplements, look carefully at the labels of different brands before you buy anything. Because vitamin supplements are classified as foods and not drugs, they are not regulated by the government and each brand’s potency will vary slightly from the next.

Alpha Lipoic Acid and it's benefits

I'm very much interested with ALpha Lipoic Acid. It was first introduced to me be a colleague way back 6 years ago. I've heard of it when I was young but I wasn't that interested. This friend of mine told me that it helped her made her skin supple and glowing. I really thought it was just another food supplement in the market today that was just looking for some popularity. For those who have no idea.

Alpha-lipoic acid, is an antioxidant. And it is commonly called as lipoic acid or thioctic acid, This food supplement were once only known to help diabetics because it helps to stabilizes blood sugar. But after few years of continued research and studies it shows a lot more benefits.This powerful antioxidant is a fat and water soluble, it means it can get into or penetrate into our body well, making it easy to protect against free radicals. It simply help to detoxify our body.

And speaking of detoxification, ALpha Lipoic Acid helps glutathione to work like wonders. ALA also makes Vitamin E and Vitamin C works efficiently. You can get ALA in different foods such as Spinach, Brewer's yeast, liver etc. We do have ALA in our body but if you want to make the most out of it you really have to take a supplement, You can always ask your doctor.

Healthy food, dried fruits?

Image via WikipediaHealthy food:Dried fruits or frozen fruit, which one is better? I love fruits no matter how it's done dried, frozen and of course fresh.

The nutrients of dried fruits depends on how long the fruit was around before it was dried. Some commercial dried fruits may contain an additional sulfur dioxide which can lead to asthma for some people, Now, you might be asking why sulfur? The sulfur is used to "fix" the color of the fruit.

But there are also no-sulfur dried fruits available in stores that you can try. So, what nutrients do you get from dried fruits?Here are some vitamins that you can get from dried fruits

Vitamin A, B1, B2, B3, B6,

pantothenic acid

and minerals such as calcium, iron, magnesium,

phosphorus, potassium, sodium, copper, manganese)(courtesy of Wikipedia).

And because of water loss, that was experienced while it was dried. Dried fruits has a stronger taste or flavor. But these process also destroys most of the Vitamin C in the food, The levels of Vitamin C has been greatly reduced compared when it was fresh.

But i just want to share my favorite dried fruit... mangoes. i love 7D dried mangoes, This is just the best dried mangoes on the planet.

Foods for the immune system

Our immune system is responsible in making our bodies healthy and strong. From the common cold to the worst cancer. That's why taking care of it is the key to a healthy body. Experts said that there are a lot of food that can actually boost the immune system. and here are some of it that made the list:

1. Pumpkin/squash seeds

Pumpkins are not only great for Halloween, but for the whole year round. It has Zinc.
Zinc actually prevents us from experiencing colds for a long period of time. Its stops the cold from getting worst. Pumpkin seeds are high in protein, potassium, magnesium, iron, copper. try to eat pumpkin seeds. It even taste good.However pumpkin seeds don't stop there - the tasty little seeds are also a rich source of protein and the essential fatty acid omega-3.


2. Orange.

This fruit is very well known for having Vitamin c. An antioxidant that helps the immune system to fight every illness waiting around. Vitamin C can also be found in bell peppers, strawberries, pomelo and broccoli. 400 milligrams of vitamin c 3 times a day is OK. It also has Vitamin a that:

• helps bone and tooth development
• promotes good night vision
• maintains healthy skin and membranes

3.Yogurt.

Unpasteurized yogurt is even better. lactobacillus acidophilus - a healthy bacterium that prevents any fungus related infections. 20 milligrams of acidophillus supplement everyday is advised. It also has Riboflavin which is necessary for the release of energy from foods and healthy membranes and skin.Yogurt can be given to children as part of a weaning diet, included in packed lunches, used in the cooking of sweet and savoury dishes or just as a quick nutritious snack.


4. Tea- all types of teas has flavonoids a powerful vitamin that tremendously slows down the aging process of our immune system.the flavonoids in tea can act to inhibit the development of precancerous lesions and cancers in many tissues, including bladder,breast, intestine, liver, lung, mouth, pancreas, and skin, in animal studies and human cell lines. you can also get flavonids from onions, oats,brocolli, tomatoes, apples and berries. tea appears to help support the liver's function in detoxifying the blood, including the elimination of cancer-causing compounds.