Vitamin C to Battle Flu?

Posted in Category(ies): Health, Healthy Eating, Supplements, Swine Flu

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Vitamin C To Battle Flu

In a world of fancy supplements and exotic immune boosters, let us not overlook the healing powers of vitamin C. Vitamin C is a nutrient that humans once had the ability to produce. Most animals still do. It's also a water soluble vitamin, which means we can't store it in our fat. This means we must get what we need every day. You can't just take a month's supply of vitamin C in one day. What you don't use right away will be passed through your urine. You must ingest more when you need it.

Most of us only consume, on average, a little over 100 mg a day. It is estimated that our hunter / gatherer ancestors got somewhere around 640 mg per day from foraging for a diet that consisted of mostly fruits, vegetables and leaves.  A 160 pound goat, around the same size of an average human will produce a whopping 13,000 mg of vitamin C in the form of ascorbate.

What is Vitamin C?

Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant found mostly in fruits and vegetables. It is an essential nutrient that helps to maintain blood vessels, bones and skin.

Why Do You Need Vitamin C?

Vitamin C is an important agent in HEALING. Most people know  that Grandma said Vitamin C could fight a cold but it is so much more than that. It helps retsore and repair connective tissue, which means it is important in the development, growth  and healing of cells from injury, or disease (including the dreaded C word!). It is an important part of every cell in your body.

How Much Vitamin C Should You Take?

The RDA for this vitamin falls somewhere in the vicinity of 50mg to 150mg. This is the government's Recommended Daily Allowance, and is only the amount needed to prevent scurvy. The Linus Pauling Institute  recommends a MINUMUM daily amount of 400 mg and states the upper tolerable level to be 2000mg.

Do your own research to see how much you should consume, and monitor how you feel. You may experience loose bowel movements and upset stomach so it is advisable to work up to your maximum amount gradually and see how you feel.

Can You Get Enough Vitamin C In Your Diet?

You sure can! Here is a chart of 50 foods and
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Shelley Penney is a RN (retired) with a keen interest in health, peace and abundance.
Shelley has penned several e-books, currently runs several successful business ventures
from her home office, and has time to write, meditate, travel, and spend time with her
family. Visit Shelley at http://www.shelleypenney.com for interesting articles and
stimulating discussion.
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» Filed Under Health, Healthy Eating, Supplements, Swine Flu

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