Boost immunity with Vitamin C
Vitamin C is a water soluble vitamin and is not made by our body or stored. With seasonal allergies, it is so important to boost immunity naturally. As it is a water soluble vitamin, vitamin C is not stored by the body and must be continually replaced.
Vitamin C is an essential micronutrient for humans. It is also a powerful antioxidant that helps to fight disease causing free radicals.
The reason vitamin C is vital to our immune system is due to the fact it contributes to various cellular functions of both the innate and adaptive immune system. This means that it supports both our short term immune response and our long term one.
Vitamin C also has several additional duties in addition to immune support. It is an essential nutrient for promoting wound healing because it is required for the production of collagen, an essential component of connective tissue. It also helps produce certain neurotransmitters and L-carnitine, a naturally occurring amino acid. Vitamin C assists in the metabolism of protein, supports injury repair, assists in Liver detoxification and helps protect against heavy metals.
Because of its involvement with the creation of collagen, it is used in many skincare products to reduce the signs of aging and protect against skin damage.
Vitamin C deficiency leads to scurvy. Signs of deficiency can appear within 1 month of little or no vitamin C intake below 10 mg/day. Symptoms initially manifest as fatigue, malaise, and gum inflammation. As the deficiency develops, collagen synthesis becomes impaired and connective tissues become weakened, causing joint pain and poor wound healing, to name a few. Additionally, depression, iron deficiency, bone disease and loss of teeth can result.
Here are some natural sources of vitamin C:
Red pepper, sweet, raw, ½ cup — 106% DV
Orange juice fresh, ¾ cup — 103% DV
Orange, 1 medium — 78% DV
Grapefruit juice (fresh), ¾ cup — 78% DV
Kiwifruit, 1 medium — 71% D
Green pepper, sweet, raw, ½ cup — 67% DV
Broccoli, cooked, ½ cup — 57% DV
Strawberries, ½ cup — 54% DV
Chia seeds, 1 tablespoon- 84% DV
Brussels sprouts, cooked, ½ cup — 53% DV
Brussels sprouts is good for DNA repair.