Vitamin
C is important in healing of wounds and bone fractures, and
in the overall health of skin, teeth, cartilage and bones.
It may also be important in general resistance to infection
and disease.
Vitamin C is also an anti-oxidant.
Mild deficiencies can cause lowered resistance to infections,
bruising, and joint tenderness. Strong deficiencies can cause
bleeding, anemia and scurvy. Vitamin C is found in most fresh
fruits and vegetables, especially citrus fruits and juices.
It is easily destroyed by heat, including the cooking process.
Because the body does not store vitamin
C, it is relatively safe to take doses above the recommended
daily allowance (RDA) of 60 mg in adults. In the early 1970s,
it was suggested that megadoses of vitamin C (e.g. 2-5 times
the RDA) could increase resistance to infection, lower cholesterol
levels, and treat and prevent cancer. However, later studies
found that high-dose vitamin C is no more effective than a
placebo in the
treatment of cancer or in the severity of colds. Megadoses
of vitamin C can cause severe adverse effects: diarrhea and
vomiting, iron toxicity, kidney stones. It also interferes
with the effectiveness of drugs (such as warfarin and other
anticoagulants).
by Catherine E. Myers. Copyright © 2006 Memory Loss and the Brain |
