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Healthy Eating & Vitamin C

What is vitamin C?

Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin that cannot be stored by the body because it is eliminated in urine (which is the nice scientific way of saying you get rid of it when you wee!). We need a continuous daily supply of vitamin C and the recommended daily amount is 60mgs.

It is an anti-oxidant that neutralises potentially damaging free radicals in the body. It is found in most fresh fruit and vegetables, but levels of vitamin C decrease during storage and it is destroyed by cooking, so aim to eat your 5-a-day portions of raw fruit and vegetables every day. Vitamin C is particularly useful for vegetarians because it aids in the absorption of non-heme iron from plant sources.

What can vitamin C do for me?

• Boost the immune system
• Maintain healthy skin
• Speed up the healing process
• Neutralize pollutants in the body

What indicates a deficiency of vitamin C?

• Scurvy (in extreme cases)
• Dry skin and scalp
• Irritability
• Broken thread veins
• Bleeding gums

Who particularly needs vitamin C?

• People recovering from an illness
• Over 55s
• People who drink and smoke heavily

Foods rich in Vitamin C