With vitamin C strongly against infections?Vitamin C, also known as Ascorbic acid, is a Water soluble vitamin. It is mainly found in fresh vegetables and fruit. The vitamin is artificially added to many processed foods such as meat or sausages (antioxidants or E300 to E304, E316 and E316) in order to make them last longer and to maintain their color.
The human body cannot produce vitamin C by itself and is therefore dependent on taking it in through the diet.
What does C do in the body?
Vitamin C is involved in many Metabolic processes involved. For example, the body uses it to Connective tie on, but also Bones and Teeth. It also helps in wound healing.
The vitamin works antioxidant, d. h. it protects the cells from harmful free radicals (active oxygen compounds). These can be caused by UV radiation, nicotine or certain medications. In addition, ascorbic acid inhibits the formation of toxic, nitrogenous nitrosamines, which are formed by the consumption of cured sausage and meat products and can have a carcinogenic effect.
If you take Iron deficiency suffers should know that vitamin C absorption of iron from plant foods improves.
In addition, vitamin C is one of the most important supporters of a well-functioning immune system. However, it has not been scientifically proven that a special intake of high-dose vitamin C preparations is supposed to provide particularly good protection against colds. Take vitamin C rather regularly and unprocessed by fresh food to itself. But even then the vitamin not a guarantee against a cold or a common cold.
The black currant is a real vitamin C bomb.
Vitamin C content of food
There are many good foods that you can include in your diet to get an optimal supply of vitamin C.
What happens to vitamins during food processing?
How much vitamin C is actually contained in a food also depends on the Harvest time, the Transport and the Storage at. All these factors lead to fluctuations in vitamin C content. It also plays a role whether the food raw or processed is consumed. Since vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin, it passes into the cooking water during cooking. The shorter you steam a vegetable, for example, the more vitamin C remains in the food.
What is the daily requirement of vitamin C?
The German Nutrition Society (DGE) staggers the recommendations for vitamin C according to age groups and gender:
Young people need less vitamin C than older people.
One healthy man from the age of 19 a daily intake of 110 milligrams recommended.
At Women is the value with 95 milligrams slightly lower. The different values can be attributed to the difference in body weight between men and women.
breastfeeding women and Pregnant women a higher value of 110 milligrams advised.
The DGE also points out that smokers have a higher need for vitamin C have. The reason is higher metabolic losses. A lower concentration of the vitamin in the blood than in non-smokers. It is therefore recommended that smokers, 135 mg a day To take to itself. At Men, who regularly smoke cigarettes, the daily requirement is as high as 155 mg.
Red peppers contain significantly more vitamin C than green and yellow ones.
What happens in case of vitamin C deficiency?
Vitamin C deficiency is practically non-existent in the Western world today, since fruits and vegetables are available all year round.
In the past suffered mainly Seafarers a vitamin C deficiency and suffer from Scurvy. In its advanced stages, this disease leads to bleeding, for example of the gums, loosening and loss of teeth. Already 10 mg vitamin C per day prevent scurvy.
Can vitamin C overdose?
Vitamin C is water soluble and excess is flushed out of the body by the kidneys. Nevertheless permanent overdose of vitamin C that Risk to form kidney stones increase. Furthermore, an overdose can lead to gastrointestinal problems such as diarrhea come.
If you suffer from a metabolic disease or kidney damage, you should definitely talk to your doctor about taking vitamin C supplements.
How useful are nutritional supplements?
Dietary supplements offered to strengthen the immune system often contain zinc in addition to vitamin C. extreme case to an overdose. So that can lead to poisoning. According to this, too much zinc can lead to copper deficiency, British doctors found out. anemia is then a possible consequence. Also, zinc should not be taken just on the off chance or permanently. Clarify supplementation with your doctor.
Our health supplements
Health is the most important thing in life. But as different as people are, so are their needs. That's why we offer you a package of benefits with supplementary health insurance, which you can use to supplement your statutory health insurance individually.