Vitamin C – our loyal friend

Fall has begun but the Indian summer is still underway.. The days are sunny and warm, and the mornings and evenings chilly. Because of such oscillation, the flu season has shown its face. High body temperature, sore throat, cough, difficulty breathing through nose and sinus pain are just some of the symptoms that interfere with our everyday lives.
In order to prevent the flu from taking you down, use food to your advantage – make sure there’s plenty of vitamin C in your diet which is an important antioxidant and a loyal friend to our bodies. It also goes under a different name – ascorbic acid. It’s a water soluble vitamin. The richest sources of vitamin C are fruit and vegetables, mostly citrus fruits (oranges, tangerines and lemons), pomegranates, sour cherries, blackcurrants, cabbages, potatoes and peppers. Recommended doses are between 75-90 mg daily, depending if it’s for men or women. If there’s no vitamin C intake for a longer period of time, we might experience infections, bleeding, slow bone and teeth growth. On the other hand, if we overdo it with vitamin C intake, the body will get rid of the excess amount through urine.
Moreover, it is important for collagen and carnitine synthesis and for fatty acid metabolism. Collagen and elastin give our skin strength, firmness and youthful appearance when we are younger. Growing older, overexposing our skin to the sun’s UV light, unhealthy diet, slowly starts to show on our skin in the form of first few wrinkles that are there to stay, thanks to collagen deficiency. Adding more vitamin C foods or supplements to your diet can help increase collagen levels. Youth and beauty are closely connected to vitamin C; it helps battle wrinkles and hyperpigmentation that exist because of long-term sun exposure. Also, creams and peelings rich in vitamin C are used in order to achieve a better skin tone.
This valuable nutrient, known to most people, still deserves more attention due to its useful benefits for our health and beauty. So eat more vitamin C foods and take care of your health and youthful appearance.

L. Rađa