Stay Healthy with Vitamin C

Fall is just days away and for many that means the beginning of the second allergy season. Find out how vitamin C rich foods can help your allergies.

Vitamin C is believed to do wonders in improving the immune system and keeping colds and flus at bay. School is back in full swing, temperatures are getting cooler across the country and unfortunately that means cold and flu season is just around the corner, as well as fall allergens like ragweed pollen and other weeds.  Building a strong immune system is one of the best defenses against seasonal allergies and colds and flus, and can be done by picking up a few things at your local market packed with this potent antioxidant.

Vitamin C, also called ascorbic acid, is water soluble, therefore easily excreted from the body when consumed in excess. It’s critical for the metabolism of living creatures; surprisingly almost all mammals use their own cells to make it, except for humans, guinea pigs, gorillas, bats, chimps, and birds, who need to eat foods with this essential vitamin.

Vitamin C is believed to help during a cold primarily because it is necessary inside our white blood cells, who's function it is to “devour” invaders (phagocytosis). Research suggests that supplementing with vitamin C may help to enhance the white blood cell activity and mobilization. When our bodies are functioning optimally, white blood cells contain high concentrations of vitamin C, during infection these levels decrease, and then return to normal after recovery. High doses of vitamin C may be able to restore levels to normal during an infection. In relation to allergies, vitamin C is reported to reduce blood histamine levels, an “antihistamine” effect, which may help to alleviate symptoms of seasonal allergies. Histamines are released in the body in response to allergic invaders and contribute to the inflammatory response and constriction of smooth muscle (as in asthma); therefore natural “antihistamines,” like vitamin C, would help to reduce this response.

The protective role of vitamin C is vast; cardiovascular diseases, cancers, joint diseases, and cataracts are all associated with low levels of vitamin C intake. Vitamin C achieves much of its protective effect by functioning as an antioxidant, mopping up free radicals. Structures that contain fat are also particularly dependent on vitamin C for protection.
Head to the produce aisle for vitamin C rich foods!

The richest sources of vitamin C are sweet peppers, black currants, broccoli, brussel sprouts, kale, and turnip greens. Vitamin C is heat sensitive so the longer you cook veggies, the more the vitamin decreases; raw, fresh vegetables contain the most. The faster the cooking method the better! Other prime sources for vitamin C include papayas and mangoes, pineapple, strawberries, citrus fruits, kiwi, cantaloupe, honeydew and watermelon. Other vegetables high in vitamin C are okra, squash, cabbage, dark leafy greens, cauliflower, peas, sweet potatoes, and asparagus.

As always speak with your physician before making any dietary changes or adding supplements to your diet.