- The recommended daily allowance of vitamin C is 75 milligrams
for women and 90 milligrams for men. Smokers should add another 35
milligrams daily. Pregnant women require 80 to 85 milligrams. Women
who are breast feeding should have even higher amounts, 115 to 120
milligrams.
- Also known as ascorbic acid, vitamin C is water-soluble. While
doses above 1,000 milligrams are safe for most people, researchers
say there's little point. Anything above 500 milligrams is excreted
through urine.
- Though many people believe vitamin C combats the common cold,
studies have found only minimal benefit, shaving a half-day to a
day off the duration of the cold.
- Vitamin C is an antioxidant that helps to prevent disease by
reversing cell damage caused by unstable oxygen molecules called
free radicals. Other health benefits include a reduced risk of
gastrointestinal cancers, coronary artery disease and cataracts.
- Doctors and dietitians say the best source of vitamin C comes
from eating a variety of fruits and vegetables every day. Foods
high in vitamin C include red and green peppers, broccoli, brussels
sprouts, papaya, strawberries, oranges, kiwifruit, orange juice,
grapefruit juice and dark leafy greens such as kale and spinach.
- A severe lack of vitamin C can cause scurvy, a potentially
fatal disease marked by bleeding gums, joint pain, hair loss and
loose teeth. The British Navy began to counter scurvy in the late
1700s by providing citrus juice to sailors.
Sources: American Dietetic Association, Linus Pauling Institute,
``Wellness Foods A to Z'' by Dr. Sheldon Margen and the UC Berkeley
Wellness Letter editors. For more information on vitamin C, visit
the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University,
lpi.oregonstate.edu, and click on the micronutrient information
center.
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(The Los Angeles Daily News web site is at
http://www.dailynews.com)
c.2003 Los Angeles Daily News
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