Vitamin C - How Important is It?

Vitamin C - How Important is It?

According to many web sites and what I've learned through the years, Vitamin C should be an important part of our daily diet. If not taken naturally, through fruits and vegetables, a supplement should be taken. Not every one of us eats the proper foods which are needed to receive the proper amounts of vitamins and nutrients. In my opinion, we should be taken supplements to replenish/sustain the vitamins and nutrients our bodies need.

I'm a huge proponent of supplements. Ever since my days as an active sports enthusiast, I've been taking supplements, including additional Vitamin C. Most supplements do not contain enough Vitamin C that's why there are supplements, like the one offered by TriVita.

What is Vitamin C?

According to Wikipedia, Vitamin C, or L-ascorbate, is an essential nutrient for a large number of higher primate species, a small number of other mammalian species (notably guinea pigs and bats), a few species of birds, and some fish.

Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, is a water-soluble vitamin. Unlike most mammals, humans do not have the ability to make their own vitamin C. Therefore, we must obtain vitamin C through our diet.

Vitamin C is required for the synthesis of collagen, an important structural component of blood vessels, tendons, ligaments, and bone. Vitamin C also plays an important role in the synthesis of the neurotransmitter, norepinephrine. Neurotransmitters are critical to brain function and are known to affect mood. In addition, vitamin C is required for the synthesis of carnitine, a small molecule that is essential for the transport of fat to cellular organelles called mitochondria, for conversion to energy (1).

Vitamin C is also a highly effective antioxidant. Even in small amounts vitamin C can protect indispensable molecules in the body, such as proteins, lipids (fats), carbohydrates, and nucleic acids (DNA and RNA) from damage by free radicals and reactive oxygen species that can be generated during normal metabolism as well as through exposure to toxins and pollutants (e.g. smoking). Vitamin C may also be able to regenerate other antioxidants such as vitamin E (1).

Causes of Vitamin C deficiency:

Severe vitamin C deficiency has been known for many centuries as the potentially fatal disease, scurvy. By the late 1700's the British navy was aware that scurvy could be cured by eating oranges or lemons, even though vitamin C would not be isolated until the early 1930's. Symptoms of scurvy include bleeding and bruising easily, hair and tooth loss, joint pain and swelling. Such symptoms appear to be related to the weakening of blood vessels, connective tissue, and bone, which contain collagen.

The amount of vitamin C required to prevent chronic disease appears to be more than that required for prevention of scurvy. Much of the information regarding vitamin C and the prevention of chronic disease is based on prospective studies, in which vitamin C intake is assessed in large numbers of people who are followed over time to determine whether they develop specific chronic diseases.

Why TriVita Vitamin C?

According to Brazos Minshew, TriVita's Chief Science Officer, "every nutrient you ingest including vitamins, minerals, proteins, fats and sugars has a specific transport mechanism that takes it from your digestive tract into your body. Once it enters your system, each nutrient has a transport mechanism that takes it to the cells where it is needed."

TriVita's Vitamin C transport system:

"Vitamin C has its own transport mechanisms as well. But, the need for Vitamin C is so great that our bodies let us use other transport mechanisms in addition to the one marked 'Vitamin C only.' The two that are most important are sodium (salt) and glucose (sugar). We can actually transport Vitamin C in channels for salt and sugar! This is possible because Vitamin C is a great impersonator."

"Vitamin C looks enough like sodium to be taken from the intestines into the body just like the sodium from your food. Because we need a lot of sodium, the transport channels for sodium are very large and Vitamin C can 'ride along' with sodium through this open channel into your bloodstream. That's one reason we attach our Vitamin C to sodium as Sodium-L-Ascorbate: to maximize absorption with minimum effort."

"The most abundant fuel in our bodies is a sugar called glucose. Glucose is so familiar to each cell that receptor sites on the cell wall – guardians of who gets in and who stays out – readily accept large amounts of glucose to fuel the cell and give it energy. These receptors are very large because large amounts of glucose are needed inside the cell. Glucose is a six-sided crystal and so is our Vitamin C. To take advantage of the glucose transport site, we use Vitamin C with the crystal structure intact. This combination allows the most Vitamin C to get into the cell with the least amount of effort required. So, Vitamin C from your diet is taken in through Vitamin C transport sites and through glucose transport sites as well."

Not all Vitamin C supplements use the same means to transport this important vitamin throughout your. As a matter of fact, this means was formulated to be gentle on your stomach. TriVita's Non-Acidic Vitamin C Crystals absorb quickly in your system to give you a great boost to start your day.

Because Vitamin C is water soluble, it must be taken every day. It's an important antioxidant that helps protect cells against damage caused by free radicals (unstable atoms or molecules). It also supports the body's immune system and plays a role in healthy gums, skin, vision and connective tissue.

You can learn more about TriVita's Vitamin C supplements by clicking on one of the links below.

Jeffrey Sloe
440-725-3729
jeff@internetmarketingadvisors.net
Internet Marketing Advisors
http://www.trivita.net/12871028 Vitamin C

DISCLAIMER:

The information made available in this article is with the understanding that the author and publisher are not providing medical, psychological, or nutritional counseling services. The information should not be used in place of a consultation with a competent health care or nutrition professional.

This article and the information in it is not intended as medical advice for individual problems. Liability for individual actions or omissions based upon the contents of this article is expressly disclaimed.

REFERENCE:

1. Carr AC, Frei B. Toward a new recommended dietary allowance for vitamin C based on antioxidant and health effects in humans. Am J Clin Nutr. 1999;69(6):1086-1107. (PubMed)