Aim
to please with spring Cs
By Anna Niec
 |
|
Get
your fill of vitamin C from fresh fruit and vegetables.
Photo by Clint Heyer
|
Winter
is over and as the weather warms up fresh fruit and salads
are again making their comeback.
As fresh fruit and salad vegetables are the best sources
of vitamin C it should not be hard to get our daily requirement
through the warmer months ahead.
As part of our Nutrient File series, let’s have a look
at just what this vitamin can do and how easy it is to get
enough vitamin C in our diet.
Immunity
Vitamin C helps to keep us free from colds.
Lack of vitamin C in our diet weakens our immune system
and leaves us more susceptible to colds and other infections.
Skin
Vitamin C plays an important role in helping the skin look
supple.
It is needed in the formation of collagen, a skin protein
that gives the skin its healthy and firm tone.
Recent studies indicate that vitamin C, as well as other
anti-oxidant nutrients, may help reduce skin damage related
to sun exposure.
Iron
absorption
Adequate iron stores can be difficult to maintain for very
active people who train hard, in particular women athletes.
Vitamin C can help boost iron levels. It increases the absorption
of non-haem iron, which is the form of iron found in plants
(non-haem iron accounts for most iron in a typical mixed
diet and is the only source of iron for vegetarians).
Having a fruit rich in vitamin C with breakfast cereal will
help to absorb more of the non-haem iron in the cereal (breakfast
cereals are fortified with non-haem iron).
Staying
young
Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant. It has the ability
to neutralise free radicals which are very volatile and
reactive molecules that damage healthy components of cells
including its genetic blueprint, DNA.
Damage sustained to the genetic material of the cell may
lead to premature ageing of the cell.
Multiplied by the millions of cells that make up our body,
older cells mean that we will age faster – well that’s
the theory based on some promising but as yet inconclusive
scientific research.
Vitamin
C hit
Fresh
Fruit Smoothie
