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
