The Effect of Vitamin C in Tackling Ordinary Cold Common Cold and Winter Cold

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Cold is commonly experienced by many people. It is believed that vitamin C supplements can effectively tackle it, but latest research revealed that the supplements afterall cannot fight cold. During the winter or rainy season, many people would be susceptible to cold within this seasons- a highly contagious ailment caused by several different strains of virus that somehow seem to change from one season to another. Cold affects all parts of the body, and usually begins in the nose and throat.

Cold is due to the virus infections of one type or another. It should also be noted that the common cold is the most prevalent of all the diseases known to man and it is not a respecter of race, age or sex. For instance, if one member of a family has a cold, there is a tendency that if not well treated, other members of the family may be infected. The allergic disorders of the nose and throat could also make a person more susceptible to cold and other virus infections. "anybody can experience colds at anytime, but it is more common during the wet seasons. Chilling of the body also seem to play a major role particularly in those whose body resistance is already weak. Lack of adequate sleep may be a factor in some people, while the cold virus may be carried by anybody.

But children under six years usually catch cold easily and can pass it to other members of the family. In fact, cold is always more serious in younger children". There is also a general belief that Vitamin C supplements can prevent or treat cold. Many people are also of the opinion that apart from anti-catarrh drugs, vitamin C supplements is very effective in warding off cold and its associated symptoms. But the fact is that Vitamin C supplements cannot ward off cold as commonly believed. and "the idea that vitamin C supplements can wards off cold is a myth. No evidence found that high doses of the vitamin have any effect against colds for an average person.

Also the extra vitamin C is only beneficial for people under extreme physical stress, such as marathon runners and soldiers, who are fifty per cent less likely to catch cold if they take daily supplements. But for people living normal life, the benefits conferred by Vitamin C is so small that it would not be worth the effort or expense. It does not make any sense to take vitamin C 365 days a year to lessen the chance of a cold." It would also be recalled that vitamin C's reputation for fighting the common cold cannot be justified.

There is no how vitamin C can effectively tackle common colds, although there were hints of possible benefits in some conditions. however, vitamin C can not prevent cold in people taking up to two grammes daily. However, there were slight exceptions because in the number of cold was halved with vitamin C. The number of cold cut in marathon runners, skiers, and soldiers exposed to cold temperatures and/or physical stress. Those benefits in children who regularly took vitamin C had cold symptoms for fourteen per cent fewer days. But for adults, days with cold symptoms fell eight per cent with regular vitamin C use. The vitamin's cold-shortening pattern was consistent, but it may have questionable significance in the real world.

About The Author Ponnac Okwy, I'm An Adent Writter On Health Reports To Health Magazines And Other Health Organisations. You Can Read More Of Health, Fitness, Care And Other Related Issues. Click http://healthfitnessandcare.blogspot.com To Read More.

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3 Little Known Tips For Avoiding Vitamin C Supplements That Waste Your Money

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One of the biggest scams supplement consumers fall for is high potency vitamin C supplements. There are lots of nutrients being marketed as "high potency" these days, but with vitamin C, it's particularly bad.

Why is this?

It's because vitamin C is so popular. Everyone, even kids, knows that vitamin C helps your body stay healthy. You don't have to be sold on the effectiveness idea of vitamin C, unlike, say, grape seed extract. You're already receptive, so companies can turn huge profits by producing cheaply formulated products and using a little deceptive marketing to sell them.

In this article, we'll break down high potency vitamin C supplements and give you a better alternative. You'll never waste another dime on the wrong products.

(1) No Synergy

Vitamin C is often sold as a single-ingredient supplement. The label will make a claim like "3000 % Recommended Daily Allowance" or something. But this sort of product has no synergy. Synergy is when a nutrient in a supplement formula becomes more effective by combining with other nutrients. This is very important; it's why you should only buy supplements that are scientifically formulated by a biochemist.

Synergy with other vitamins, minerals, enzymes, amino acids, and herbal extracts makes vitamin C more effective and more absorbable by your body. A daily mega-dose can't do that.

(2) Cheap Ingredient

Did you know that vitamin C is one of the cheapest ingredients for supplement companies to use? Does that change things for you, knowing that? Companies produce high potent vitamin C supplements, not because they're more effective, but because there's little cost in manufacturing them. Cheap supplements are cheap for a reason.

Vitamin C supplements are the domain of bottom feeders in the dietary supplements industry---companies with zero formulating expertise, little respect for the consumer, but a whole lot of experience in tricking people out their money.

(3) Lack of Other Nutrients

What about other nutrients? By taking high potent vitamin C supplements, you're ignoring everything else, even nutrients that are 50 times more powerful than vitamin C. Are you going to take each nutrient as an individual supplement? Have you considered the enormous cost of doing that?

Instead of mixing and matching supplements on your own (which won't work), you should look for a comprehensive supplement. One that contains 60, 70, or 80 ingredients scientifically blended, including vitamin C in its proper amount. This kind of supplement maximizes health benefits.

Now do you understand why you should leave vitamin C supplements on the shelf? These 3 tips should have made it clear to you. Whenever you think of buying a vitamin C supplement, just remember what you'll be getting:

No Synergy
Cheap Ingredient
No Other Nutrients
It may seem like I'm bashing vitamin C pretty good in this article. But it's not vitamin C that's the problem; it's how these lowlife supplement companies package it as a high potency vitamin. Any professional-grade supplement should contain vitamin C and lot of other nutrients.

Be smart - a supplement is long-term investment in your health.

Zach Zufall is the author of the free 6-Day Mini-Course, "The Consumers' Guide to Choosing a Supplement That'll Slow Your Aging Process".

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The Effectiveness of Vitamin C

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We all know that vitamin C is one of the most popular health supplements which acts as a stimulant for the immune system of our body. Recent research has revealed that vitamin C could play a part in cancer prevention.

Food Sources

Some of the sources of vitamin c are cabbage, cauliflower, guava, kiwi, papaya and strawberries.

Who Needs Extra Vitamin C?

Although all of us need vitamin c there are others who need it more than us. Who are they?

1. Elderly Folks

As one grows older the ability to absorb vitamin c also decreases.

2. Smokers

Smoking not only harms the lungs but it also depletes vitamin C from the body.

3. Undergoing Surgery

If you are undergoing surgery you would need an increased dose of vitamin C as your body would need it to recover.

How it helps in preventing cancer?

Vitamin C neutralises the free radicals and thus reduces the chance of cancer cells from developing. Those who eat vitamin C regularly have shown to be at a lower risk level in getting cancer.

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The Nutrients and Benefits of Apricots

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The Nutrients and Benefits of Apricots
By Cindy


Apricots are a good source of dietary fiber with insoluble cellulose and lignin in the skin and soluble pectins in the flesh. The apricot's creamy golden color comes from deep yellow carotenes (including beta-carotene) that make the fruit a good source of vitamin A. Apricots also have vitamin C and iron.

The bark, leaves and the inner stony pit of the apricot all contain amygdalin which is a naturally occurring compound that degrades to release hydrogen cyanide or prussic acid in your stomach. Apricot oil, treated during processing to remove the cyanide, is marked FFPA to show that it is "free from prussic acid".

Extract of apricot pits, known medically as Laetrile, has been used by some alternative practitioners to treat cancer on the theory that the cyanide in amygdalin is released only when it comes in contact with beta-glucuronidase, an enzyme common to tumor cells. Scientifically designed tests of amygdalin have not shown this to be true. Laetrile is illegal in the United States.

The most nutritious way to serve apricot is when it is dried. Ounce for ounce, dried apricots are richer in nutrients and fiber than those fresh apricots.

Diets that may restrict or exclude apricots are low-fiber diet, low-potassium diet and low-sodium diet (dried apricots contain sodium sulfide).

Cindy is the host of http://www.asianonlinerecipes.com, a Free Asian Recipes website dedicated to all things on Asian Cooking and Culinary Guide.

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Fruits for Your Skin

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Fruits for Your Skin
By Paul Cris

Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin and it is required daily by our body. Lemon, orange etc are the best sources of Vitamin C. Vitamin C helps your skin glow and look beautiful and it is not just due to the creams and lotions you apply.

Orange is a great source of Vitamin C and it is recommended for daily intake to keep the skin healthy. Vitamin C also protects the skin from ultraviolet rays. Vitamin C also acts as an anti-aging agent and makes the skin wrinkle free. At least 200 mg of Vitamin C is required daily by our body and consuming one orange would help you meet your daily needs of Vitamin C.

It is good to take an orange than have a glass of orange juice. Vitamin C also helps in healing wounds and making the skin look good and beautiful. Dull looking skin requires Vitamin C for nourishment. It also helps if you have bleeding gums. Vitamin C is an antioxidant and helps the skin. Vitamin C also helps in to slowing down the degeneration of skin and organs in our body.

Instead of taking Vitamin C pills, it is advised to take fruits and vegetables containing natural vitamins. Fruits have more natural vitamins and fibers than vitamin pills.

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Vitamin C (L-ascorbate)

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Vitamin C is an essential nutrient for higher primates, and a small number of other species. The presence of ascorbate is required for a range of essential metabolic reactions in all animals and in plants and is made internally by almost all organisms. It is widely known as the vitamin that prevents scurvy in humans.

The pharmacophore of vitamin C is the ascorbate ion. In living organisms, ascorbate is an antioxidant, as it protects the body against oxidative stress,and a cofactor in several vital enzymatic reactions.

As a nutrient, its uses and the daily requirement are matters of on-going debate. As a food additive, vitamin C is used as an antioxidant preservative and an acidity regulator.
Several E numbers account for the vitamin, depending on its chemical structure: E300 as ascorbic acid, E301 as sodium ascorbate, E302 as calcium ascorbate, and E303 as potassium ascorbate.

In humans, vitamin C is a highly effective antioxidant, acting to lessen oxidative stress, a substrate for ascorbate peroxidase, as well as an enzyme cofactor for the biosynthesis of many important biochemicals.

Vitamin C acts as an electron donor for eight different enzymes. Of the eight enzymes, three participate in collagen hydroxylation. These reactions add hydroxyl groups to the amino acids proline or lysine in the collagen molecule, thereby allowing the collagen molecule to assume its triple helix structure. Two other vitamin C dependent enzymes are necessary for synthesis of carnitine. Carnitine is essential for the transport of fatty acids into mitochondria for ATP generation. The remaining three vitamin C dependent enzymes have the following functions: one participates in the biosynthesis of norepinephrine from dopamine, one adds amide groups to peptide hormones, greatly increasing their stability, and one modulates tyrosine metabolism.

Biological tissues that accumulate over 100 times the level in blood plasma of vitamin C are the adrenal glands, pituitary, thymus, corpus luteum, and retina. Those with 10 to 50 times the concentration present in blood plasma include the brain, spleen, lung, testicle, lymph nodes, liver, thyroid, small intestinal mucosa, leukocytes, pancreas, kidney and salivary glands.

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