A Toast to Vitamin C
Published on Oct 25th, 2007 in Nutrition with
Vitamin C - It’s the trusted, good, ol’ fashioned vitamin we turn to when fighting a cold or trying to prevent one. It’s the hip and celebrity vitamin of youth-promoting facial creams and cosmetics. It’s the swashbuckling hero to the sailors (and their teeth) of years gone by.
Here’s a list of some of Vitamin C’s outstanding attributes:
- Vitamin C is a great anti-oxidant in protecting our bodies against cancer.
- It helps maintain the collagen in your skin. (A reason why you see cosmetics and facial creams claiming the vitamin C in their products will take years off your face.)
- Vitamin C is good for your heart. It helps decrease your risk of coronary heart disease and stroke.
- Vitamin C helps decrease the risk of cataracts.
- Can high doses of vitamin C help prevent or decrease the symptoms of the common cold? The jury is still out on this one. Some studies report that vitamin C does indeed boost the immune system, and others state that it didn’t do much in the way of preventing or shortening a cold.
The Recommended Daily Intake for vitamin C is: (Source: Institute of Medicine)
- 45 mg - children age 9+
- 75 mg - women
- 85 mg - pregnancy
- 120 mg - lactation
- 90 mg - men
- An additional 35 mg - smokers
A sample of foods and their vitamin C content in milligrams (mg):
Sweet Red Pepper - 1 Cup, raw, sliced - 118
Strawberries - 1 Cup, whole - 85
Broccoli - 1 Cup, raw, chopped - 82
Orange Juice - 1 Cup - 82
Kiwi - 1 Medium - 71
Orange - 1 Medium - 70
Cantaloupe - 1 Cup, cubed - 59
Raspberries - 1 Cup - 32
Baked Potato - Medium, with skin - 17
Tomato - 1 Medium - 16
Blueberries - 1 Cup - 14
Banana - 1 Medium - 10
Apple - 1 Medium, with skin - 8
Vitamin C is easily lost through cooking and exposure to air. To help preserve the vitamin C in your foods, store fruits and vegetables whole and cut them right before serving. Cook fruits and vegetables for as short a time as possible and in as little water as you can by using. Stir-frying or steaming are good methods.
OK, so oranges don’t have the largest amounts of vitamin C, but they’re still great sources. Plus, they’re low in calories, and they taste great!
I think this faithful vitamin deserves a toast, and today’s a great day to do so - with a glass of orange juice, of course! 
