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How many times has it been said that a good intake of vitamin C helps prevent colds? However, many do not know if they are ingesting the correct amount of this nutrient needed to support the immune system.
Therefore, people likely drink orange juice one day of the week, or perhaps make the mistake of ingesting more vitamin C than necessary.
According to information from the US Department of Health, vitamin C acts in the body as an antioxidant, helping protect cells from damage caused by free radicals. Free radicals are compounds that are formed when the body converts the food we eat into energy.
People are also exposed to free radicals in the environment from cigarette smoke, air pollution, and ultraviolet solar radiation.
The body, the U.S. Department of Health claims, needs vitamin C to make collagen, a protein needed for wound healing.
According to the US National Library of Medicine’s MedlinePlus website, vitamin C supplements don’t actually reduce the risk of contracting the common cold, although people who eat these dietary supplements may have milder symptoms or slightly shorter colds. Taking a supplement after the person starts having a cold doesn’t seem to help, the specialists add.
The body alone cannot produce ascorbic acid or store it, so it is important to include various foods that include this organic substance in your daily diet.
On the other hand, excessive vitamin C intake is incorrect, as its excess could cause diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, heartburn, abdominal cramps, headaches, and insomnia, according to the Mayo Foundation, dedicated to education. medical and investigation.
The amount of vitamin C a person needs to ingest each day depends on their age, according to experts from the US National Institutes of Health.
A boy between the ages of 1 and 3 requires 15 milligrams of vitamin C per day, while teenagers between the ages of 14 and 18 need 65 milligrams a day, while a boy between the ages of 14 and 18 needs 75 milligrams per day.
An adult woman needs 75 milligrams of vitamin C per day, while an adult man needs 90 milligrams of this ascorbic acid every day.
In the case of pregnant women they need 85 milligrams of vitamin C per day, while if they are breastfeeding the necessary dose is 120 mg.
Smokers, according to health experts, must add 35 milligrams to the above values, since as mentioned above, cigarette smoking exposes smokers to free radicals.
Not only does fruit contain vitamin C, ascorbic acid is also present in vegetables. Therefore, to ingest vitamin C, the United States Department of Health recommends consuming citrus fruits and juices such as orange and grapefruit and vegetables such as broccoli, potatoes and tomatoes.
A 100 gram grapefruit juice contains 38 mg of vitamin C, while 100 grams of broccoli contains 87 mg of vitamin C. About 100 grams of boiled potato contains 19.7 mg of vitamin C
US health authorities warn that cooking or storing foods for a long time can decrease the vitamin C content, although it is likely that if they are steamed or microwaved, the loss of vitamin C may be less.
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