Maybe you are wondering why vitamin C or ascorbic acid is very well known. It is one of the most common antioxidants that naturally occur in vegetables and fruits that you eat. Ascorbic acid helps your body get rid of all the free radicals that your body acquires from day-to-day exposure to stress and the elements. Basically, you need vitamin C for a stronger, more protected body.

You may also notice that there are lots of vitamin C supplements these days. They are everywhere. This gives you a myriad of options to choose from. But wouldn’t it be healthier if you choose to take natural vitamin C supplements instead of synthetic ones? Here are some of the facts about natural vitamin C that may help you choose the healthier ascorbic acid:

1. Benefits

Vitamin C is a very valuable vitamin because it helps repair and renew your cells. Natural vitamin C is a very healthy way of making sure that your body gets all the necessary vitamin C that you need. It makes sure that your immune system is strong and stable; it helps you prevent cardiovascular diseases and cancer; it helps you relieve daily stress; it provides additional energy; it improves the absorption of iron; and it also helps form the collagen in your blood vessels, skin, joints, and cartilage. It is true that natural vitamin C is just one of the essential vitamins and minerals that you should responsibly take into your body, especially when you have underlying diseases. Natural vitamin C is one of the ideal antioxidants that you should learn to incorporate it into your diet.

2. Deficiency

When you do not get the right amounts of natural vitamin C, you develop a vitamin C deficiency, also known as scurvy. Symptoms of scurvy are anemia, bruising, generalized body weakness, and gum disease. This is usually experienced by sailors, who eat citrus fruits everyday to make sure that they get the right amounts of natural vitamin C. You can never go wrong with too much vitamin C in your system so why risk of having scurvy?

3. Daily allowance

Years back, low dosages of natural vitamin C were recommended everyday. But doctors started to realize that higher dosages of this vitamin yielded more improvements in your overall health. It is said that excessive amounts of natural vitamin C would only be excreted with the urine without being used at all. The best way to get natural vitamin C is through raw vegetables and fruits.  When you cook vegetables and fruits, the vitamin C in them deteriorate because of the heat. It is also water soluble so if you want to make a vitamin C-rich drink, avoid adding water. About 50 milligrams daily of natural vitamin C is recommended for children and 60 milligrams is recommended for adults.

4. Sources

It’s easy to get your daily natural vitamin C needs. All you have to do is to incorporate fruits and vegetables into your diet. Grapefruit, raw red capsicum, oranges, raw broccoli, kiwi, and mango have the highest levels of natural vitamin C. But you could also get this vitamin from bananas, tangerines, guava, grapes, melon, watermelon, papaya, pineapple, tomatoes, raspberries, strawberries, sweet potatoes, cabbage, kale, Brussel’s sprouts, spinach, and  potatoes. You could just steam or bake these food items to retain their nutrient value. To add more variety to your healthy food intake, you could make juices from fruits, vegetables, or a mixture of both. If you decide to juice fruits and vegetables it would be much better for you to not add anymore water. Natural vitamin C is water soluble. The more water you add into your juice, the lesser the vitamins C content of your beverage. You don’t have to exert manual effort in juicing your choice of vegetables and fruits. There are so many types of juicers that you could buy and use for a very long time. Depending on how you maintain them. If you want to buy ready-made juices, opt for the naturally made ones. Of course, freshness is also an issue. Natural vitamin C will benefit you if you get it from reputable sources without worrying of that you have taken additional preservatives or additives.

Natural vitamin C is a very ideal form to balance  out the amounts of nutrients in your body. Make sure that your doctor is kept posted to any change in your regular diet. This is to prevent incorrect vitamins and minerals. If you are already diagnosed with a disease, you should ask your doctor at to how taking more natural vitamin C each day would affect your overall health.