Although Vitamin C is an acid, this water soluble building block for good nutrition actually supports that alkaline state of the body. It is one of the safest and most used supplements that may be taken in daily as well as therapeutic mega-doses. While regular requirements may be around 150 mg, a dosage of up to 10 g can be used for acute conditions such as inflammation and infection.
Deficiencies for can vary, and although extreme conditions such as scurvy are not widely common, lesser deficiencies for Vitamin C can manifest as easy bruising, slow wound healing, and weakness or fatigue. While Vitamin C is widely available in fresh foods, the ascorbic acid breaks down during any heating process, which can make intake through pasteurized juices limited.
In supplement form, Vitamin C can be taken as a powder, capsule, or tablet, although packaging for these forms still needs to take into account the heat range for the nutrients viability. Vitamin C is often hailed as an all-purpose supplement and does have wide application, although this is because of the specific function it performs in the body.
Along with the reduction of inflammation due to its alkalizing effect, Vitamin C is vital to the formation of collagen. This makes it applicable in a supportive role for the formation of health bones, joints, muscles, and skin cells. It further aids in the metabolism of stress hormones, and thus reduces the fatigue that may be experienced from overactive adrenal function.
The antioxidant action of Vitamin C is both a direct and indirect action. Within the body, it will scavenge free radicals and protect cell membranes, but it is also vital in activating white blood cells, which fight infections. This is one of the reasons it is popularly used to prevent or combat the cold and flu. This aspect also makes it useful in recovery for wound healing, and to strengthen the vessels of the cardiovascular system.
