Vitamin C

Vitamin C has been linked to many impressive health benefits.

Vitamin C has been linked to many impressive health benefits that include boosting antioxidant levels, lowering blood pressure, protecting against gout attacks, improving iron absorption, boosting immunity, and reducing heart disease and dementia risk. Because the human body cannot produce Vitamin C, it must be obtained through food sources or manufactured supplements.

Opinions vary about how much Vitamin C is needed for optimal health. The Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA)–enough to prevent deficiency syndromes such as scurvy–is 90 mg for men and 75 mg for women, but the Upper Limit (UL) is 2,000 mg. Because of the known benefits of Vitamin C for prevention and optimal health, including those that have not yet been fully proven, I prefer to take a 1,000 mg supplement and to eat foods that are rich in Vitamin C every day.

High-heat cooking temperatures or prolonged cook times can break down the vitamin. Because it is water-soluble, the vitamin can also seep into cooking liquid and be lost if the liquids are not eaten. Quick heating methods or using as little water as possible when cooking, such as stir-frying or blanching, can preserve the vitamin. Foods at peak ripeness eaten raw contain the most vitamin C.