MAIN Health Vitamins & Minerals Vitamin C

Vitamin C is one of the best known vitamins, however its most common use, as a cure for the common cold, is actually a myth.

Contrary to popular belief, the vast majority of studies indicates that vitamin C has little or no positive effect on the common cold, although there is strong evidence that it may generally strengthen the immune, system and therefore help to ward off colds and flu before they occur.

Vitamin C is also notable because while it is an essential component of many processes within the body, humans, unlike almost all organisms, do not produce it internally. This makes vitamin C supplementation an essential part of maintaining a healthy body.

One of vitamin C's most controversial applications is as a cancer treatment. In one recent study, researchers found that injecting large doses of vitamin C directly in to tumors in mice reduced tumor size and growth by up to fifty percent.

Another study found that when terminal cancer patients were given large doses of vitamin C, they reported an improvement in their cancer symptoms as well as their general health. Vitamin C treatment is still very controversial, however, and there is little consensus on just how effective vitamin C is as a cancer treatment.

Vitamin C is also an antioxidant, which means that it protects against free radicals, or unstable molecules within the body that can contribute to a variety of ailments such as heart disease, neurological disease, and certain types of cancer. Free radicals are also believed to contribute to the bodies aging process. Taking antioxidants, such as vitamin C, can protect against the many ailments that free radicals contribute to.

Linus Pauling, a pioneering vitamin C researcher, believed that vitamin C in large doses could have a significant positive effect on heart disease, with new evidence that vitamin C may, indeed, reduce the chance of developing cardiovascular conditions.

Vitamin C is widely available as a supplement, and the best food source of vitamin C is citrus fruits such as oranges and grapefruits.

More about vitamin C around the Web:

The Vitamin C Foundation - Vitamin C central - with the latest news, research and studies, book excerpts, editorials, and everything else you ever wanted to know with links to further information.

Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid) - Systemic function, how to prepare foods to retain nutrients, a comprehensive list of foods by serving sizes and corresponding RDA of vitamin C, related references.

International Health News Database - Vitamin C - Extensive archive of research articles on vitamin C studies relating to heart disease, cancer, and stroke, plus more on nutrient requirements and safety.

The Vitamin C content of fruit of the world - An introduction to the role of fruit and citrus fruit's role in providing an important source of vitamin C followed by an extensive table of good sources by name, latin name, serving size and amounts in milligrams.

Vitamin C, Linus Pauling Institute's Micronutrient Information Center - Overview of its function and benefits, causes and symptoms of deficiency, its use in treating diseases such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and the common cold, good food sources, recommended daily allowances by age level, possible drug interactions, related references.

Vitamin C: Requirements, health benefits, overdose & deficiency symptoms - With an overview of recent headlines questioning the benefit of taking high doses of vitamin C and suggested evidence of DNA damage, vitamin C's interaction with other nutrients, good food sources, recommended daily allowances by age level, and common symptoms of overdose.

Vitamin C and Vascular Disease - Extensive discussion on research spearheaded by Dr. Matthias Rath connecting heart disease and lipoproteins - and suggesting vitamin C and niacin as frontline defenses. Includes a complete suggested regimen of vitamins and nutrients for reversing heart disease.

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