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5 Common Myths About Vitamin C

Nov 02, 2015

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Family Health Care

5 Common Myths About Vitamin C

Most people know a thing or two about vitamin C. They know that orange juice contains vitamin C and without this nutrient, you can develop scurvy. Myths about this essential nutrient are very common, and our knowledge about the benefits of consuming it continues to evolve. With that being said, here are the most common myths about vitamin C:

Vitamin C is effective for fighting off a cold. Vitamin C plays a key role in immune function, which is critical for healing wounds. However, upping your vitamin C intake doesn"t actually reduce the risk of catching a cold.

Vitamin C deficiencies are quite common. You can prevent scurvy with as little vitamin C intake as 10 mg daily. As a medium orange contains approximately 70 mg, it"s rare to develop a deficiency so severe that it produces symptoms such as bruising and swollen joints.

The best source of vitamin C is citrus. Citrus is an excellent vitamin C source, but it is far from the only great source. For example, a cup of red bell pepper contains between 200 and 300 mg of vitamin C, more than double the vitamin C in a cup of orange juice.

Regular vitamin C intake makes you gain weight. On the contrary, consuming an average quantity of vitamin C can actually help you lose weight. A low vitamin C blood level is linked to higher body fat percentage, BMI, and waist circumference. If you"re attempting to lose weight, make exercise a high priority and include vitamin C rich foods in your meals.

It"s impossible to get too much vitamin C. Vitamin C is a water soluble vitamin, which means that the body eliminates any surplus in urine. While you don"t face risk of overdose the way that you do with a fat soluble vitamin, taking extreme doses can still bring about unwanted side effects ranging from bloating to headaches to kidney stones.

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