BusyBodyHealth

Many of us have been trained by our mothers to take vitamin C. But the questions is what does it do?  How much to take? What are the natural sources of vitamin C?

 Vitamin C helps the body to maintain healthy tissues and a strong immune system, and it aids in the absorption of iron. Vitamin C is considered a powerful ally if you're trying to avoid or kick a cold or other illness. Together with calcium and iron, it's also an important part of a diet that counteracts lead poisoning.

The recommended daily allowance (RDA) for adult men is 90 mg and for adult women it's 75 mg, and recent research has called into question the efficacy of vitamin C pills. Get your vitamin C naturally with these top 10 food sources, according to the USDA's Dietary Guidelines for Americans. You may be surprised to find oranges don't rank No. 1.

Experts said to take 2,000 mg/day during the winter and all year round to help your body fight off any other viruses.

And when you happen to get the flu, take vitamin C together with echinacea everyday. Take 300 mg, 3x/day as a supplement or as a hot tea. Echinacea is a proven immune-modulator, ramps up your immune system, so don't take it all year-round.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Chief Medical Correspondent of CNN, mentioned that the flu vaccine works only 40% of the time.
Has anyone thought the reason why this year's flue season hits so hard is because the vaccine doesn't really work?

Ten Natural Sources of vitamin C:

1. Guava - one half cup of the fruit contains 188 mg of vitamin C and 56 calories. Best to eat the fruit raw or put it into a smoothie.

2. Red sweet pepper - 1/2 C of raw red sweet pepper contains 142 mg of vitamin C and 20 calories. If you cook the veggie, a half cup offers 116 mg of vitamin C.

3. Kiwi - One medium kiwi contains 70 mg of the nutrient and 46 calories.

4. Orange - One medium orange contains 70 mg of vitamin C and 62 calories. If you prefer it in liquid form, 3/4 cup of orange juice contains 61-93 mg of vitamin C and 79-84 calories.

5. Green sweet peppers - offer 60 mg of vitamin C per half cup, with only 15 calories. When cooked, the vegetable provides 51 mg of vitamin C.

6. Grapfruit - it provides almost the same amount of vitamin C as green peppers: 3/4 cup has 50-70 mg vitamin C and 71-86 calories.

7. Vegetable Juice - it provides plenty of nutrients, including a vitamin C punch (and, if your veggie juice is tomato-based, a healthy dose of lycopene, a disease-fighting phytonutrient). You'll get 50 mg of vitamin C and 34 calories in 3/4 cup of juice.

8. Strawberries - they are full of fiber and antioxidants, including vitamin C. A half cup of strawberries contains 49 mg of the vitamin and 27 calories.

9. Brussel Sprouts - this veggie may not be the most kid-friendly choice, but it is a true superfood -- packed with both 48 mg of Vitamin C, 300 μg of Vitamin K and just 28 calories.

10. Cantaloupe - One quarter of a medium size has 47 mg of vitamin C and 51 calories.

Update⁴ -
Intravenous vitamin C may increase your life expenctancy, even if you use chemo. 
Study with pancreatic cancer patients, whom usually expected to live about 5-6 months. Doctors like Nicholas Gonzalez, MD in New York, looked outside the traditional treatemnt and infused 50-125 g of vitamin C into pancreatic cancer sufferes. They gave the dosage once a week for at least 60 days. The participants also received their regular weekly chemo.

The study have shown that the patients only lost avg of 11 pounds, worst side effects were mild diarrhea and dry mouth. Vitamin C stopped the progression of cancer for 26 weeks on average. And they all lived an average of 12 months longer than expected.

Sources:
1. drmicozzi.com/the-flu-follies
2. http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cidrap/files/80/ccivi%20report.pdf
3. http://www.thedailygreen.com/healthy-eating/eat-safe/top-sources-vitamin-C-44102808#ixzz2IMWPG5tB
4. http://www.advancedbionutritionals.com/Nutrient-Insider/View-Archive/164/Common-vitamin-allows-pancreatic-cancer-sufferers-to-live-12-months-longer.htm