We as humans are always getting sick especially during the flu and cold seasons. We then start pumping our bodies with pills to help get our immune system back on track. If you are anything like me and do not trust taking pills there are other ways to boost our immune systems. Everybody always says to take a bunch of vitamin C when you are sick because it is the best thing to take. The biggest bottle of vitamins I have on hand would be my vitamin C tablets. I get sick much less than most people I know because I constantly wash my hands. If I feel even the slightest sickest start to form than I take the recommended amount of vitamin C tablets to help fight off the cold. I also drink green tea which is full an antioxidants to help battle the cold even more. The main reason to wash your hands more frequently is to prevent germs from entering your body. Most germs enter your body through your hands because you are always touching something. You could easily get sick just from shaking a hand. The number one spot for contracting the most germs is at a gas pump. So many people have different illnesses, all which are touching the same gas pump handle that you just picked up. The second spot for contacting the most germs is at your local grocery store or any store that has shopping carts. There are more and more stores that are adding hand and shopping cart sanitation stations throughout their store. This makes shopping much more delightful for me knowing I will not contract any germs. I also have a bottle of hand sanitizer in my car for any situation. Taking vitamin C will help your immune system stay strong but taking too much can have some interesting consequences.
Humans cannot produce vitamin C on their own which is why many choose to get it elsewhere. A lot of fruits, especially oranges, have vitamin C in them. The average orange has about 70mg of vitamin C. Most men require about 90mg of vitamin C daily while women need around 75mg. These values are on the low end while about 2000mg of vitamin C would be on the high end. You can also get vitamin C from your favorite brand of orange juice. Different orange juices vary the amount of vitamin C in them because as we all know, a lot of products like to process their product and strip some important nutrients out. You can easily see how much vitamin C is in your orange juice by looking at the nutrition label. Vitamin C tablets on average have about 500mg of vitamin C in them. According to the bottle I have that is about 833% of my daily value. This seems like quite a bit which is why it is important to not overdose on vitamin C. Taking too much vitamin C, over 2000mg a day, will cause abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headaches, insomnia, and a few more. Having a vitamin C deficiency can cause scurvy, which leads to skin spots, spongy gums, and bleeding from mucous membranes.
Excellent Sources of Vitamin C
-Berries
-Broccoli
-Citrus Fruits
-Green & red Peppers
-Spinach
-Tomatoes
Taking vitamin C not only helps with your immune system but also with the absorption of iron. Iron is important for transporting oxygen to our cells and providing muscle protein. Vitamin C also promotes healthy gums and teeth while preventing cell damage. If you smoke you need to get an additional 45mg of vitamin C a day because smoking interferes with the body’s ability to absorb vitamins. One more benefit of vitamin C is producing collagen. Collagen is the tissue that helps repair wounds and also promotes teeth and bone health. If you are not getting enough vitamin C you may want to start eating some citrus fruits, vegetables, or a daily glass of orange juice. The important idea here is to get enough vitamin C without overdoing it, which may actually be hard for those not taking vitamin C tablets. The next time you are feeling ill reach for that bottle of vitamin C and begin boosting your immune system right away. Stay away from any cold or flu medicine because they tend to cause more side effects than anything else. Also, be sure to wash your hands more and be aware of everything you touch to prevent any sickness!
Resources:
Life Clinic
Mayo Clinic
