Why you need vitamin C

Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid) is a water-soluble vitamin, meaning that your body doesn't store it. We get what we need, instead, from food. You need vitamin C for the growth and repair of tissues in all parts of your body. It helps the body make collagen, an important protein used to make skin, cartilage, tendons, ligaments, and blood vessels. Vitamin C is essential for healing wounds, and for repairing and maintaining bones and teeth. Vitamin C is an antioxidant, along with vitamin E, beta-carotene, and many other plant-based nutrients. Antioxidants block some of the damage caused by free radicals, which occur naturally when our bodies transform food into energy. The build-up of free radicals over time may be largely responsible for the aging process and can contribute to the development of health conditions such as cancer, heart disease, and arthritis. Evidence suggests that many people may be mildly deficient in vitamin C, although serious deficiencies are rare in industrialized countries. Smoking cigarettes lowers the amount of vitamin C in the body, so smokers are at a higher risk of deficiency.
Signs of vitamin deficiency include;
1. dry and splitting hair;
2. gingivitis (inflammation of the gums) and bleeding gums;
3. rough, dry, scaly skin;
4. decreased woundhealing rate, easy bruising;
5. nosebleeds;
6. and a decreased ability to ward off infection.
A severe form of vitamin C deficiency is known as scurvy.
Functions:
1. Maintenance of bones, teeth,  connective tissue,cartilages
2. Absorption of Calcium, Iron and Folacin
3. Production of brain hormones, immune factors
4. Antioxidant
Deficiency:
1. Bleeding gums, scurvy, anemia 2. joint pain, increase resistance to infections,
3. rough skin, hair loss, loose teeth.
Toxicity:
1. Diarrhea,
2. bloating,
3. cramps,
4. formation of kidney stones.
All these rarely occur but they need to be noted in people taking vitamin C supplements.
FOOD SOURCES
Foods that are the highest sources of vitamin C include:
 Cantaloupe
 Citrus fruits and juices, such as orange and grapefruit
 Kiwi fruit
 Mango
 Papaya
 Pineapple
 Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, cranberries
 Watermelon
Vegetables that are the highest sources of vitamin C include:
 Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower
 Green and red peppers
 Spinach, cabbage, turnip greens, and other leafy greens
 Sweet and white potatoes
 Tomatoes and tomato juices.

Reference:
Basic nutrition by Ana Marie M. Somoray RND