Vitamin C

Vitamin C is water-soluble and quite a small molecule. A lack of vitamin C can lead to a complaint called ‘scurvy’. In the days of the sailing ships and long sea voyages, British sailors knew about this and on long journeys, say to Australia, would take fruit on board, particularly lemons and limes. They were called ‘Limeys’ by the Australians, which is still used as a nick-name.

A constant supply of vitamin C is essential for healthy skin and everyday healthy living. ‘An apple a day keeps the doctor away’ is an old wives’ tale, but it has some meaning when applied to vitamins C and B.

Vitamin C occurs in all fruit, citrus, green vegetables, tomatoes, peppers, sprouts, broccoli, etc. This water-soluble vitamin is easily lost from the body and so needs constant replacement by eating fresh vegetables and fruit. On the other hand, excessive intake of it can adversely affect the working of vitamin B12 and also cause
a loss of calcium from the bones. Excessive vitamin supplements are not usually required if a balanced diet is eaten.
Vitamin C has been shown to have a good effect in destroying the build-up of nitrosamine compounds in the body, which, if left in the body too long, can produce cells leading to tumours. Research reported in 1999 at the American Chemical Society, meetings stated that ‘consuming a very large amount of vitamin C may be
an effective way of relieving stress’. It must be said that the research was mainly conducted on a rat  population, but the research is continuing to see if it has any application to humans. So if you know of any stressed out rats, then feed them fruit!