Background Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is a water-soluble vitamin, which is necessary in the body to form collagen in bones, cartilage, muscle,

and blood vessels and aids in the absorption of iron. Dietary sources of vitamin C include fruits and vegetables, particularly citrus fruits such as oranges. Severe deficiency of vitamin C causes scurvy. Although rare, scurvy includes potentially severe consequences, and can cause sudden death. Patients with scurvy are treated with vitamin C and should be under medical supervision. Many uses for vitamin C have been proposed, but few have been found to be beneficial in scientific studies. In particular, research in asthma, cancer, and diabetes remains inconclusive, and no benefits have been found in the prevention of cataracts or heart disease. The use of vitamin C in the prevention/treatment of the common cold and respiratory infections remains controversial.. Vitamin C benefits, what does it do? What are the signs of deficiencey? Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin, otherwise known as ascorbic acid. Vitamin C is responsible for many functions in your body. What does Vitamin C do? Vitamin C is an antioxidant and can protect your body from freeradicals, which may cause heart disease and cancer. Vitamin C is responsible for producing collagen. Collagen is present in your muscles and bones. It is responsible for holding the cells together. Vitamin C helps your immune system. It helps you heal from scrapes and bruises. Vitamin C also keeps your gums healthy. People with lack of Vitamin C often develop black, swollen gums otherwise known as scurvy. People who do not consume enough Vitamin C often develop the following symptoms: Swollen Gums

Wounds that don't heal Easy bruising Bleeding Gums If you consume too much Vitamin C, it may not be harmful. Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin therefore excess amount is excreted in your urine. But it can develop symptoms such as kidney stones and diarrhea because it is an acid. The average (nonsmoking) person should consume 60 mg of Vitamin C per day. This can be found in 3/4 cup of orange juice. People who smoke need more Vitamin C than others. Their requirement is 100 mg a day. You can obtain Vitamin C from citrus fruits such as oranges, tangerines, and grapefruits. You can also obtain a significant amount from tomatoes, peppers, broccoli, and even potatoes. Vitamin C is good for protecting your body. For vegetarians it is even healthier. When combined with iron, iron becomes more absorbable allowing an increased iron intake.

Lemons were created as a cross between the lime and the more obscure citron thousands of
years ago in Asia. Arabs brought them to North Africa and Muslim Spain in the 11th century. The European Crusaders found lemons growing in Palestine and brought them back to the Christian world. Columbus introduced lemons to the New World on his second voyage and they have been in Florida since the 16th century. Lemons are a great addition to many foods, especially salads as the juice is a potent antibiotic. Cardiovascular Health Lemons are abundant in vitamin C, a powerful and effective antioxidant that protects our bodies from free radicals that cause oxidative stress. Excessive oxidative stress, or "cellular rust," can lead to a host of severe medical conditions, such as atherosclerosis that can cause heart disease. Vitamin C has been shown to lower blood pressure, and thereby lower the chances of developing of hypertension, as well as cardiovascular disease. Vitamin C also ensures proper dilation of blood vessels, which may prevent atherosclerosis, high cholesterol, congestive heart failure, and angina pectoris. Cancer Prevention Studies have found that compounds in lemons known as limonoids help fight cancers of the mouth, skin, lung, breast, stomach and colon. The benefits of these limonoids also last for much longer than the antioxidant powers of most other fruits. The vitamin C in lemons is a powerful

and effective water-soluble antioxidant, protecting our bodies from oxidative stress caused by free radicals. Excessive oxidative stress is associated with many different types of cancer, including lung, mouth, throat, colon, stomach and esophagus. Vitamin C also helps to regenerate your supplies of vitamin E (another useful antioxidant). Bone and Connective Tissue The vitamin C in lemons is one of the most important antioxidants in nature. Water-soluble, it moves throughout the aqueous environments of the body, neutralizing all free radicals it comes into contact with. Free radicals can damage healthy cells and cause inflammation in bone and connective tissue. Vitamin C can be of some help in reducing some of the symptoms of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Digestive Tract Health Lemon juice may help with indigestion and constipation. Add a few drops of lemon to your meal or to some water to aid the digestive process. Lemon is also said to act as a blood purifier and a cleansing agent. Eye Health The lens of the human eye requires vitamin C to function properly and a deciency can lead to cataracts (a condition in which the lens becomes increasingly opaque, causing blurry vision). A higher intake of vitamin C has been shown to ght cataracts by increasing the amount of blood ow to the eye. Immune System Lemons contain the vitamin C that is so vital to the function of an effective immune system. The immune system's job is to defend the body from illness, so a little extra lemon may be all that's needed to fight and win the war against colds, flus, and recurrent ear infections. Antibiotic Effects Of special interest to researchers have been the flavonoids in lemons that have been shown to have antibiotic effects. Lemon and lime juice has been used in African and American cultures as an antibiotic in place of more modern sanitation and refrigeration.

The tomato originated in the Andes Mountains in South America and was first
domesticated in Mexico by the Aztec people. Over the years its popularity has steadily grown and now it is the second most consumed vegetable in North America. Tomato's not only taste good but are also very good for health. Some of the health benefits of tomato

consumption are: Nutrition. The tomato is a treasure of nutrients, including Vitamin C, Vitamin A, potassium, folic acid and more. Tomatoes contribute more nutrients to the diet than any other fruit or vegetable. Vitamin C. Vitamin C has long been known to prevent scurvy - a condition that is characterized by bleeding gums and soreness in the joints. People who experience easy bruising may want to try including more tomatoes in their diet. Vitamin C is also known to function as an antioxidant in the human body. Studies have shown that it may prevent certain degenerative diseases and common colds. Vitamin C is also a powerful antiinflammatory. This anti-inflammatory activity reduces the development of asthma symptoms. A large preliminary study has shown that young children with asthma experience significantly less wheezing if they eat a diet rich in tomatoes. Vitamin A. Vitamin A is important for immune functions, maintenance of the skin and tissue lining and vision. Potassium. Potassium is an essential nutrient that is important for normal health maintenance and growth. It is required for movement of nutrients across the cells in the body. A deficiency of potassium would lead to muscle weakness, apathy, cramps and more. Folic acid. Eating a diet containing folic acid, beta-carotene, and vitamin C effectively lowers homocysteine levels. As tomatoes contain all three of these nutrients, they are especially recommended for people with high homocysteine levels. Lycopene. Tomato's have a characteristic red color. This is due to the presence of lycopene. Lycopene is a carotenoid and one of the most powerful antioxidants amongst its kind. Antioxidants help to ward off the damaging effects of free radicals that result in heart disease. They can also attack and intercept foreign material that can lead to cancers and other chronic diseases. Growing scientific evidence associates high intake of lycopene-rich tomato products with reduced risk of cancers of the lung, breast, prostate, cervix and digestive tract. Lycopene also may help to prevent macular degenerative disease which is the leading cause of blindness in people over the age of sixty five. Summary. To sum it up, the consumption of tomatoes lowers the risk of cancer, heart disease, degenerative disease of the eye, osteoporosis and diabetes among other things. It also reduces the chances of asthma and lowers homocysteine levels. No wonder it is the

second most widely consumed fruit/vegetable in North America.

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Chillies are very rich in vitamins A, B, C and E and minerals like manganese, folate,
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potassium, and copper. The high levels of vitamins C in chillies are seven times higher than what youd find in an orange. Chillies are known to burn calories easily and are also known to stimulate appetite, clear your and stimulate the digestive system. The vitamin C and vitamin A in chillies are high in antioxidants, which kill free radical bodies that may be in the body and cause cell damage and help keep cholesterol in check. Chillies are known to clear the lungs thereby reducing wheezing and asthma. Not only do they detoxify the body by removing unneeded waste from the body, they also act as gastrointestinal detoxicants that helps you digest your food better. Acting as an effective painkiller, chillies release endorphins that act as are natural painkillers. If you have an infection, having chillies help bring fresh blood to that area, which in turn fights infections. Vitamin C, beta-carotene and folic acid that is present in chillies reduces the risk of colon cancer

ORANGE Remember your mother telling you to eat oranges in order to supply your
body with much needed Vitamin C? Well, researchers in California have discovered that oranges provide our bodies with other vitamins that help us fight off a variety of health problems. Oranges are rich in a compound called citrus limonoids, which help to prevent cancers of the breast, colon, lung, mouth, skin and stomach. In laboratory tests animals and human cells both benefited from citrus limonoids in the fight against these cancers. Chemist Gary D. Manners and a team of scientists at the Agricultural Research Service in northern California are now doing extensive research into the benefits of citrus limonoids to human health. Manners and his team reported findings from research that they have conducted over a number of years. It seems that each time we bite into a slice of orange or drink a glass of orange juice our bodies recognize a limonoid called limonin. It is believed that limonin also reduces cholesterol, which is linked to heart disease and other health problems. Manners and his team are doing further research on the benefits of limonins in reducing cholesterol levels. Volunteers are taking part in the study and findings are being recorded. It is important to give oranges to children under the age of two years. A new study shows that children who ate oranges four to six times a week in infancy had a lower risk of childhood leukemia. This may be due to the Vitamin C and anti-toxins present in the fruit that protects the DNA of children from environmental pollution and other factors that lead to leukemia. In addition to oranges, it is also beneficial to feed young children bananas and foods containing turmeric. For optimum health benefits for the entire family, keep a good supply of oranges in your refrigerator. They are a refreshing healthy snack for people of all ages. Delicious and

wonderful to eat, they also protect our bodies from cancers of all types

Amla - This tiny berry is believed to be the most powerful rejuvenating agent known to man. Amla is the most potent natural source of Vitamin C. In fact, this tiny fruit has as much Vitamin C as two oranges. Vitamin C, when taken in the form of supplements, is not always easily absorbed. But when you eat an amla berry, the Vitamin C present is easily assimilated by body. So the next time you think of reaching for a supplement, think again and reach for an amla berry instead.
Vitamin C is an excellent anti-oxidant and as amla is so rich in Vitamin C, it has strong antioxidant properties and helps combat free radicals. Free radicals are unstable ions in the body, responsible for ageing and cell degeneration. Amla stabilises these free radicals and is believed to be themost powerful rejuvenating agent known to man. Just like most berries, it is low in sugar and has a high fibre content, making it an ideal daily fruit for almost anyone. However, if you have a heart condition, you may want to check with your doctor before taking amla regularly. This is because amla stimulates the heart. Iron and various other minerals are not always easily absorbed by the body. You require a certain combination of meals to reap maximum benefits from the food you eat. Unless you are a nutritionist or regularly consult one, chances are that you eat normal, regular food and try to stick to a healthy diet as far as possible. Although numerous people do manage to get adequate amounts of all essential minerals due to various combinations of food, just as many, don't. Amla is a fruit that enhances food absorption and thus helps you get the most out of the food you eat. It helps the body digest food better and assimilate minerals like iron. Another excellent digestive is ginger, but ginger tends to heat the body. Amla does not heat the body, and is gentler on the entire system. Regular intake of amla almost always results in a stronger, healthier digestive system and in improved overall immunity. Amla also helps boost protein metabolism, so if you exercise and work out regularly you will benefit greatly from regular amla intake. Similarly, people who have a tendency to gain weight easily tend to have poor metabolism. The better your metabolism, the better the body's ability to burn fat and keep you slim. As amla enhances metabolism, it helps you lose weight faster. Regular use of pain killers, antibiotics and medication, regular intake of alcohol, all cause toxin build-up in the liver. Amla helps strengthen the liver, and rid the body of these toxins. It thus helps purify and clean the blood. This is why amla is good for the skin, and if taken in combination with neem, it can help clear out pimples that are caused due to impure blood. In addition to the skin, amla is also great for the hair. It nourishes hair roots and is believed to prevent premature greying. Thus one often sees amla-based shampoos and oils. In addition, amla helps lower cholesterol, enhance vision, and strengthen the lungs and the respiratory system. It also strengthens the body's central nervous system. It is a gentle laxative and helps cure constipation. These are just some of the reasons to include an amla in your daily diet. Do you need any more?