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Think that morning orange juice is just a tasty way to wash down your corn flakes? Think again. Vitamin C’s many benefits make it a powerhouse in anti-aging therapy. Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, is a water-soluble vitamin that's crucial to the body in many respects; it's needed for tissue growth and repair, healing of wounds, and to produce healthy cartilage, bones, and teeth. It's not stored in the body so it must be constantly replenished through a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, which are the most important sources of the vitamin. Though it was not identified and isolated until the 1930s, its protective properties have been known for centuries. In the 1700s the British navy discovered that adding citrus fruits to sailors' diets effectively prevented scurvy, a debilitating and often fatal disease that is the direct manifestation of severe vitamin C deficiency. In addition, the vitamin has also believed to be effective at preventing the common cold. But recent research is indicating that it is important to health in many more ways, including the treatment and prevention of a wide range of age-related diseases and disorders. A Powerful Antioxidant One of the most exciting discoveries about vitamin C is its antioxidant capability. Antioxidants are substances which can prevent and repair cellular damage caused by free radicals, unstable molecules formed during the natural but potentially harmful process of cellular oxidation. Free radical damage is closely associated with many age-related diseases, so antioxidants are one of the first lines of defense in anti-aging therapy. Vitamin C For Heart Health A growing body of research indicates that it is crucial to heart health. Low levels of the vitamin are directly associated with increased risk of coronary and cardiovascular disease, with some studies showing that supplemental doses lowered the risk for men by as much as 42% and for women by 25%. Vitamin C for Cancer Prevention One of the most exciting aspects of the vitamin is its potential as a cancer preventative. Both case-control and prospective studies show that a substantial boost in intake significantly lowered the risk of a wide range of cancers, including cancers of the cancers of the mouth, throat, esophagus, stomach, colon, rectum, breast, and lung. Vitamin C for Brain Function Getting enough C vitamin can be important to brain function, mental alertness, and mood, particularly in older people. It helps in the synthesis of crucial neurotransmitters and its antioxidant properties protect brain cells from free radical damage, preventing depression, increasing learning capability, and enhancing motor skills. Vitamin C for Better Vision As a strong antioxidant, it excels at protecting the eyes against age-related diseases like cataracts, a condition in which the lens of the eye becomes opaque. A Tufts University study of 247 women indicated that long-term supplementation could dramatically lower the risk of cataract development. According to the study, women who had taken supplements of the vitamin for 10 years or more had a 77% lower risk of early lens opacities and an 83% lower risk of moderate lens opacities than women who did not take supplements. A lower risk of macular degeneration, one of the leading causes of blindness, has also been associated with increased vitamin C levels. A major clinical trial sponsored by the National Eye Institute showed that supplementation reduced the risk of moderate or severe AMD-related vision loss by as much as 25 percent. Can drinking red wine protect your heart, ward off cancer and Alzheimer's, and generally help you stay young? New research says the answer may be yes, because wine contains resveratrol, a potent anti-aging therapy. Find out more about resveratrol's anti-aging benefits at Anti-Aging Therapies.
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