Vitamin C Supplements

WLR dietitian reports on a study which confirms it is better to get nutrients from food than take vitamin supplements.

Supplements may provide a quick and easy way to top up levels of vitamin C, but new research shows that popping a pill may not be as effective as drinking a glass of Orange Juice.

Researchers from Italy gave seven volunteers three different drinks – 300ml of blood orange juice containing 150mg of vitamin C; a drink supplemented with the same amount of vitamin C; and sugared water that contained no vitamin C.

Blood samples were taken regularly. Unsurprisingly, levels of vitamin C increased after drinking both the OJ and the fortified drink. The blood samples were then exposed to a substance that’s known to cause damage to the DNA through the process of oxidation.

The researchers found that the degree of damage was far less in the blood samples taken from those volunteers who had drunk the orange juice.

Serena Guarnieri who led the research says, “It appears that vitamin C is not the only chemical responsible for antioxidant protection; there is something more at work here.”

WLR says

This is only a tiny study but it confirms what many health experts have been saying for years – that it’s better to get our nutrients in the form that Mother Nature intended them rather than from pills.

More and more research is revealing that it’s the unique combination of nutrients in food that provides the most protection against disease.

Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant and so may help to protect against free radical damage, lowering the risk of many different diseases including heart disease and certain cancers. But increasingly, it’s the vitamin C in food that appears to have the greatest effect.

Boost your intake of this vitamin by opting for citrus fruits and their juices, berries, kiwi fruit, tomatoes, peppers, green leafy veg and new potatoes.

Let’s face it, they’re also far more tasty than popping a pill.

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