I hate to be the bearer of bad news but the flu season's just around the corner. If you're like me and aren't interested in wasting your time and money at your local pharmacy, be sure to stock up on some Vitamin C.

Extra Vitamin C will be helpful for treating the symptoms of the common cold. I recommend up to 2,000 mg every 1-2 hours until symptoms begin to subside. Basically, evidence shows that Vitamin C blocks pathways that lead to the destruction of T-cells which actually coordinate your immune system. Aside from that, Vitamin C also multiplies T-cells to attack infections. Next time you start to feel like you coming down with something, put the cold medicine back on the shelf and immediately start taking extra Vitamin C.

Vitamin C also manufactures the primary protein of teeth, bones, skin, heart valves and other important parts of the body. It also aids greatly in healing wounds as it simulates collagen synthesis.

My favorite study about Vitamin C showed that it lowered blood pressure in a group of 45 people by around 9.1% in one month’s time! How’s that for results? In a nutshell, Vitamin C protects the body’s supply of Nitric Oxide, which modulates blood vessels. This process results in optimal blood pressure levels. (The Lancet December 18, 1999; 354)

It’s no wonder I’m such an advocate. Aside from all of these great benefits, Vitamin C is also a great choice in a proactive attempt to prevent Alzheimer’s disease.

The good news about Vitamin C is that you can find it in some of the best tasting fruits that nature has to offer such as oranges, cherries, pineapples, mangos strawberries and watermelons. Some vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and green/red peppers are another great source for this essential water-soluble vitamin. However, to truly provide your body with the amount of Vitamin C that it needs to sustain its great benefits, I recommend taking it in supplement form as well. Two very important things to remember when supplementing with Vitamin C are:

1. Ideally, Vitamin C should be taken with bioflavanoids, which further increases its benefits by aiding in absorption.
   
   
2. Vitamin C is a water soluble vitamin, meaning storage of the vitamin is minimal so you must consume it regularly, preferably spread throughout the day.

The bad news about Vitamin C usually surfaces as a result of NOT making it part of your daily regimen. Studies showed that people with low levels of Vitamin C are more likely to be infected with Helicobacter pylori, which is a bacteria that can cause ulcers and even stomach cancer. A deficiency in Vitamin C can also lead to other harmful diseases like scurvy. As matter of fact, if you look up the definition of scurvy it will say "scur-vy [scur-vee] A disease caused by deficiency of vitamin C, characterized by spongy and bleeding gums, bleeding under the skin, and extreme weakness. Yikes!

The bottom line here is this, if you are truly committed to the pursuit of optimal health and well-being, Vitamin C is essential. I consume a minimum of 3,000 mg spread throughout the day as a maintenance dose. The benefits are endless, the results are real and the consequences resulting in a lack of it can be adverse. Why take the risk?