Interestingly, humans are one of the few species that cannot manufacture their own Vitamin C. This means that Vitamin C needs to be consumed through the diet in the form of fruit and vegetables or taken as a supplement.
Vitamin C is an absolutely essential nutrient with powerful antioxidant, antiviral and immune boosting properties. Over the years, there have been many studies that highlight Vitamin C’s ability to prevent infections like the common cold. In these studies, those who developed a cold reported that Vitamin C help shorten the duration of common cold symptoms.
In general, individuals who are deficient in Vitamin C may notice their colds persisting longer than normal and may experience increased cold or flu frequency throughout the year.
The cells in our body require Vitamin C for maintenance and healing of collagen and connective tissue as is found in ligaments, tendons, muscle, cartilage, teeth and bones. Vitamin C can also minimise histamine levels in the body and aid in the absorption and effectiveness of other nutrients like iron.
Factors that may increase the need for extra Vitamin C include cigarette smoking, pregnancy and lactation, alcohol, the oral contraceptive pill, infection, allergies, stress, inflammatory conditions, surgery and old age.
At Saltuary, we stock high quality practitioner only Vitamin C products in the form of powders and tablets. Both products also contain other immune boosting nutrients such as zinc, vitamin E, betacarotene and bioflavonoids making them useful products to have at home to support you and your family’s immune system during the winter months.
Most people associate Vitamin C with immune health, but it also plays an important role in stress and nervous system support. The adrenal glands are responsible for our ‘flight or fight’ response and require much higher levels of Vitamin C to function optimally in times of stress. Low levels of Vitamin C (in addition to other nutrients) will result in the adrenal glands not being able to adequately cope when a stressful situation occurs.
Saltuary is passionate about sourcing and stocking niche and unique products that are not only good for the body but also the environment. To that end, we have introduced many nutrient dense foods that are rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.
One such product is Gubinge powder. The Gubinge fruit is a superfood (also known as Kakadu Plum) that is wild harvested from the Dampier Peninsula north of Broome and is reputed to be the highest source of natural Vitamin C found in a food worldwide. Gubinge powder has a mild, earthy taste and can be stirred into water, juice or smoothies for a boost of Vitamin C. It can also be added to cereals, porridge, bliss balls, homemade sorbets and other raw foods.
Other food sources of Vitamin C include:
Strawberry
Blackcurrant
Broccoli
Pineapple
Guava
Citrus fruits
Parsley
Rosehips
Raw cabbage
If you haven’t been into Saltuary for a while, please pop in to explore our ever-evolving range of retail products. We look forward to meeting you in store.
Have a beautiful weekend everyone,
Amy