Episode 7 - “Navigating the Supplement Aisle (Part 3): Vitamin C and Bioflavanoids Hello everybody and welcome to the relyt wellness podcast! This is part three in a series called navigating the supplement aisle. Which can be an overwhelming and confusing experience. Today we are going to talk about Vitamin C and Bioflavonoids, but first let me introduce myself to you! I’m Tyler and I am an herbalist and your host! I just want to say thank you so much for listening! I hope that this show and this series bring you value and help you feel more empowered on your wellness journey! Also, I am not a doctor, anything we discuss on this show is intended to educate and empower, not treat or diagnose. You should always consult with a medical doctor before trying any protocol whether it’s herbal or not. Ok, now onto the good stuff. Ok so vitamin C... if there is any vitamin that people know well it’s probably this one, right? We mix in our Emergen-C powder during cold and flu season, we eat Vitamin C gummies, and we drink our orange juice. We get vitamin C...but do we? Do you know why you are loading up on this vitamin? Also, right now you are probably finding this vitamin to be pretty elusive as the store shelves are consistently empty due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Good news though, the produce aisle is stocked with this vitamin. So real quick, what is Vitamin C good for? Why even bother? Of course it’s great for our immune system, we know that, but vitamin C is an antioxidant that is required for over 300 metabolic functions in our bodies. These functions include tissue growth and repair, support for our adrenal glands, gum health, it is vital in the formation of collagen, it keeps teeth and bones strong, and it aids in the production of anti stress hormones. Vitamin C has also been shown to aid in treatment and prevention of cancers, especially lung cancer as well as promote eye health, and fight heart disease. It does a lot. Also, one of Vitamin C’s greatest effects is in its ability to fight the effects of pollution. We breathe in polluted air and drink less than clean water all the time. All this toxicity produces free radicals, but since Vitamin C is an antioxidant it grabs onto those free radicals and neutralizes them making them harmless. This is also why you see Vitamin C in skincare products. These pollutants effect our skin as well, and being exposed to so much air pollution (especially if you live in urban areas like LA) applying vitamin c onto the skin can protect it against damaging effects of this pollution. If you are a smoker you definitely want to make sure you are getting adequate Vitamin C as you are quite deliberately inhaling polluted air with every puff. This may be why smokers are more prone to colds, allergies and signs of premature aging. I of course would recommend you stop smoking, but the second best option would be to up your Vitamin C intake! The body can’t make Vitamin C so that is why we need to purposefully get it into our diet. Being a water soluble-vitamin it needs to be replenished more often and with Vitamin C it is most effective in taking consistently throughout the day. So eating foods like asparagus, oranges, avocados, papaya, beet greens, parsley, broccoli, pineapple, Brussels sprouts, radishes, cantaloupe, spinach, rose hips, strawberries, grapefruit... and the list keeps on going. These will provide you will lots of this vitamin. And luckily it is rich in a lot of different foods it’s not difficult to eat these foods at every meal or snack on throughout the day. One thing to note about Vitamin C though is that it is a pretty delicate vitamin and heat destroys it so raw fruits and vegetables will be best! Signs you may need more vitamin c include bleeding gums
