Vitamin C

Vitamin C is a necessary vitamin when it comes to normal growth and development and is a water-soluble vitamin, meaning it dissolves in water. Because vitamin C is water-soluble and your body can't store it, you must get the proper amount of vitamin C from the foods that you eat.

Vitamin C functions in the body by helping grow and repair various tissues. Vitamin C helps form collagen, which is subsequently used to make your skin, form scar tissue, and make tendons, blood vessels, and ligaments. Vitamin C is also integral when it comes to helping your body heal from injury and maintain healthy teeth and bones.

Vitamin C can be found in some amount in all fruits and vegetables, but the best sources for vitamin C are green peppers, citrus fruits, strawberries, broccoli, tomatoes, leafy greens, and potatoes, to name a few. Because vitamin C is relatively easy to come by, deficiencies are rare; Vitamin C toxicity is rare as well.

Many people like to up their vitamin C intake when they feel they may be coming down with a cold and this can be a great way to boost your body's defenses against disease. Though for your everyday routine, you do not need to take a vitamin C supplement-you will usually get plenty of vitamin C from the foods you eat. So just make sure that you eat a variety of foods and get plenty of fruits and vegetables and you should get the majority of nutrients that your body needs.

Related Information

Vitamin A
Here's a simple chart that can help you monitor vitamin A intake.

Vitamin D
The best sources for vitamin D are fish, eggs, milk, and cod liver oil.