Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin. This essentially means that if the vitamin is not used by your body, it gets eliminated through urination. Another water soluble vitamin is Vitamin B. Usually, both vitamins are stored in the liver. In that way, your body can derive benefits from the stored nutrient.

Surprisingly, it has been found that humans were once able to create their own Vitamin C naturally by themselves. This is no longer the case. Somehow, this ability was lost over several generations. There are certain animals which still possess this natural functional ability. But not the primates and guinea pigs. Hence you often hear of research studies, including those that involve Vitamin C, being conducted on guinea pigs based on this similar characteristic to the humans.

Vitamin C helps in collagen creation. Collagen is found in different parts of your body, particularly connective tissues, smooth muscle cells, skeletal cells, and cartilage. Vitamin C helps in the process of hydroxylation to amino acids, and thereby adding hydrogen and oxygen to produce pro collagen. This function is performed when your body requires it. Vitamin C also helps to prevent Vitamins E and A from oxidizing as well.

If you have a deficiency in Vitamin C, you may get scurvy. Scurvy is not a very common condition except in alcoholics. Alcoholics tend to get many of their calories from alcohol. Scurvy can be debilitating with symptoms like bleeding gums, easy bruising, slow healing of wounds, joint pain, and the decrease of muscle tone.

Hence you need to ensure a diet that gives you adequate Vitamin C. To ensure that you get enough Vitamin C in your diet, you need to consume citrus fruits, such as limes, oranges, grapefruits, and limes. Other natural sources of Vitamin C are potatoes, tomatoes, and green peppers.

A recommended daily allowance has been set by health experts. It is normally somewhere in the range of 60 to 90mg daily. Americans normally consume about 72mg daily of Vitamin C.

Luckily, scurvy can be prevented with just 5 to 7mg of Vitamin C and you can take as much as 2000mg daily without any ill side effects. Any Vitamin C over this dosage will not cause permanent problems other than diarrhea.

Many people think that the more Vitamin C that you take, the longer that you will live, but a study by the Mayo Clinic has determined that this may be the opposite. If you cannot get your Vitamin C from natural food sources, then you can find Vitamin C supplements to take to help ensure that you get your recommended daily allowance.