by Amy Morris DNN mFNTP / Founder of Great Health Naturally
                                                                            

Most people are quite aware of the health benefits that consuming Vitamin C can give us, and how it is known especially for strengthening our immune system. Most people also reach for an orange juice carton from the supermarket to help get a good dose of vitamin C. But what if store bought orange juice simply was not giving you much vitamin C at all? Read on to find out why not.

The majority of all store bought orange juices (including fresh), are pasteurised during the manufacturing process. This is between picking the orange and storing the juice in a container ready for you to buy. Pasteurisation is when a liquid is heated to a high temperature for varied lengths of time (depending on the chosen liquid) and then it is cooled immediately after. This process is used by many companies in the food industry because it slows down spoilage of the food products they then go on to use their pasteurised ingredient(s) in, due to reducing microbial growth in the food.

Sounds good right? But not if you are relying on getting your vitamin C from orange juice treated in this way! This is because vitamin C is perhaps the most delicate vitamin out there, and it is destroyed by high heat levels which is what pasteurisation is. Also, us humans are not able to manufacture our own vitamin C like other mammals, so it is vital we get it from our diet. Vitamin C also being water soluble, means it is easily washed out from the body on a daily basis. Hence why I also do not suggest frozen vegetables to my clients as a good option. As when the frozen goods have defrosted, during this time when the water comes out in this process, it will naturally leak out most of the vitamin C too. Just like when we boil food in lots of water, the water that is left is often thrown down the drain – as well as any vitamin C that may have been left over from the high heat during cooking. 

So,  the RDA for vitamin C is currently only 60mg a day, but I personally find this to be too low to even make a difference to anyone I have consulted with. Around 500mg – 1000mg is more beneficial for everyday use in my opinion. This can be increased in larger doses (around 2000-3000g a day) when coping with a chronic illness. Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant too, so it is extremely anti-aging!

Remember vitamin C is needed by every cell in the body to keep us healthy. It is used to make stress hormones, make energy, promotes growth and repair of tissue, and helps to keep gums healthy amongst many other things. People who smoke, drink, lead very stressful lifestyles or are pregnant need to take more than the RDA to help cope with huge amount of vitamin C being used during these stressful times on the body. 

Tips for improving your vitamin C intake: 

  • Do not cook your fruit or vegetables for too long on a high heat, rather cook them on a lower heat if possible
  • Stop stressing! Your body uses lots of vitamin to make cortisol (one of the bodies major stress hormone) so to keep hold of more vitamin C start reducing the stress in your life, be it from your lifestyle or poor eating
  • Consume more fresh, raw fruit and vegetables – approximately 2 portions of organic fruit and 6-8 portions of organic vegetables is ideal (guavas, bell peppers, thyme, parsley, dark leafy veg and broccoli are excellent sources of vitamin C)
  • If you are worried your diet is lacking vitamin C, or you simply want to take a high dose of vitamin C everyday choose a good quality supplement that is derived from whole food concentrates, (natural food sources) that can go alongside your healthy diet – I recommend Biocare’s Vitamin C powder, and Pukka’s Vitamin C capsules, as both are derived from fruits and are not synthetic

About the Author:

Amy Morris is the owner (and founder) of Great Health Naturally Limited. She is a qualified and UK registered Natural Nutritionist, holistic lifestyle adviser and organic retail specialist. Amy is based in beautiful green Surrey, UK and enjoys consulting and helping her clients (and anyone who will listen!) become informed, educated and empowered so that they can take control of their health and achieve great health naturally.