How many people have heard the saying that an apple a day keeps the doctor away? I think just about all of us have heard that. Is it the vitamin C in the apple that keeps the doctor away? I think that just might make sense.

Let’s look at why is vitamin C important? Vitamin C is so central in many chemical reactions in the body, that without it, life is simply not possible.

Vitamin C was first isolated in 1928 by Albert Szent Gyorgi. Since that time, the most widely known and acceptable form of Vitamin C has been ascorbic acid. Humans are one of the few in the animal kingdom that do not produce their own Vitamin C and this has left humans at a distinct disadvantage.

Mr. Jay Patrick, who is known as a vitamin C expert in the U.S., has completed several studies for the Commitee of  World Health with some interesting results. Mr. Patrick’s research proves that most animals who produce their own vitamin C tend to live at least seven times their period of maturity. In other words a dog matures at two years and lives at least seven times his period of maturity or 14 years. Humans mature at 20 to 25 years, so 7 x 20= 140 years, which if his theory is correct and if we could produce vitamin C in our own bodies we should live to be 140 years old.

The question now is, what is the actual amount of vitamin C do we require on a daily basis? This has been a matter of debate for quite a while. We’ve all heard stories of early sailors whose journeys had to be cut short ecause of scurvy. Time at sea was limited until the British discovered that scurvy could be avoided by carrying citrus fruits onboard.

Today we are not too worried about scurvy and extremely interested in improving the duration and quality of life. The question is why has the RDA been set so low for humans? The answer is directly related to the form of Vitamin C with which we are most familiar, ascorbic acid.

Ascorbic acid is known to drop the body’s pH level to a level of 4-4.5, whereas mineral ascorbates which are mineral salts of ascorbic acids and come in the form of sodium ascorbate, calcium ascorbate, magnesium ascorbate, zinc ascorbate, molybdenum ascorbate, chromium ascorbate and manganese ascorbate change the pH very little. Vitamin C, when taken in ascorbate form, has proven much more bioavailable.

Vitamin C is also required for the production of collegen, that inercellular glue that skin, lungs, arteries, the digestive tractand all organs in tact. It is a potent anti-oxidant protecting against free radicals, pollution, carcinogens, heavy metals and other toxins. It is strongly anti-viral and mildly anti-bacterial. Energy cannot be made in any cell (brain or muscle) without adequate vitamin C. The adrenal glands have a high concentration of vitamin C essential for stress hormone synthesis.

So, will an apple a day keep the doctor away? Yes and take a 1000 mg of Vitamin C in the for of the ascorbates described above and take care of your health this season!

the wellnessdiva.net