Vitamin C & Bioflavonoids

 
Vitamin C and bioflavonoids are important antioxidants that help keep your eyes and body healthy. Foods high in vitamin C, such as citrus fruits and many vegetables, are also excellent sources of bioflavonoids.

Research suggests vitamin C and bioflavonoids have a complementary effect, making them both more effective when ingested together rather than separately.

 500 mg was the daily dose of vitamin C used in studies that showed a reduced risk of cataracts. And long-term studies have found that people who take more than 700 mg of supplemental vitamin C per day have a 25 percent lower risk of coronary heart disease than those who don't take vitamin C supplements.

Because it is water-soluble, vitamin C is generally considered safe at high doses. Excess vitamin C is excreted in urine. However, doses greater than 2,000 mg per day may cause nausea and diarrhea, as well as increase the risk of kidney stones.

Excellent natural sources of vitamin C include peppers, citrus fruits, berries, tropical fruits, potatoes, tomatoes and green leafy vegetables. Foods with the highest content of vitamin C are:

• Sweet red peppers (283 mg per one cup serving)
• Sweet green peppers (133 mg per one cup serving)
• Strawberries (86 mg per one cup serving)
• Broccoli (82 mg per one cup serving)
• Orange juice (75 mg per one cup serving)

The above values are for fresh, raw foods. Cooking and canning foods can decrease their vitamin C content. Light also destroys vitamin C. So if you drink orange juice, it's best to purchase it in opaque containers.

Smoking, oral contraceptives, estrogen, the antibiotic tetracycline and barbiturates may decrease the effectiveness of vitamin C.

Bioflavonoids: Vitamin C's Eye Health Partner

Bioflavonoids are a large family of substances found in most of the same foods that are good sources of vitamin C. In fact, researchers have identified more than 8,000 naturally occurring bioflavonoid structures. Bioflavonoids (also called flavonoids) are the natural pigments that give fruits and vegetables their color.

Studies of specific bioflavonoids, however, have revealed health benefits. Quercetin, for example, appears to stabilize the membranes of cells that release histamine, a compound involved in allergic and inflammatory reactions. Found in buckwheat and citrus fruits, quercetin may help prevent seasonal allergies.

Rutin, another bioflavonoid, may be useful for the prevention of easy bruising and other bleeding abnormalities. Rutin is found in buckwheat, capers and other plants.

And recent research suggests apigenin — a bioflavonoid found in celery, parsley, red wine, tomato sauce and other plant-based foods — may reduce the risk of ovarian cancer.

Bioflavonoids and vitamin C appear to work together in the body. Researchers believe benefits credited solely to vitamin C in the past actually may be due to the combined action of vitamin C and specific bioflavonoids. Some of these combined effects include:

• Reduced risk of heart disease
• Reduced risk of certain cancers
• Certain anti-aging effects
• Protection against infections
• Strengthened walls of blood vessels
• Improved blood circulation
• Decreased blood cholesterol
• Improved liver function

Almost any food containing vitamin C also contains bioflavonoids.

Like vitamin C, bioflavonoids are water-soluble and nontoxic, even at high doses.