Vitamin C is a water-soluble Vitamin also called ascorbic acid. Vitamin C is essential for the life of both humans and animals. Although all plants and most animals synthesize ascorbic acid on their own, humans and a few animals such as monkeys, apes, and guinea pigs cannot manufacture it in their bodies. Our own body requires vitamin C in very small quantities but because our body cannot produce it, we need to take it from various other sources. Citrus fruits, tomatoes, and green peppers are just some of the many rich sources of Ascorbic acid.
Benefits of Vitamin C
The benefits of Vitamin C are numerous. Ascorbic acid supports many biological processes in our body, such as the formation and maintenance of collagen, production of neurotransmitters, and the production of thyroid hormones. Ascorbic acid also works as a natural laxative and as an antioxidant in our bodies and therefore it helps in treating constipation and improving the utilization of blood sugar while controlling high blood pressure. In addition, it helps in reducing cholesterol and enhancing our immune system. Other benefits of Vitamin C include:
Cure Degenerative Diseases:
due to its antioxidant properties, vitamin C has shown to aid in the cure of degenerative diseases such as cataracts, certain types of cancers, osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, and cardiovascular diseases.
Antioxidants are nutrients that help to reduce the damage caused to the blood and other fluids present in the body by free radicals, which are produced when food is transformed into energy. Vitamin C benefits us by neutralizing the harmful effects of free radicals in our body. Its powerful antioxidant property helps in treating cancer by protecting healthy cells from free-radical damage and inhibiting the proliferation of cancerous cells.
Enable Healthy Cell Development
Ascorbic acid is also a biological reducing agent, which enables healthy cell development and is responsible for the growth and repair of normal tissues in our body. Related benefits of Vitamin C include its support in the absorption of iron and calcium, maintenance of healthy blood vessels, prevention of blood clotting, and maintenance of bones and gums in the body.
Provide Protection from Infections:
Benefits of Vitamin C include its role in providing protection against viral and bacterial infections, and detoxifying the body. It also helps in reducing cold and helps in healing wounds.
Cure Brain Related Disorders:
Vitamin C also benefits humans by treating brain related disorders through controlling behavior and producing a claming effect on individuals. It can affect the brain’s response to an important neurotransmitter called dopamine. It also affects adrenaline in the adrenal glands and is required to synthesize carnitine, which is required to transfer energy to various cells.
History of Vitamin C
Vitamin C is a much talked about Vitamin. Although Vitamins were first discovered by a Warsaw-born biochemist Casimir Funk in 1911, Vitamin C was first isolated in 1928 by Charles Glen King and Albert Szent-Gy?rgyi. Vitamin C appears as white, to light yellow, crystals or powder and can aid in the treatment of diseases from the common cold to cancer. Vitamin C is called “ascorbic” because it can prevent and cure scurvy.


Not All Carbohydrates are Created Equal
Copyright (c) 2007 Ainsley Laing
"You might as well eat the box. IT has more nutrition than the cereal inside". These are the words of my mother every morning when I was a kid.
Of course, that was the 1960s which was the real beginning of the popularity of pre-prepared convenience foods. Nutrition science was more geared toward preventing beri beri than promoting health and longevity.
Nutrition science has come a long way since then and provides you new tools as the Glycemic Index (GI) and the Glycemic Load (GL)
What is the Glycemic Index (GI)? The Glycemic Index is a ranking of foods based on how they affect blood glucose (sugar) levels. Since protein and fat don't really impact blood glucose, it's really an index of the rate that carbohydrates are broken down in the gut and enter the bloodstream. The higher the GI number, the faster it goes into the blood.
Eating high GI foods triggers an insulin mechanism which causes the body to store fat. For most of us, eating a lot of high GI foods causes an increase in fat storage.
Most beans, whole grains and non-starchy vegetables have a low glycemic index; while sugars, foods made from refined flour (eg., white bread), most fruits and some root vegetables have a high GI.
The more processed, cooked or chewed a food is, the higher the GI because the gut doesn't have much to break down. Soluble fiber, like in beans slows down the release of carbohydrates in the blood. The degree of ripeness of a fruit: more ripe = higher GI. Acidic foods, like lemon juice and vinegar slow release of sugar. Salty foods increase the rate of release. Protein in a meal will lower the overall GI of the whole meal.
What is the Glycemic Load (GL)? Now, if you take a look on the web at one of the many glycemic index listings available, you will notice that carrots have a very high GI almost as much as sugar! That does seem a bit odd. Enter the concept of glycemic load index (GL).
The GL takes into account not only the type of sugar (how quickly it spikes blood sugar) but also the amount of other stuff in the food that doesn't affect blood sugar - like water and fiber. There is a mathematical calculation which I won't bore you with.
For example, a half-cup serving of carrots has a GI of 131 (very high) but since it is mostly fiber and water has only 6.2 grams of carbs. The glycemic load of that portion size is 6 (low GL). By contrast, a plain five-ounce bagel has a GI of 72 (high) and has 65 grams of carbohydrate. Its glycemic load is very high at 47.
How Is This Useful? The GL index is a recent development and is still mostly used by diabetics to balance the blood sugar release of whole meals. The GI, which was developed in the early 1980s, helps diabetics manage nutrition, but endurance athletes also use it for "Carbo Loading". It is common for athletes to use low and medium GI foods before an event and high GI foods during and after the event to fuel the muscles quickly for recovery.
The Bottom Line? Eating low on the GI is an easy way for all of us who want to keep our body efficiently using fat rather than storing it and to keep our energy levels consistent throughout the day.
If you don't want to confuse yourself with GI and GL food tables, you can adopt "Anti-Aging Fitness" nutrition plan. The "white list" is low GL/GI. The "black list" is high GL/GI and the "grey list" is medium GL/GI. Easy to remember and follow.
Happy and healthy eating!
References:
www.healthyeatingclub.com/info/articles/diseases/glycaemic-index.htm www.drweil.com/u/QA/QA326589/h www.drmirkin.com/nutrition/9566.html www.mendosa.com/gilists.htm

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About the Author:
Ainsley Laing, MSc. has been a Fitness Trainer for 25 years and writes exclusively Body for Mind eZine. She holds certifications in Group Exercise, Sports Nutrition and Personal Fitness Training. To see more articles by Ainsley visit http://www.bodyformind.com or the blog at http://www.bodyformind.blogspot.com


Heal Acne Scars Faster in 4 Simple Steps
Copyright (c) 2007 Naweko Nicole Dial
Whenever I have a problem, I want it solved as fast as possible. This is especially true when the problem is obvious like a saucer-size acne lesion that has left a scar. Kindly enough, Nature gave humankind ways to expedite the healing process. And so, in four simple steps, you can harness Nature's wisdom to rush your acne scars to a healthy mending.
Step 1: Don't drink alcohol
Everyone is telling us to do this. Mother's Against Drunk Driving and the local police warn us to leave the booze alone. Now, your scars have joined the chorus.
Here's why. Laboratories studies revealed that having consumed alcohol impairs the skin ability to grow new skin cells and blood cells after an injury, like a popped pimple. Additionally, a report from Alcoholism Clinical and Experimental Research found that alcohol consumption reduces the inflammatory response after receiving wounds. Proper wound repair involves a series of steps and inflammation typically happens once the skin has been compromised by a cut, gash, or in the case of acne scarring, excessive squeezing.
While this inflammation takes place, the wound is cleansed and new cells arrive to suture the injury. However, if the inflammation process is slowed by circulating alcohol in the blood, so is the healing process. Instead of downing whiskey shots, down some water instead.
Step 2: Drink more water
Two minutes ago, I just gulped down a huge glass of water because even the slightest degree of dehydration can slow down wound healing. Moreover, dehydration reduces blood flow and increases in chances of a wound infection. As you drink that water, relax and de-stress yourself.
Step 3: Reduce your stress level
Do you want your acne scars to heal ten days faster than normal? Try stress reduction. A study in the Lancet found that stressed women heal slower than women with less stress heal. In the investigation, researchers from Ohio State University College of Medicine tested the wound healing rates of women who cared for relatives with dementia to the wound healing rates of age and income matched women who did not tend to relatives.
One average, the women not watching relatives healed 10 days faster than their more stressed counterparts. Also, examiners found that the caregiver volunteers produced less interleukin-beta than the non-caregivers. After injuries, interleukin-beta contributes to rebuilding the skin's tissue matrix.
Step 4: Apply zinc
You want to have the mineral zinc around when you have wound. Zinc helps facilitate skin rebuilding steps like creating keratinocytes. Keratinocyte cells manufacture the protein keratin which helps create the skin. Moreover, zinc's antioxidant properties help remove free radicals and bacterial from wounds to expedite healing.
Additionally, according to a recent review of medicinal uses of zinc that appeared in Wound Repair and Regeneration, topical application of zinc should be considered for enhancing wound healing rates. To create your own zinc infused wound healing paste, just crush a zinc supplement and mix it with a teaspoon of a basic moisturizer. Next, smooth the mixture over your freshly cleansed acne scar to quicken its healing time. Now, just one question remains: How fast is your acne scarring going to disappear know that you know how to make it happen?
Sources:
Fitzgerald, Daniel J, Katherine A Radek, Mitchell Chaar, Douglas E Faunce, Luisa A DiPietro, Elizabeth J Kovacs. Effects of acute ethanol exposure on the early inflammatory response after excisional injury. Alcoholism Clinical and Experimental Research; February 2007, vol 31, no 2, pp 317-323.
Lansdown, Alan BG, Ursula Mirastschijski, Nicky Stubbs, Elizabeth Scanlon, Magnus S �gren. Zinc in wound healing: Theoretical, experimental, and clinical aspects. Wound Repair and Regeneration; January-February 2007, vol 15, no 1, pp 2-16.
Marucha PT, JK Kiecolt-Glaser, WB Malarkey, AM Mercado & R.Glaser. Slowing of wound healing by psychological stress. Lancet; November 4, 1995, vol 346, pp 1194-1196.
Wipke-Tevis, Deidre D & Donna A Williams. Effect of oral hydration on skin microcirculation in healthy young and midlife and older adults. Wound Repair and Regeneration; March-April 2007, vol 15, no 2, pp 174-185.

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Naweko Nicole Dial San-Joyz founded Noixia, a San Diego based research firm dedicated to helping people enhance their image by offering custom skin solutions to people with acne scars on the face and body. San-Joyz is a Stanford graduate has appeared throughout the US promoting beauty through health consciousness. Anyone seeking healthy skin free of acne marks can find custom, clinically proven solutions at htpp://www.Noixia.com.

Thursday, December 27, 2007