Vitamin C, an antioxidant, boosts the effectiveness of other antioxidants. It also helps your brain manufacture neurotransmitters such as dopamine and a cetyl-choline. In short, a daily dose of vitamin C can boost and maintain mental acuity. So important is vitamin C to proper brain function that it is being evaluated as a possible nutritional preventative for Alzheimer’s disease.
From the point of view of your brain, vitamin C can help:
- Prevent mood swings
- Increase your intelligence
- Protect your brain against deterioration
- Guard against free radicals
Vitamin C prevents the oxidation of LDL or “bad” cholesterol and thereby decreases the risk for plaque formation, which can clog arteries and lead to a heart at- tack or stroke. Vitamin C protects vitamin E from oxidation and may also prevent blood vessels from constricting and thus cutting off blood supply to the brain. Studies have shown that 1,000 to 2,000 milligrams of vitamin C per day can help keep arteries healthy. Supplementing with 500 milligrams of vitamin C per day may lower blood pressure. So, load up on C!
Most fruits and vegetables provide vitamin C. Foods particularly high in C include hot chili peppers (raw), cantaloupe, sweet peppers, dark green leafy vegetables, tomatoes, kiwi, oranges, and mango.
Because vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin, your body excretes the excess that may be consumed. Very large doses, though, could cause kidney stones, nausea, and diarrhea. The effects of taking large amounts over extended periods of time are not yet known. Vitamin C has a UL (upper limit) set at 2,000 milligrams per day for adults over eighteen.