DISCOVER HOW VITAMIN C CAN HELP YOUR VISION

Vitamin C and Your Eyes

Vitamin C (also known as ascorbic acid) is a water-soluble vitamin and a powerful antioxidant. Abundant in fruits and vegetables. However, contrary to popular believe that the Vitamin C content of Orange is so high, new discoveries show that it is highr in fresh pepper. Vitamin C helps the body form and maintain connective tissue, including collagen found in the cornea of the eye. 

Vitamin C also promotes healthy bones, skin and blood vessels, including the delicate capillaries in the retina. Studies suggest long-term consumption of vitamin C also may reduce the risk of forming a cataract and vision loss from macular degeneration.

Unlike most animals, humans are unable to produce vitamin C in the body. So we must get our daily dose of ascorbic acid from our diet. A diet deficient in vitamin C can lead to scurvy — a serious disease characterized by muscle weakness, swollen and bleeding gums, loss of teeth, bleeding under the skin, soreness and stiffness of the joints, anemia, fatigue and depression.

Want more vitamin C in your diet? Sweet red peppers have more than three times the vitamin C of orange juice.

So how much vitamin C do you need?

According to the National Institutes of Health, the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) of vitamin C is 90 milligrams (mg) per day for men and 75 mg for women. (Women who are pregnant or breast-feeding should take up to 120 mg per day.) Research suggests smokers need more vitamin C than nonsmokers.

Many researchers, however, feel you should consume significantly more vitamin C than the RDA. For example, 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:

Broccoli (82 mg per one cup serving)

• 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)
• 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.

By Gary Heiting, OD.