Vitamin C prevents many a debilitating diseases and increases the bodys immunity. This vitamin can be taken with or without food. In general, about 500 mg is needed every day for general health requirements. If your health requirements need more than 1,000 mg, it must be split across multiple doses throughout the day.

Other than through medical supplements, some excellent Vitamin C Sources include parsley, broccoli, bell pepper, strawberries, oranges, lemon juice, papaya, cauliflower, kale, mustard greens, and Brussels sprouts. This particular vitamin is naturally excreted by the body when in excess. Some mammals can use their own body cells to create it. The vitamin content in food varies significantly. It is highest when a fruit is ripe and younger at the time of harvest. In order to retain the vitamin in foods during preparation, cooking or storage, fruits and vegetable must be served raw whenever possible. Prepared juices must be refrigerated and should not be stored for more than 2 to 3 days. Cut fruits and vegetables must be stored in airtight containers. Most cereals are fortified with Vitamin C. The ready-to-eat cereals contain at least 25 percent of the US RDA for Vitamin C.

When looking out for Vitamin C supplements in the store, take special care to watch out for pesterified C, time-released C. It has not been scientifically proven that these can be absorbed easily as compared to ascorbic acid. And remember, vitamin C is only valuable when taken as a supplement to an all around healthy diet.