Vitamin C is usually associated with colds and the flu, but its list of benefits is long and far from just helping recovering from colds.
Ascorbic acid, its scientific name, is an essential vitamin. Since we do not produce it like some animals do, we need it from our daily diet.
This vitamin has a great antioxidant power and is therefore increasingly vital to a healthy life.
In modern society, stress, poor diet, physical inactivity, smoking and pollution represent a great risk to the body, thus favoring the formation of free radicals, molecules that contribute to the weakening of overall health, and associated to the appearance of cancer, arthritis and heart diseases.
Vitamin C is one of the most effective and safe nutrients.
In the previous text we could see (part I) the growth of each foetus depends absolutely on the mother and what she eats. A mother's nutrition influences undoubtedly the health of the future being, not only as a child, but also later in adult life.
With more attention given to yourself, the study of nutrition effects before and during pregnancy is an area that must be intensely clarified.
We know that nutrition can affect a baby's health, but the general idea is that it's only important on mother's weight and the risk of obesity for the child. Neither pregnant women, nor health professionals or even the government, recognize the real value of nutrition in this stage of life. It is important to clarify all the interested on the importance of nutrition before, during and after the pregnancy, especially in the first 1000 days of life and that includes the pregnancy and the two first years of the childs’ life.
There are certain foods fermented by bacteria that are beneficial to the human body, called probiotic foods. The World Health Organization’s definition of probiotics is "live micro-organisms which, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host". Healthy bacteria are organisms that are useful to digestion and inhibit the growth of intestinal pathogens, thus preventing disease (especially intestinal disease), boosting the immune system and helping to keep the balance of intestinal flora.
The brain rules human capacity to think, learn, and remember; it is the body part that controls every body process. Therefore, it is not surprising that it uses up from 20 to 30% of a person's energy intake. There is a lot of evidence suggesting that the food given to the brain now, can have a big impact on how it performs in the future. Thus, it is important to start taking care of brain health during pregnancy and infancy (87% of the infants' daily energy intake goes to the brain).
Vitamin B12 is essential to a healthy brain and blood. It is fundamental to red blood cell formation, in neurological function and DNA synthesis. As a consequence of its deficiency individuals may develop megaloblastic anemia. There are other problems, besides anemia, associated B12 deficiency, such as neurological problems, loss of sensitivity, trouble walking, lack of concentration and memory, optical atrophy, depression, dementia and characteristic chronic fatigue.
