Turpentine baths

Pliny the Elder, born 10 years before the crucifixion of Christ was so erudite that the predicted and correctly pointed to one of the first coming of civilization diseases - scurvy. This vitamin deficiency, aptly called scurvy, was born, when people are excluded from your diet fresh fruits and vegetables. The sailors, residents of cities and the northern lands, and even the first "civilized" men of Italy risked more than others.2000 years ago, in anticipation of the decline of the Roman Empire, the value of protein and animal food was absolute, vegetables, even at that time considered to be the lot of the lower classes, or slaves, fresh greens was despised, and high society steeped in culinary pleasures, forgetting about health. Pliny the Elder described the symptoms: weakness, problems with teeth, red spots on the face, bleeding gums. In the Middle Ages, the problem has decreased, but the Renaissance "revived" and this disease.

At the time of the conquest of distant voyages and colonies, the Europeans are fully experienced health problems. If the house somehow, but the vegetables were present in the diet, then the ship as they are usually no unnecessary ballast. In 1495 the crew of Vasco da Gama became ill with scurvy, and over 100 of the 160 died. Even in the enlightened 19th-century Russia there was a epidemic of scurvy in 1849 and 260,000 cases of 60 000 people died. I would not want to scare the reader, but still many do not quite understand why they deprive themselves as excluded from a diet of vegetables and fruits. And they deny themselves of vitamin C.

Vitamin C - is one of the names submitted by the public by British scientists as a result of nearly a century of research. Another name for the selected item - ascorbic acid - it was voiced by another group of scientists.Anyway, in the early 20s of the 20th century there were a substance and its effect on scurvy proved. In order to convince humanity of the value of vegetables, it took 2,000 years and centuries of scientific research.

Vitamin C performs in practice, many more features than the banal "to strengthen the body."First, it is one of the most powerful antioxidants and regulators of redox processes, an essential element in the synthesis of hormones and adrenaline, and secondly, vitamin C regulates the permeability of capillaries and blood clotting, and thirdly, anti-inflammatory effect, and fourthly, reduces allergic reactions. In addition, vitamin C helps to cope with stress and strengthens the body's resistance to infections. There are unconfirmed until evidence that vitamin C is used for the prevention of cancer. Vitamin C helps the body better absorb iron and calcium, while at the same time displaying lead, mercury and copper. Vitamin C acts on the complex stability of the other vitamins in the human body. For example, B1, B2, vitamin A, E, folic and pantothenic acid by the antioxidant effect of longer remain viable. Vitamin C protects blood vessels from the deposits of oxidized cholesterol, stimulates the adrenal glands and hormones that can cope with stress. Without vitamin C a person is really weak and unprotected, and, conversely, the amount required stimulates the body so that he can ensure healthy functioning.

It is considered secondary or vitamin C is not as important as vitamins A, B, D or E. Vitamin C is associated with "askorbinki" little yellow pills, sweet and sour on the outside in, or with lemon.In fact, vitamin C is not just important, it is necessary. Suffice it to recall that the vitamin deficiency of vitamin C can be a terrible disease - scurvy fatal if not treated.

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Vitamin C is found in almost all fresh fruits and vegetables, and there is no need to artificially synthesized vitamins in order to bring balance back to normal substances. Suffice it to eat more seasonal vegetables and fruit, and in winter - dried fruit and dried rose hips. Natural sources are preferable also because they contain vitamin C, besides a host of other nutrients that are never more than in the lack of a healthy diet.

Vitamin C is found mostly in dried dog rose (1500 mg per 100 g), black currant (250 mg), red peppers (250 mg), horseradish (100-200 mg), green sweet peppers (125 mg), cauliflower (75 mg), sorrel and strawberry (60 mg), lemons, oranges, and radishes (50 mg). Slightly less than (in descending order) in the red currants, gooseberries, cabbage, spinach, apples, tomatoes, tangerines, fresh potatoes (peel), green onions, green peas, radish, turnip, raspberries, melon, koumiss, lettuce, cranberries , marrows, cucumbers, cranberries, cherries, apricots, bananas and peaches. In addition to fruits and vegetables rich in vitamin and herbs. This is particularly important in the spring, because it is the grass first appeared on the markets, and an inexpensive source of fresh vitamin and mineral complex at the same time. Thus, vitamin C is found in the root of the burdock, alfalfa, fenugreek, fennel seeds, pepper mint, kelp (seaweed), oats, nettle, parsley, raspberry leaves, clover, violet leaves. The most accessible plant from this list can be considered as nettles, which in ancient times our ancestors used to strengthen the body after the winter. Of course, in ancient times knew about the terrible disease - scurvy, understood the need for additives in food greens, dried for winter berries and rosehips, but the fresh nettle - a Russian analogue of the green Mediterranean salads.Young nettle leaves are not burned, are rich in vitamins and very tasty. With nettle is best done fresh salads, without exposing the leaves to heat treatment - vitamin C is unstable extreme.

Vitamin C is water soluble and is rapidly destroyed. It decomposes at elevated temperatures, the interaction with metals, for long storage (even in cold weather), with prolonged soaking (turns into water). To get the most from any vitamin product, you must remember a few rules:

• Vitamin greater in the peel - try as much as possible, cook vegetables in their skins (such as potatoes, tomatoes). 
• Vitamin quickly goes into the water when heating is gradual - immerse the vegetables for cooking only in the boiling water and cover the lid. 
• Any metal oxidizes vitamin C - try to tear greens hands, and do not use a knife, where possible (eg, tear the flesh of sweet pepper hands). 
• Vitamin C is best stored in an acidic environment - sauerkraut, sour soup in the winter it is appropriate. 
• In the dried berries and Fruit store large amounts of vitamin C - Dried rosehips, black currant jam, dried fruits perfectly make up its stock fall and winter.

Most people do not need to supply the vitamin enhanced, if during the spring and summer, the food was quite seasonal vegetables, herbs and fruits (preferably local) and in the fall and winter stored in the form of dried rose hips, jams and dried fruits. Unfortunately, not always a "feed" the body in time and plenty of fresh gifts of nature and the effects of vitamin C deficiency manifested slowly and imperceptibly. It is not superfluous to reinsurance in the form of enhanced vitamin nutrition, especially in the winter-spring period. In practice, it is little more than tomatoes and peppers for dinner, even a spoonful of currant jam or even a cup of tea with rosehip. Increased attention should be paid the inhabitants of the North and tropical regions - the rate of vitamin C should be increased by 50%. The body metabolizes the elderly worse than vitamin C, it should be taken into account over the years to increase the number of vitamin products. Severe illness, fever, stress, cigarette smoke (active and passive smokers), could the big cities, birth control pills significantly reduce the concentration of vitamin C in the body and require replenishment.

In conclusion, let us recall that vitamin C actually protects against colds by stimulating and strengthening the immune system, increases muscle activity, strengthens the gums and teeth, relieves depression. Do not forget that all vitamins are essential for the human body, and vitamin balance is able to maintain a condition which is called the word "health." Stay healthy and do not get sick!