Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid)

It is a important compound in the production of collagen in the bones, cartilage, muscle and bloods vessels. It also aids in the absorption of iron, according to MayoClinic.com.


Vitamin C is rquired for the growth and repair of tissues in all parts of your body. It is used to:

Form an important protein used to make skin, tendons, ligaments, and blood vessels
Heal wounds and form scar tissue
Repair and maintain cartilage, bones, and teeth

Vitamin C is one of many antioxidants. Antioxidants are nutrients that block some of the damage caused by free radicals.

Free radicals are made when your body breaks down food or when you are exposed to tobacco smoke or radiation.
The buildup of free radicals over time is largely responsible for the aging process.
Free radicals may play a role in cancer, heart disease, and conditions like arthritis.

The body is not able to make vitamin C on its own, and it does not store vitamin C. It is therefore important to include plenty of vitamin C-containing foods in your daily diet.

For many years, vitamin C has been a popular remedy for the common cold.

Research shows that for most people, vitamin C supplements or vitamin C-rich foods do not reduce the risk of getting the common cold.
However, people who take vitamin C supplements regularly might have slightly shorter colds or somewhat milder symptoms.
Taking a vitamin C supplement after a cold starts does not appear to be helpful.



Food Sources

All fruits and vegetables contain some amount of vitamin C.

Fruits with the highest sources of vitamin C include:

Cantaloupe
Citrus fruits and juices, such as orange and grapefruit
Kiwi fruit
Mango
Papaya
Pineapple
Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, cranberries
Watermelon

Vegetables with the highest sources of vitamin C include:

Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower
Green and red peppers
Spinach, cabbage, turnip greens, and other leafy greens
Sweet and white potatoes
Tomatoes and tomato juice
Winter squash

Some cereals and other foods and beverages are fortified with vitamin C. Fortified means a vitamin or mineral has been added to the food. Check the product labels to see how much vitamin C is in the product.

Cooking vitamin C-rich foods or storing them for a long period of time can reduce the vitamin C content. Microwaving and steaming vitamin C-rich foods may reduce cooking losses. The best food sources of vitamin C are uncooked or raw fruits and vegetables.
Side Effects

Serious side effects from too much vitamin C are very rare, because the body cannot store the vitamin. However, amounts greater than 2,000 mg/day are not recommended because such high doses can lead to stomach upset and diarrhea.

Too little vitamin C can lead to signs and symptoms of deficiency, including:

Anemia
Bleeding gums
Decreased ability to fight infection
Decreased wound-healing rate
Dry and splitting hair
Easy bruising
Gingivitis (inflammation of the gums)
Nosebleeds
Possible weight gain because of slowed metabolism
Rough, dry, scaly skin
Swollen and painful joints
Weakened tooth enamel

A severe form of vitamin C deficiency is known as scurvy, which mainly affects older, malnourished adults.


Recommendations

The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for vitamins reflects how much of each vitamin most people should get each day. The RDA for vitamins may be used as goals for each person.

How much of each vitamin you need depends on your age and gender. Other factors, such as pregnancy and illnesses, are also important.

Vitamins and their Functions

Our body needs several nutrients in order to work efficiently, it is similar to a machine that needs to be maintained in order to run smoothly. Some of these nutrients list include Vitamins which can be derived from the food we eat or from the man-made supplements that are readily available from your friendly drugstore.




Please find below the basic group of vitamins and their functions in the growth and maintenance of our body:



VITAMIN A (RETINOL):

Vitamin A plays a vital role in maintaining healthy skin, teeth, bone growth, reproduction, cell function and immunity (MedlinePlus). It is also known as retinol because it produces the pigments in the retina of the eye. It is found in both plant and animal sources, including whole milk, apples and leafy vegetables.


Vitamin A promotes good vision, especially in low light. It may also be needed for reproduction and breast-feeding.



Retinol is an active form of vitamin A. It is found in animal liver, whole milk, and some fortified foods.

Carotenoids are dark-colored dyes (pigments) found in plant foods that can turn into a form of vitamin A. There are more than 500 known carotenoids. One such carotenoid is beta-carotene.



Beta-carotene is an antioxidant. Antioxidants protect cells from damage caused by substances called free radicals. Free radicals are believed to contribute to certain chronic diseases and play a role in the aging processes.
Food sources of carotenoids such as beta-carotene may reduce the risk for cancer.
Beta-carotene supplements do not seem to reduce cancer risk.

Food Sources

Vitamin A comes from animal sources, such as eggs, meat, fortified milk, cheese, cream, liver, kidney, cod, and halibut fish oil. However, all of these sources -- except for skim milk that has been fortified with Vitamin A -- are high in saturated fat and cholesterol.

Sources of beta-carotene include:

Bright yellow and orange fruits such as cantaloupe, pink grapefruit, and apricots
Vegetables such as carrots, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, and winter squash
Other sources of beta-carotene include broccoli, spinach, and most dark green, leafy vegetables.

The more intense the color of a fruit or vegetable, the higher the beta-carotene content. Vegetable sources of beta-carotene are fat- and cholesterol-free.
Side Effects

If you don't get enough vitamin A, you are more likely to get infectious diseases and vision problems.

If you get too much vitamin A, you can become sick. Large doses of vitamin A can also cause birth defects.

Side Effects:

Acute vitamin A poisoning (Hypervitaminosis A) usually occurs when an adult takes several hundred thousand IUs of vitamin A. Symptoms of chronic vitamin A poisoning may occur in adults who regularly take more than 25,000 IU a day. Babies and children are more sensitive to vitamin A, and can become sick after taking smaller doses of vitamin A or vitamin A-containing products such as retinol (found in skin creams).


Large amounts of beta-carotene will not make you sick. However, increased amounts of beta-carotene can turn the skin yellow or orange. The skin color will return to normal once you reduce your intake of beta-carotene.

Recommendations

The best way to get the daily requirement of essential vitamins is to eat a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, fortified dairy foods, legumes (dried beans), lentils, and whole grains.


Factors, such as pregnancy and your health, are also important. Ask your doctor what dose is best for you.








Source: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002400.htm

Yerba Buena (Clinopodium douglasii) Description and Uses

Yerba Buena is a herb of the mint family. It is an aromatic plant used as herbal medicine worldwide. It has elongated leaves and in summer bears small whitish or purplish flowers. The word Yerba Buena is Spanish for "good herb" and was the former name of the California city of San Francisco.

Yerba Buena has been consumed for centuries as tea and herbal medicine as a pain reliever (analgesic). Native American Indians used it even before the "white men" colonized the Americas. Today, this folk medicine's efficacy has been validated by scientific research. In the Philippines, Yerba Buena is one of the 10 herbs endorsed by the Department of Heath (DOH) as an effective alternative medicine for aches and pains.

As an herbal medicine, a decoction (boil leaves then strain) of Yerba Buena is effective for minor ailments such as headaches, toothaches and joint pains. It can also relive stomach aches due to gas buildup and indigestion. The fresh and dried leaves can both be used for the decoction. And because Yerba Buena belongs to the mint family, soaking fresh leaves in a glass of water (30 to 45 minutes) makes for a good mouth wash for a clean, fresh smelling breath.












Source: http://www.en.wikipilipinas.org/index.php?title=Clinopodium_douglasii

Tsaang Gubat (Ehretia microphylla Lam.) Description and Uses

Tsaang Gubat is one of the 10 herbs that is endorsed the Philippine Department of Health (DOH) as an antispasmodic for abdominal (stomach) pains. And is registered as a herbal medicine at the Philippine Bureau of Food & Drug (BFAD).

Tsaang Gubat is a shrub (small tree) that grows (from 1 to 5 meters) abundantly in the Philippines. In folkloric medicine, the leaves has been used as a disinfectant wash during child birth, as cure for diarrhea, as tea for general good heath and because Tsaang Gubat has high fluoride content, it is used as a mouth gargle for preventing tooth decay. Research and test now prove it's efficacy as an herbal medicine. Aside from the traditional way of taking Tsaag Gubat, it is now available commercially in capsules, tablets and tea bags.


Tsaang gubat is known to cure Stomach pains, Gastroenteritis, Intestinal motility, Dysentery, Diarrhea or Loose Bowel Movement (LBM). It ca also be used as mouth gargle and Body cleanser/wash















Source: http://www.en.wikipilipinas.org/index.php?title=Ehretia_microphylla

Sambong (Blumea balsamifera) Description and Uses

The Sambong, or Blumea Balsamifera, is found from northern Luzon to Palawan and Mindanao, in all or most island and provinces. It is usually common in open grasslands at low and medium altitudes. It is also reported from India to southern China and through Malaya to the Moluccas.

This plant is a course, tall, erect, halfwoody, strongly aromatic herb which is densely and softly hairy and 1.5 to 3 meters in height. The stems grow up to 2.5 centimeters in diameter. The leaves are elliptic- to oblong-lanceolate, 7 to 20 centimeters long, toothed at the margins, pointed blunt at the tip, and narrowed to the short petiole, which is often auricled or appendaged. The flowering heads are stalked, yellow, numerous 6 to 7 millimeters long, and borne on branches of a large terminal, spreading or pyramidal, leafy panicle. The involucral bracts are green, narrow, and hairy. The achenes are 10-ribbed and silky.

Sambong would be worth cultivating in the Philippines as a source of camphor. Experiments in Indo-China as cited by Bacon show that it is possible to Obtain 50,000 kilos of leaves per hectare per year, which would give a possible borneol yield of from 50 to 200 kilos per hectare. He says that l-borneol is easily oxidized to camphor.

Filipinos drink an infusion of the leaves as a substitute for tea. Burkill quotes Boorsma [Teysmannia 29 (1981) 329], who states that the leaves are sometimes smoked in Sumatra in place of Indian hemp but are not narcotic.

Wehmer records that the leaves and stem contain a volatile oil (Ngai camphor oil) which consists of l-borneol 25 per cent, l0camphor 75 per cent, a little cineol, limonene, sesquiterpene, alcohol, and phenol phloracetophenon-dimethyl ether. Bacon, after studying Philippine material, reports that the leaves contain from 0.1 to 0.4 per cent of a yellow oil with a camphorlike odor. He states that the oil is an almost pure form of l-borneol.

Sanyal and Ghose report that the drug causes contraction of muscular fibers, mucous membranes, and other tissues.

According to Father Clain the juice of the leaves of the powdered leaves are used as a vulnerary. Guerrero reports that the roots are used locally as a cure for colds. The leaves are applied to the forehead to relieve headache. An infusion is used as a bath for women in childbirth. A tea made from the leaves is used for stomach pains. A decoction of the leaves as an antidiarhetic and antigastralgic. The decoction is used also for aromatic baths in rheumatism.

The Pharmacopoeia of India record that the plant possesses a strong camphoraceous odor and a pungent taste. It quotes Horsfied [As. Journ., vol. 8, p. 272], who says that a warm infusion of the plant acts as a powerful sudorific; it is in very general use among the Javanese and Chinese, as an expectorant. Several European medical men, practicing at Sumarang, assured Horsfield that they had repeatedly employed it in catarrhal affections. Loureiro mentions the use of the leaves in Indo-China as a stomachic, antispasmodic, and emmenagogue. Caius says that in Cambodia they are used externally in scabies. Nadkarni reports that the fresh juice of the leaves is dropped into the eyes for chronic, purulent discharges. Internally, the decoction is both astringent and anthelmintic. It is given for worms and also in dysentery and chronic uterine discharges. The powder of the leaves is used as snuff. Burkill reports that the Malays value sambong very highly as a sudorific, stomachic, and anthelmintic, and menorrhagia. In the case of fever a decoction of the leaves is often given, or a decoction of the leaves and roots together. The leaves are also used for beriberi. The leaves are crushed and applied externally as a styptic on wounds. A lotion made from boiled leaves is used for lumbago and rheumatism, for bathing women after childbirth, and for soothing the skin of children.











Source: http://www.en.wikipilipinas.org/index.php?title=Blumea_balsamifera

Sabila (Aloe barbadensis) Description and Use

ALOE VERA also known as SABILA

Sabila is cultivated for ornamental and medicinal purposes in the Philippines. It is an introduced species, being a native of Africa. It also occurs in subtemperate and tropical regions generally, where it is often cultivated.

The stems of sabila grow from 30 to 40 centimeters in height. The leaves are fleshy, mucilaginous, and succulent, 20 to 50 centimeters long, 5 to 8 centimeters wide; gradually narrowed and the base, pale green, and irregular, white-clothed, and the margins having weak prickles. The inflorescence is erect, and usually twice the height of the plant. The flowers are 2 to 3 centimeters long, yellow, with the segments about equaling the oblong tube.

Wehmer records that the leaves contain barbaloin 25 per cent, isobarbaloin 0.5 per cent, emodin, resin, traces of volatile oil; in the Sicilian variety, with sicaloiu. Read adds that they contain cinnamic acid, d-arakinose and oxydase.

The juice of the fleshy leaves is usually mixed with gogo by the Filipino women to prevent falling of the hair and to cure baldness. According to Father Sta. Maria the juice from the leaves mixed with wine preserves the hair. He also states that the juice mixed with milk cures dysentery and pains in the kidney. Guerrero reports that the leaves are used by Filipino herbalist to poultice edema of beriberi patients. The alcoholic tincture of this inspissated juice is used in India and in the Antilles to cure bruises or contusions and ecchymosis.

Aloe vera is the source of the acibar of the Barbados or of Curazo. Concerning the use of the drug, Burkill says that the bitter aloe, in small doses, serves as a tonic in larger doses, as an aperient, and in still larger doses, drastically so; it is, also, emmenagogue and cholagogue. It has became the basis, in Europe, of most patent pills, as well as cleaning much open use in medicine. The supplies are drawn chiefly from eastern and southeastern Africa, and also from the West Indies. Dey states that in small doses it is a stomachic tonic, and in large doses, a purgative. Pittier reports that in Costa Rica the mucilaginous pulp of the leaves is used as purgative.

Doctor Crewe described his method of treating burns and scalds with the use of Aloe vera. He employed an ointment of which the active constituent is the powder of this Aloe. The ointment is made by mixing 2 drams of the powdered aloe and about 2 drams of mineral oil in an ounce of white Vaseline.











Source: http://www.en.wikipilipinas.org/index.php?title=Aloe_barbadensis

Pansit-Pansitan (Peperomia pellucida Linn.) Description and Use

Indications and preparations: Infusion, decoction or salad for gout and rheumatic pains; pounded plant warm poultice for boils and


Pansit-pansitan is a small fleshy herb up to 30 cm tall. Stem initially erect, rooting at nodes, glabrous. Leaves spirally arranged, simple and membranous when dry. Flowers bisexual, without a stalk, floral bracts rounded. Fruit fleshy, one-seeded.

In disturbed habitats, in gardens and cultivated areas that are damp and lightly shaded, on damp hard surfaces such as walls, roofs, steep gullies, and in flower pots. Native to South America, common in South-East Asia, naturalized widely in the Old World tropics.



Traditional uses Whole plant as warm poultice to treat abscesses, boils and pimples, rheumatism and fatigue. The bruised leaf is used for headache, convulsions, infusion or decoction-against gout, kidney troubles, rheumatic pain, externally as rinse for complexion problems. Leaf juice is known to sooth colic and abdominal pains.

Can also be Eaten as fresh salad.











Source: http://www.en.wikipilipinas.org/index.php?title=Peperomia_pellucida