Slim Down with This Vitamin
Lose a pound recently? Great! Then keep it off with this mighty nutrient: vitamin C.
Research shows that your body needs sufficient vitamin C to burn fat -- and burning fat is key to keeping excess pounds away. So pop your C supplement, or snack on some C-rich orange sections before your next power walk.
A Critical Compound
People in a study who had low blood concentrations of vitamin C and walked on a treadmill for an hour burned 25 percent less fat than people with adequate C. But a dose of C brought fat-burning levels back up to par. Why? Seems C is essential for creating carnitine, a substance that turns fat into fuel. Find out how much C you need with this tool.
How Much Is Enough
To keep the pounds you dropped from coming right back, you could start your day with some grapefruit, have an orange after lunch, or fill your dinner plate with C-rich veggies like red bell peppers, broccoli, and brussels sprouts. Here are a few more reasons to C up!
- For a better smile: Find out how C can make your gums bleed less.
- For a stronger heart: Vitamin C makes bad cholesterol less dangerous. Read this tip on berries and oatmeal to find out how.
- For more powerful lungs: Here's why C makes you less of a wheezer.
Recipe Corner
Try this tutti-frutti way of getting more C: Lemon-Orange Fizz.
Marginal vitamin C status is associated with reduced fat oxidation during submaximal exercise in young adults. Johnston, C. S. et al., Nutrition & Metabolism 2006 Aug 31;3:35.
