Recent research has found that vitamin C is the only vitamin that seems to play a role in every body function. The bad news is that deficiencies have been found in 25 to 50 percent of the adult population. Deficiency signs can be anything from bleeding gums and easy bruising to irritability and joint pain. Low intakes of vitamin C can compromise many body functions without showing any deficiency signs, including the ability to rid the body of cholesterol and the immune system's ability to fight off infection and disease.

Vitamin C is an antioxidant required for tissue growth and repair, adrenal gland function, and healthy gums. The body cannot manufacture vitamin C, so it must be obtained through diet and supplements. Some of the other functions of vitamin C are:

•  aids in the production of anti-stress hormones
•  protects against the effects of pollution
•  helps prevent cancer and protects against infection
•  enhance immunity
•  increases the absorption of iron
•  may reduce cholesterol levels and high blood pressure because it protects against blood clotting, and bruising
•  promotes the healing of wounds and burns and neutralizes free radicals.

Note: smoking drastically impairs the effectiveness of vitamin C.