I received an email way back when I was ridiculously preoccupied with my nearing childbirth and growing toddler. It was about Vitamin C, one of the most popular nutrients, yet also taken for granted by many.

I do believe that Vitamin C is one of the most important nutrients that people, most especially infants and children, need. There are diseases that you can avoid by getting vaccines. For those ailments and medical conditions that do not have vaccines, the general solution is getting enough vitamin C.

Click on the image to read more about how Vitamin C may slow down skin wrinkling.

Here’s the article that will enlighten us about this vitamin.

Only 59% of Filipino children consume vegetables, while only 31% consume fruits daily, according to the current statistics of the Sixth National Nutrition Survey. With the rising food prices, this consumption may further go down. And because essential nutrients tend to escape during food preparation, children may be getting even less Vitamin C. The recent survey of the energy and nutrient intake of Filipino children noted that their actual Vitamin C intake is only at 74.8% of the recommended daily intake.

A recent lecture by Dra. Anna Ong-Lim, a fellow at the Philippine Pediatric Society and Philippine Pediatric Infectious Disease Society of the Philippines and associate professor at the Philippine General Hospital underscored why adequate Vitamin C is necessary in boosting the immune system. Studies have shown that Vitamin C may reduce the relative risk of developing the common cold by 50%, notably for people exposed to short periods of extreme physical or cold stress or both. Its severity, or the downtime a person suffers which prevents him from going to school or work, may also be reduced by Vitamin C. The duration of its symptoms may be shortened - in adults by around 8%, and in children around 13.5%.

Aside from these, studies have also shown Vitamin C to decrease the incidence of pneumonia by around 80%, and even aid in the recovery of patients. While more evidence is still being gathered to support the widespread use of Vitamin C to prevent pneumonia, the researchers have concluded that Vitamin C supplementation may be reasonable for pneumonia patients who have low vitamin C plasma levels because its cost and risks are low.

The role of Vitamin C in protecting against diseases, together with its insufficient intake from natural food sources by Filipino children become the basis for supplementation. Studies have shown that supplementation offers one of the most cost-effective means of improving the health and survival of children in developing countries like the Philippines, especially in light of today’s rising food prices, global warming, and urbanization, which have given rise to changing disease patterns and their increasing frequency.

Aside for the continued prevalence of respiratory diseases such pneumonia and the common cold, changing times have also seen different countries including the Philippines experience, together with outbreaks of dengue and typhoid. -The Department of Health recorded 6848 cases from January to March this year, compared to the previous record of 5859 cases. The typhoid outbreak at the start of the year downed around 1200 in Calamba and 150 in Samar.

The medical community also continues to identify not so common diseases, such as Kawasaki, known as an “unclassified infectious diseases.” According to Dra. Jo-Anne De Castro, also a fellow at the Philippine Pediatric Society and the Pediatric Infectious Disease Society of the Philippines, the first 2 cases in the Philippines was identified in 1983 , but until today its origins are still poorly understood. Many of these risks do not have vaccination.

In light of these realities, Ceelin is advocating for parents to become more aware of the threats in today’s changing times. For the emerging diseases that are not covered by vaccination, moderate physical activity, which helps the body eliminate toxins, and a diet rich in nutrients like Vitamin C, are relevant today more than ever. Parents should also consider that supplementation may be necessary in meeting their children’s nutrient requirements, to boost their defenses and give them a fighting chance.

Credits to SkinCareBlog and FutureDerm for the images.