The arrival of clementines in the grocery store easily marks the start of the winter season. Clementines, those juicy miniature oranges, make a terrific snack as they are easy to pack, easy to peel, and full of vitamin C.
Vitamin C is needed for normal growth and development. It helps in the repair and maintenance of teeth, bones, cartilage, muscle and blood vessels, aids in the absorption of iron, and is needed for wound healing. Thus, signs of a vitamin C deficiency, which is also known as scurvy (listen up all you pirates out there), are dry and splitting hair, inflamed or bleeding gums, rough, dry, or scaly skin, poor wound healing, nosebleeds, and tooth decay. Being a water soluble, vitamin C can not be stored by body and unused amounts of the vitamin leave the body through urine. Therefore, a daily supply of vitamin C is needed in the diet. All fruits and vegetables, particularly citrus fruits, are major sources of vitamin C.
Now, for the question on the minds of everyone in the midst of a roaring cold and flu season – does a large dose of vitamin C prevent or treat the common cold? At least 30 major clinical trials have been conducted to examine the effectiveness of vitamin C supplementation at preventing and/or treating colds but to date, none have proven a significant effect. So, while clementines sure are tasty to eat, they and other vitamin C sources have nothing on good old hand-washing for keeping colds and flu at bay.