Natural Factors Big Friends Chewable C 250mg (Tangy Orange) - 90 Chew Tabs

Big Friends Children's Chewable C

This is a delicious way for children to get their daily Vitamin C. Big Friends Chewable C is made from 100% natural fruit and includes vitamin C enhancing bioflavonoids as well as hesperidin and rutin. Vitamin C is necessary for maintaining all collagen structures, promoting wound repair, strong bones and teeth, and healthy gums. This kid-friendly chewable is gentle on tooth enamel and is an excellent source of vitamin C for the young and the young at heart.

As a powerful antioxidant it protects the aqueous areas of the body (including the blood, intracellular fluid and interstitial fluid) from free radicals. Vitamin C protects LDL cholesterol from oxidation and also helps to regenerate vitamin E. As it is a water-soluble vitamin, the body cannot store vitamin C, making regular supplementation vital.

Bioflavonoids are vitamin-like molecules that are found in the peel of citrus fruits and other fruits and vegetables. They enhance the activity of vitamin C and may improve the body's ability to hold and absorb vitamin C by 35%. Each bottle of Big Friends is clearly labelled and is child-proof.

* Sweetened with Bio Sweet a unique blend of sweeteners containing Fruitsource, naturally derived fruit sweeteners and maple sugar crystals.

The Immune System

The immune system is capable of fighting off intruders and remembering them so that they are killed off quickly if they invade again. The immune system must be able to differentiate self from non-self in order to know what to attack. If it does not recognize the body's own tissue than autoimmune diseases occurs.

Physical and emotional stress has been shown in studies to depress the amount of circulating immune cells. Examples of possible stressors are excessive exercise, surgery, a long illness, and loss of a job or death of a loved one. The sympathetic nervous system is activated by stress and causes increased heart rate and blood pressure, and a heightening of the body's senses. It decreases the functioning of systems that are not essential for fighting or fleeing a situation. This includes immunity. Stress also causes increased inflammation and a build up of damaging agents called free radicals. These substances can interfere with normal immune functioning.

Poor dietary habits inhibit the immune system by creating deficiencies in protein, vitamins and minerals. A healthy diet, with sufficient protein intake, supports the immune system because the immune cells are made of protein and are in a constant state of renewal. The immune cells use a variety of vitamins and minerals to carry out their jobs. The most important nutrients are vitamin A, vitamin B6, vitamin C, vitamin E, selenium, zinc and essential fatty acids. For example, vitamin C strengthens white blood cells and prevents the multiplication of bacteria and viruses. Deficiency of any one of these nutrients impairs the immune response.

Dietary sugar, especially white sugar, has been directly linked to depression of the immune system, immediately after its consumption. One study showed that eating three and a half oz. of simple sugar reduced the ability of white blood cells to destroy bacteria. Sugar also provides fuel for invading organisms, like bacteria and fungus, thus strengthening their attack.