In this age of healthy eating and organic nutrition, information about the benefits of Vitamin C abounds. The nutrient, found in citrus fruits, berries and many green vegetables, is good for the skin and helps to promote a sense of well-being.

Indeed, a Vitamin C deficiency is not a pleasant thing to have. Symptoms include lethargy and weakness. Sufferers are prone to nose-bleeds, bruises that don't heal and, worst of all, gums that become swollen, purplish in colour and spongy.

A bleeding mouth, dentists tell us, is a sign that the standard of oral hygiene is low. Vitamin C helps to boost the immune system, aids in the healing of wounds, wards off free radicals and, significantly, promotes the health of skin and soft tissue. In this light, it is clear that the link between gum disease, also called periodontal disease, and a lack of Vitamin C is strong. (more...)