Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, is an absolutely essential vitamin/nutritional supplement that virtually all of us take. It is water-soluble, but our bodies cannot produce it themselves, unlike goats, for example, which produce up to 14g a day all on their own. Almost all animals and plants can do this too, but humans are reliant on obtaining it from external sources. Vitamin C is essential for life; a deficiency manifests itself very quickly. Sailors on long voyages used to suffer from scurvy – their gums would bleed and their teeth would fall out, and their wounds would heal poorly, all due to a lack of vitamin C. It was only potatoes, which contain plenty of it, that saved them. It was not until 1934 that synthetic vitamin C was first successfully produced. Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is, in fact, very important in regulating metabolism; it aids the absorption of iron, maintains the strength of blood vessels, stimulates the production of white blood cells, and supports the development of bones, teeth and cartilage, as well as promoting growth. It