Unhealthy teeth can affect food intake, so you need to "arm your teeth," while for comprehensive nutrition supplementation and anti-aging, you need to "arm your gums."
Vitamin C (also known as L-ascorbic acid) is an essential nutrient for higher primates and a few other organisms. Ascorbic acid can be synthesized by metabolism in most organisms, but humans are the most significant exception. The most well-known consequence of Vitamin C deficiency is scurvy. In the body, Vitamin C is an antioxidant that protects the body from free radicals, and it is also a cofactor. Its main dietary sources are various fresh fruits and vegetables.
When the human body lacks Vitamin C, it can easily lead to malnutrition of the gums, causing their atrophy and degeneration. Coupled with aging, this further promotes loose and falling teeth, adversely affecting the health of the elderly. Supplementing Vitamin C helps protect gum health and can also improve symptoms like mouth ulcers and gum bleeding. Therefore, it is advisable to consciously consume fresh fruits and vegetables rich in Vitamin C regularly. This is not only beneficial for the gums, but the alkaline nature of these fruits and vegetables can also neutralize the acidic substances from poultry, meat, and fish, which is beneficial to the body.
Among fresh fruits and vegetables, sea buckthorn is high in Vitamin C, and oranges, pears, etc., are also rich in it. The Vitamin C in fresh vegetables is often lost during frying and cooking. To minimize this loss, it is recommended to wash and eat raw vegetables that can be eaten raw, while other vegetables should be cooked until just done, not overcooked. Additionally, if you cannot ensure your daily intake of Vitamin C due to travel or other reasons, you can also take oral Vitamin C supplements.