Advantages: Easily absorbed by the body, reduces infection, destroys free radicals
Disadvantages: Bitter taste, too much can cause heartburn or diarrhoea, and it doesn't dissolve very easily in cold drinks

...This year is the 75th anniversary of the discovery and isolation of Vitamin C (ascorbic acid). Prior to that, people had little idea what actually caused the disease scurvy, which was common amongst sailors in the 18th and 19th centuries. Trial and error had shown that eating a small amount of citrus fruit each day while on board a long journey by ship would ward off the disease, but that was about the extent of public knowledge. In 1928, vitamin C was isolated and shown to play a vital role in the prevention of scurvy. Vitamin C is present in varying quantities in almost all fresh fruit, not just oranges and lemons - but before the days of refrigeration, most other fruit did not keep long enough for a sea voyage. Vitamin C is water-soluble, and is not stored in the body - but the amount needed daily to prevent scurvy is only... Read review

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Advantages: nice smell, does not dry the skin, fights against ageing
Disadvantages: bottle not too practical

...I love Palmolive shower gels. I am addicted to the range, ever since I tried one for the first time, almost a year ago. It all started with the milk and honey shower crème, followed by the rose, seaweed, lemon, and green tea ones, and the last in date, possibly my favourite, is the one I am using now, the Vitamins Shower Crème. So it was that, even before trying it, I was prejudiced in favour of it. As always with shower gel, the smell was the deciding factor in my buying this product. Actually this is not completely true as I, like most people, am first attracted to shower gels because of their packaging, and then I make my choice according to the smell of those products that have caught my eye. Even if I had not already been a Palmolive addict, I would almost certainly have noticed this particular shower crème, as it comes... Read review

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Advantages: Many, many advantages - including the fact that they taste nice!
Disadvantages: None really.

...Ascorbic acid, or otherwise known as Vitamin C, is a water soluble vitamin, (along with vitamin B), unlike vitamins A, D, E and K which are all fat soluble. Is this of any relevance? You may be asking! Well yes it is! Within the body we have lots and lots of water, so it is pretty obvious that a vitamin that is "water soluble" will readily dissolve and be used by the body. Hence we really need a daily intake of vitamin C (and B for that matter). The fat soluble vitamins can be stored within the body for a much longer time without being used straight away, so you needn't take these *every* day. Your body will use them slowly, by which time you are more than likely to have more of the vitamins stored already. Seen as the water soluble vitamins are used near enough straight away they are generally considered... Read review

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Advantages: Benifits to heart conditions, Benifits against cancer, Essential for helping protect against free radicals and cell repair
Disadvantages: None

...Many of us may experience periods of time where our intake of various vitamins and minerals is well below the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA). This usually leads to varying forms of symptoms that can usually be rectified by bolstering the intake of the affected vitamin or mineral. Vitamin E is one vitamin that, thankfully, majorities of people do not suffer from any deficiency since the basic requirement is found in many foods that we normally consume. Vitamin E is required by the body as it is an antioxidant that protects your cells against the effects of free radicals, which damage by-products of the body's metabolism. Free radicals can also cause cell damage. It also improves circulation and accelerates tissue repair. Thus Vitamin E is also found in many toiletries such as shampoos, lotions, rubs etc. The Recommended... Read review

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Advantages: Easy way to take a Zinc and vitamin C supplement
Disadvantages: Can catch you offguard of you bite them

...Aaargh! It looks as though I'm starting to run out of witty names for product reviews! Pity this review isn't for some memory-enhancing drug, but it's not. Anyway... Seven Seas Zinc plus Vitamin C. I always recommend these to anyone at work that has a cold coming on as they usually do the trick for me. It's also a really good way of getting extra vitamin C and zinc if you're not much of a fruit, veg or shellfish person. Also, did you know that smoking depleats the body's supply of Vitamin C? So it's also not a bad idea to take it if you smoke. It's also a water-soluble vitamin, so it gets destroyed when you cook veg (especially the green, leafy variety) and the amount stored in foodstuffs depleats as time goes on and the food ages. According to the information on the tub, Zinc 'is an essential trace mineral that helps... Read review

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Advantages: see op
Disadvantages: see op

...Vitamin E creams are great for keeping your skin soft and getting rid of any dry patches. I started using these on the recommendation of Body Shop staff when I asked for advice last year. In the run up to my wedding both my skin and hair dried out badly. Obviously I wanted to restore my complexion before the big day. ~~~~ Why Vitamin E? ~~~~ I actually didn't start to wonder why until I came to update this opinion. Then I started to search the Internet and was surprised at how difficult the information was to find. Still I got there in the end! In general studies have shown Vitamin E can reduce the risk of non-fatal heart attacks. There has also been much research into the benefits of Vitamin E in preventing and treating cancer. But this opinion is about a skin product so I won't go into the health benefits too deeply... Read review

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