Vitamin C is essential for a healthy immune system, healthy bones, teeth and gums, as well as for maintaining normal levels of lipids and blood cholesterol. Vitamin C is one of the most vulnerable water-soluble nutrients, being very unstable and because it is easily destroyed by heat and light. For this reason it is not always possible to be sure how much Vitamin C is taken up in our diet. The body's daily needs for Vitamin C are greater than any other water-soluble vitamin.