A to Z Food Series · Souani Wellness

Vitamin C – Guardian of the Kingdom of Vita

A colourful story about skin, iron, immunity, and the fruits and veggies that keep them strong.

In the grand Kingdom of Vita, the people rarely thought about sickness. Their skin healed quickly after scrapes, their energy stayed bright through long days, and colds came and went like small, harmless storms. They believed they were simply “a strong people.” In reality, they were protected by a quiet guardian working inside every cell: Vitamin C, defender of Vita.

As long as Vitamin C flowed through the kingdom, three great forces stayed strong:

• The Skin Walls, built from firm collagen, kept the outside world from breaking in.
• The Iron Warriors carried oxygen and energy through the land in healthy red blood cells.
• The Immune Army stood alert at the borders, ready to fight invading germs.

When the Guardian Grew Weak

One season, fresh fruits became rare in the markets. Many people lived on dry grains and salted foods. At first, no one noticed. Then small cracks appeared in Vita’s defences.

Children scraped their knees and found that their wounds stayed open much longer. Some people bruised from even gentle bumps. Warriors who once trained for hours felt tired after climbing a single flight of stairs.

The Skin Walls—the invisible collagen scaffolding in skin, blood vessels, and gums—began to thin. Vitamin C is essential for collagen production; without it, the kingdom’s “building material” became weak and patchy.

Inside the blood, the Iron Warriors slowed. Vitamin C normally helps the body absorb iron from plant foods by converting it into a friendlier form. With less Vitamin C, fewer Iron Warriors were made, and people started feeling pale, dizzy, and exhausted.

Most worrying of all, the Immune Army lost its spark. Vitamin C supports white blood cells and acts as a powerful antioxidant. When levels dropped, colds hit harder, infections lasted longer, and people felt as if their bodies had forgotten how to fight.

Fear spread through Vita. No enemy stood at the gates, yet the kingdom seemed to be crumbling from within.

Oracle Meera’s Warning

High in a tower, the wise healer Oracle Meera watched the change. She saw swollen, bleeding gums, rough skin, joint pain, and wounds that refused to close—classic signs of severe Vitamin C lack, known in other lands as scurvy.

She gathered the council and spoke clearly:

“Without Vitamin C, our kingdom is vulnerable. Our Skin Walls cannot repair. Our Iron Warriors grow weak. Our Immune Army cannot fight. We must seek the magic hidden in nature—foods rich in this guardian’s power.”

The king asked, “Where must we search?”

The Quest for Fruits of Strength

Oracle Meera pointed beyond the stone walls toward gardens, orchards, and fields.

“Vitamin C does not come from spells,” she said. “It comes from colour and freshness. Look for bright colours and juicy flesh.”

The people of Vita returned with baskets full of treasures:

• Oranges and other citrus fruits, famous but not the only heroes.
• Guavas, with even more Vitamin C than oranges in each bite.
• Kiwis, small and fuzzy but loaded with immune-supporting power.
• Bell peppers, especially red and yellow, bringing sweetness and Vitamin C in every crunch.
• Spinach and leafy greens, steadier helpers when eaten often.

They squeezed oranges into juices, sliced guavas into salads, tossed bell peppers into stir-fries, and blended kiwis into smoothies. The kingdom’s meals exploded into colour.

How the Magic Worked Inside Vita

As people ate these foods day after day, Vitamin C quietly got back to work:

• Skin Walls rebuilt: collagen production improved, so wounds healed faster, bruises faded, and gums stopped bleeding.
• Iron Warriors rearmed: more iron from plant foods was absorbed, red blood cells carried oxygen better, and energy returned.
• Immune Army recharged: white blood cells moved faster, fought harder, and were better protected from damage, so infections became shorter and milder.

The people didn’t see molecules or pathways; they just felt alive again.

Vita’s New Rules

When peace returned, the king asked Oracle Meera how to prevent this weakness from ever coming back. She taught them three simple rules:

1. Eat the rainbow every day

“Add at least one bright Vitamin C–rich food to your meals,” she said. “Think citrus, guava, kiwi, strawberries, bell peppers, amla, tomatoes, or fresh greens.”

2. Remember it’s water-soluble

The body doesn’t store large amounts of Vitamin C. What you don’t use is lost, so small, regular doses from food keep the guardian awake.

3. Protect your foods’ power

Vitamin C is sensitive to heat and long storage. Meera advised the cooks to eat some produce raw, use quick cooking methods like steaming or stir-frying, and avoid over-boiling vegetables.

What This Story Means for You

Your body is not so different from the Kingdom of Vita.

• Your Skin Walls (skin, blood vessels, gums, connective tissue) rely on Vitamin C to build and repair collagen.
• Your Iron Warriors (red blood cells) need Vitamin C to help you absorb iron from plant foods and keep your energy up.
• Your Immune Army depends on Vitamin C to help white blood cells move, fight, and stay protected.

When your diet lacks fresh fruits and vegetables for a long time, your own kingdom can start to feel the cracks: fatigue, frequent infections, slow wound healing, gum problems, or, in extreme cases, full-blown scurvy.

The solution is rarely dramatic. It starts with small, colourful, everyday choices:

• Squeeze lemon on your dal or salad.
• Add guava, orange, kiwi, or amla to your snack plate.
• Toss red bell peppers and leafy greens into your sabzi or stir-fries.
• Keep a simple fruit bowl within reach so Vitamin C is always just a grab away.

Every time you choose a colourful fruit or vegetable, you are rebuilding your Skin Walls, arming your Iron Warriors, and energising your Immune Army—quietly telling your body, “I choose strength and resilience today.”