VITAMIN CASCORBIC ACID

Basic Description• Vitamin C may be the most familiar of all of the nutrients. • Everyone can name citrus fruits as good sources of

vitamin c.

• It is also a commonly used nutritional supplement.

• The first use of modern scientific methods to assess disease treatment was when the British navy used foods containing vitamin c to prevent scurvy among sailors. This nutrition experiment is among the most important scientific findings in human history.

• Food intake of vitamin C by the average U.S. adult is not much higher than the Dietary Reference Intake (DRI) level.

• For men in the U.S. 20+ years average intake is 96 milligrams per day, and for women in the U.S. 20+ years, it is 82 milligrams per day.

• Some animals can make their own vitamin C, but people must get this vitamin from food and other sources.

• Cooking significantly reduces the concentration of Vitamin C.

• Vitamin C is destroyed by the process of pasteurization, so babies fed with ordinary bottled milk sometimes suffer from scurvy if they are not provided with adequate vitamin supplements.

Role in Health Support• Protection Against Excess Free Radicals• Vitamin C is probably best known as an antioxidant. This is a word

that we use frequently but don't always stop to think about in terms of its meaning. Antioxidants are forms of molecules that help keep chemical reactions in our body in check.

• Collagen• Vitamin C is required to produce collagen, a protein that plays a

critical role in the structure of our bodies. Collagen is the framework for our skin and our bones, and without it, we would quite literally fall apart.

• Brain Health• Vitamin C is necessary to make certain neurotransmitters. These

neurotransmitters are the signals that carry thoughts, feelings, and commands around our brains and throughout our nervous system.

Other benefits of Vitamin C• Preventing and treating the common cold• Infections including • Gum disease acne and other skin infections • Bronchitis• Hiv • Stomach ulcers caused by bacteria called helicobacter pylori • Tuberculosis• Dysentery skin infections that produce boils (furunculosis).

Infections of the bladder and prostate.

• Depression, thinking problems, dementia, alzheimer's disease, physical and mental stress, fatigue, and attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

• Vitamin C is also used for • Glaucoma• Preventing cataracts• Preventing gallbladder disease• Dental cavities (caries)• Constipation• Lyme disease• Boosting the immune system, • Heat stroke• Hay fever• Asthma• Cystic fibrosis• Infertility• Diabetes• Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS)• Autism• Collagen disorders• Arthritis and bursitis• Back pain and disc swelling• Cancer• Osteoporosis.

Dietary Deficiency• From this standpoint, there isn’t a significant risk for

vitamin C deficiency. • A lack of vitamin C means that new collagen cannot be

formed.

• This causes various tissues in the body to start to break down and the health and repair of the body becomes affected.

• Chronic (persistent) vitamin c deficiency, usually over a period of around three months or more, can lead to an illness known as scurvy.

• The first symptoms of vitamin C deficiency tend to be:• Tiredness and weakness.• Muscle and joint pains.• Easy bruising.• Spots that look like tiny, red-blue bruises on the skin.

• Other symptoms can include:• Dry skin.• Splitting hair.• Swelling and discoloration of the gums.• Spontaneous bleeding from the gums.• Nosebleeds.• Poor healing of wounds.• Problems fighting infections.• Bleeding into joints, causing severe joint pains.• Changes in the bones.• Tooth loss.• Weight loss.

Scurvy• Disease resulting from a deficiency of vitamin C• Scurvy was at one time common among sailors, pirates and

others aboard ships at sea longer than perishable fruits and vegetables could be stored and by soldiers similarly deprived of these foods for extended periods.• Scurvy does not occur in most animals as they can

synthesize their own vitamin c• Symptoms• Malaise and lethargy• Pain in a section of the gums which interferes with digestion• After 1–3 months, patients develop shortness of breath and bone

pain.• Myalgias may occur because of reduced carnitine production

• Other symptoms• Skin changes with roughness• Easy bruising and petechiae• Gum disease• Loosening of teeth• Poor wound healing• Emotional changes• Dry mouth and dry eyes• Jaundice• Generalized oedema• Oliguria • Neuropathy• Fever• Convulsions• Death

• Treatment• Scurvy can be treated by eating vitamin C rich foods, and by

ingesting vitamin C tablets.

en.wikipedia.org

How common is vitamin C deficiency?• Scurvy due to vitamin C deficiency is now thought to be rare in

the UK.• There are certain groups of people who are more at risk of

vitamin C deficiency. They include:• Victims of famine, and refugees.• People dependent on drugs and/or alcohol who may not have a

healthy, balanced diet.• People who go on fad diets.• People living on a low income who tend not to buy foods with a high

vitamin C content.• People with a medical condition that affects the body's ability to

digest and absorb food such as Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.• Older people who may eat a less varied diet. • Smokers. • Pregnant and breast-feeding women because they need higher

amounts of vitamin C.

Treatment• The treatment for vitamin C deficiency is to replace the

vitamin C that is lacking in your diet. This can be achieved by taking vitamin C supplements and by eating a diet rich in vitamin C.

• However, it is important to continue to eat a diet rich in vitamin C after the supplements are stopped to make sure that we do not become deficient in vitamin C again in the future.

Dietary Toxicity• The National Academy of Sciences has established a

Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL) of 2000 mg per day for adults.

• While it is plausible that in rare situations—particularly with a rich intake of citrus juices—an individual could be above this UL from foods alone.

• The most common side effects from high doses of vitamin C are upset stomach and diarrhoea. Other gastrointestinal symptoms have also been reported, such as abdominal cramps, headache, heartburn and vomiting.

Public Health Recommendations

• 0-6 months: 40 mg• 6-12 months: 50 mg• 1-3 years: 15 mg• 4-8 years: 25 mg• 9-13 years: 45 mg• 14-18 years, female: 65 mg• 14-18 years, male: 75 mg• 19+ years, female: 75 mg• 19+ years, male: 90 mg• Pregnant women, 14-18 years: 80 mg• Pregnant women, 19+ years: 85 mg• Lactating women, 14-18 years: 115 mg• Lactating women, 19+ years: 120 mg

SOURCE per 100 gms

1. Peppers (Yellow Bell Peppers) 183.5mg2. Guavas 228.3mg3. Dark Green Leafy Vegetables 120mg4. Kiwi (Green) 92.7mg5. Broccoli 89.2mg6. Berries (Strawberries) 58.8mg7. Citrus Fruits (Oranges) 53.2mg8. Tomatoes (Cooked) 22.8mg9. Peas (Mange Tout) 60mg10. Papaya 60.9mg

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References