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- The name "vitamin C" always refers to the l -enantiomer of ascorbic acid and its oxidized form, dehydroascorbate (DHA).
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Why is vitamin C called vitamin C?
What is vitamin C & why is it important?
Is vitamin C a dietary supplement?
Mar 27, 2024 · Vitamin C is a water-soluble, carbohydrate-like substance that is involved in certain metabolic processes of animals. Although most animals can synthesize vitamin C, it is necessary for the diet of some, including humans and other primates, to prevent scurvy. Vitamin C is also called ascorbic acid.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
- When was vitamin C first isolated?Vitamin C was first isolated in 1928. It was identified as the curative agent for scurvy in 1932.
- What are sources of vitamin C?Citrus fruits and fresh vegetables are the best dietary sources of vitamin C.
- What are the benefits of vitamin C?Vitamin C is essential for the synthesis of collagen, a protein that is important in the formation of connective tissue and wound healing. It acts...
- Overview
- What are the health benefits of vitamin C?
- Can you take vitamin C every day?
- Are vitamin C supplements or natural foods best?
- When should you take vitamin C tablets?
- What foods contain the most vitamin C?
- Are there side effects of getting too much or too little vitamin C?
- Takeaway
Do you need to take vitamin C supplements, and how much is enough? The answer may depend on your age and overall health.
Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin with a variety of benefits, but our bodies can’t make it. We need to consume it through the food we eat or by supplementation.
Vitamin C plays a role in many body functions. The immune system is a key one, mainly due to vitamin C’s antioxidant properties.
Antioxidants protect the body from oxidative stress. This is a process that, over time, can cause damage to most organs and tissues in the body. Antioxidants are also known to help support the natural abilities of your immune system.
Although vitamin C is a known antioxidant and has benefits for the immune system, there’s some question over its ability to treat active infections. People often use it as a supplement in the winter months to fight colds, and some even use it as a treatment for COVID-19. However, scientists are yet to prove the true value of these uses.
There is also little scientific data to prove the benefits of vitamin C for chronic conditions that sometimes benefit from antioxidant therapies, such as cancer and cardiovascular disease.
The only condition that vitamin C is proven to help treat is scurvy. Scurvy causes weakness, slow wound healing, bruising, and other symptoms. It’s due to a severe lack of vitamin C in your diet.
In addition to its role as an antioxidant, vitamin C also helps produce or process:
Your body controls the amount of vitamin C in your body very carefully. It’s present in small amounts in most cells. Unlike other forms of vitamins, vitamin C is usually present in higher amounts in cells than in plasma, which is the fluid part of your blood.
Daily vitamin C intake is recommended at every age, but this doesn’t necessarily mean that you need to take supplements.
How much vitamin C you need every day depends on your age and how much you take in through your diet. According to the National Institutes of Health, your body will absorb 70–90% of the vitamin C you consume if you take in a moderate amount. The NIH considers 30–180 milligrams (mg) per day to be a moderate amount.
If you take in more than 1 gram of vitamin C in a day, your body will absorb less than half of it and get rid of the rest in your urine.
This makes it important to know how much you need for your age each day to avoid taking supplements that your body wouldn’t absorb anyway. By age, vitamin C intake recommendations — per the NIH — are:
•babies and infants: 40–50 mg per day
Many foods contain vitamin C, and you can usually get the recommended daily amount of vitamin C from the foods you eat if you consume a balanced diet.
In most cases, getting vitamins and minerals from the food you eat is better than taking supplements. And if you already get enough vitamin C in your diet, your body won’t use much of what extra you take in, anyway.
Most vitamins are suitable to take at any time of the day, but you may want to check with your doctor before starting any supplements.
Certain vitamins and minerals, including vitamin C, can interact with some prescription medications. If you choose to take a vitamin C supplement, you may need to coordinate the timing of the supplement with the timing of any other medications you take.
Examples of medications that could interact with vitamin C include:
•some chemotherapy drugs
•estrogen supplements
•the beta-blocker propranolol
Some foods high in vitamin C include:
•citrus fruits
•red and green peppers
•kiwi
•broccoli
•strawberries
Too little vitamin C can cause symptoms of deficiency, including:
•fatigue
•gum swelling
•bruising
•bleeding gums
•depression
Vitamin C plays an important role in many processes in our bodies. Many people get enough vitamin C from their diet alone, but supplements can help those whose diets are lacking certain types of foods.
Some people may take supplements as a way to help treat certain conditions, but evidence that vitamin C can help fight a cold or treat chronic conditions is lacking.
The name "vitamin C" always refers to the l -enantiomer of ascorbic acid and its oxidized form, dehydroascorbate (DHA). Therefore, unless written otherwise, "ascorbate" and "ascorbic acid" refer in the nutritional literature to l -ascorbate and l -ascorbic acid respectively.
- C₆H₈O₆
- Ascor, Cecon, Cevalin, others
Aug 10, 2023 · Vitamin C is an antioxidant that helps protect your cells against the effects of free radicals — molecules produced when your body breaks down food or is exposed to tobacco smoke and radiation from the sun, X-rays or other sources.
Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, is a water-soluble vitamin that plays a critical role in your health. “It’s what’s known as an essential nutrient, meaning that your body doesn’t make it,” Peart says, “so you have to get it from your diet.” And of course, the word “essential” means that your body really needs it. But what for?
Vitamin C, or ascorbic acid, is a water-soluble vitamin. This means that it dissolves in water and is delivered to the body’s tissues but is not well stored, so it must be taken daily through food or supplements.
Feb 19, 2020 · 1. May reduce your risk of chronic disease. Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that can strengthen your body’s natural defenses ( 2 ). Antioxidants are molecules that boost...
