Vitamin C Pedia
Vitamin C Pedia
Find out All about Vitamin C!
- What is Vitamin C?
- What does Vitamin C do in your body?
- Why do we need Vitamin C?
- How much Vitamin C do we need daily?
- Why do we need taking Vitamin C everyday?
- What are the Vitamin C sources?
- What are Vitamin C deficiency symptoms?
- Surprising facts about Vitamin C
- 10 Horrible facts about Vitamin C
- What are Vitamin C dosage forms?
What is Vitamin C?
Vitamins are organic compounds which could not be synthesized by humans but are essential for a healthy life. Vitamins play different roles. Some are working as a hormone, some have antioxidant effects, and some helping enzymes to work.
Vitamins are named alphabetically as A, B, C, etc.
Vitamin C is one of the most important antioxidant vitamins. It is soluble in water and plays many rolls in biochemical processes.
What does Vitamin C do in your body?
Vitamin C has many roles in human body. The most important roles could be listed as follows:
1. Vitamin C is an antioxidant:
There are some materials known as "Free radicals", this name is a description pointing the chemical composition of this molecules. Free radicals are very active and invasive molecules. They can attack to other molecules and make change in their chemical structure. Free radicals may attack entire molecules in the cell, e.g. DNA, RNA, proteins, lipids, and carbohydrates.
Attack to DNA means a probable attack to genes, and attack to genes means probable change in genes structure and function. This may result in deactivation or activation, and or mutation in a gene which may be very dangerous for a living cell and even the whole organism. It may cause Cancer!
The other effect of free radicals on DNA, is their effect on the normal replication of genome, especially in the genome terminals. The genomic DNA in the human is divided in 46 chromosomes. The terminal part of a chromosomes is called Telomere. The duplication (replication) of telomeres is a very complex process. Free radicals may interact in this process. Defect in the normal replication of telomeres may result in rapid shortening of the chromosomes which could expedite the cell senescence. It means that cell will die sooner than its normal life span.
A chromosome and its telomeres (pink areas). Telomeres are important in cell senescence.
Free radicals may also attack RNA molecules. RNA molecules have many structural and functional roles in the living cells and their change by free radicals may interact with their normal functions.
Free radicals may have a similar effect on proteins. Structural and functional roles of proteins may be affected by free radicals attack.
The Most important functional role of the proteins is their enzymatic functions. Enzymes are molecules catalyzing chemical reactions in the living cells. Enzymes are mostly made of proteins and if they were changed by free radicals, they may not be able to do their duties and it would be dangerous for cells and organisms.
Where are Free radicals come from?
During normal processes in a living cell some free radicals are produced. However, some foods and behaviors may increase the amount of free radicals in your body. Smoking is one of the most important sources for free radicals. Some food additives like Nitrites, which are normally added to processed meat products (e.g. sausages) could also increase the free radicals in your body.
Vitamin C is a potent antioxidant! it means that it could sacrifice itself to save DNA, RNA, proteins, and carbohydrates. Vitamin C is water soluble and so it could be diffused excellently in the internal environment of the body and cells. It reacts with free radicals and oxidizing agents and saves cells vital molecules from changing.
Added nitrites in processed meats may produce dangerous free radicals
2. Vitamin C is a Cofactor:
Enzymes are mostly made of proteins. Some enzymes have a non-protein part in their structure which is called "Cofactor". Cofactors are essential for enzymes function and if an enzyme was not linked to its cofactor, it could not catalyze its reaction. There are many varieties of cofactors. Vitamins are one of the most important cofactors.
Vitamin C plays a cofactor role for some enzymes. It is the cofactor of hydroxylation enzymes in Collagen biosynthesis.
How important is Collagen?
Collagen is the most abundant protein in your body. It makes about 30 % of total protein content of your body. Collagen is in the structure of Bones, Skin, tendons, ligaments, cartilages, blood vessels, cornea, teeth, and muscles, WOW!!!
It means that Vitamin C is important in the health of above mentioned tissues! In the other words Vitamin C deficiency could result in problem in these tissues and related organs and functions.
3D model of Collagen molecular structure (illustration by: Vossman)
Electron microscopy of Collagen fibers
Why do we need to take Vitamin C?
Because Vitamin C is a Vitamin! Yes! the answer is as simply as it.
Vitamin C is a Vitamin because human can not synthesize it by himself. Most of the animals and plants can synthesize Vitamin C and so, they do not need to take it from outside. But, human can not and should take it from food or supplements.
How much Vitamin C do we need daily?
It depends on age. However, some conditions like pregnancy, beast feeding, etc may change Vitamin
C demand. Roughly, it is about 60 mg per day, but you can find more details in the following links:
Why do we need taking Vitamin C everyday?
We need taking Vitamin C everyday because Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin and could not be stored in the body. However, lipid-soluble vitamins like Vitamin D, A, and K can be stored in your body.
It is a disadvantage we need to take Vitamin C daily. But, it has an important advantage as well: taking high doses of Vitamin C would not result in toxicity! because the excess Vitamin C will be simply excreted from your body through urination.
What are the Vitamin C sources?
Human is an omnivorous organism. It means that we eat both plants and animals. Any plant or animal which is synthesizing Vitamin C could be a source of Vitamin C for us. However, some foods have more Vitamin C content than others and so for more confidence it is better to eat this kind of foods.
The following figure shows the Vitamin C content in some fruits and vegetables. Find the Vitamin C content for Orange, which is the symbol of Vitamin C!:
What are Vitamin C deficiency symptoms?
Vitamin C deficiency is rare in developed countries. However, there may be some groups whom are at more risk of Vitamin C deficiency. If someone takes less than 10 mg per day Vitamin C for about one month, the symptoms of Vitamin C deficiency could be observed. Inflammation of gums is one of the most important early symptoms.
Problem in Collagen synthesis, results in joint pain, muscle pain, connective tissue weakening, and poor wound healing.
Bleeding from gums, and loosing teeth are the next symptoms.
Iron deficiency anemia (low blood cells) may be also occur because Vitamin C is important in iron absorption as well.
Surprising facts about Vitamin C
- More than 110 000 000 kilogram Ascorbic acid is produced worldwide annually!
- Ascorbic acid (USP) melts in 190-194 °C (374 °-381° F) and boils in 553 °C (1,027 °F)!
- In people with normal renal function, excess ingested vitamin C is rapidly excreted in the urine.
10 Horrible facts about Vitamin C
- Human can not synthesis Vitamin C by himself and so, needs taking exogenous Vitamin C!
- Vitamin C doses over 1 gram per day increases the blood and urinary level of oxalic acid and may enhance the risk of calculi formation from calcium oxalate!
- Mega doses of Vitamin C can be harmful for those patients with chronic renal failure!
- Vitamin C negatively impacts on some drugs, for example it causes Vitamin B12 destruction!
- High-doses of Vitamin C can cause the false results in determination of Bilirubin, Glucose, Creatinin, LDH or AspAT activity!
- Vitamin C should not be used along with copper salts!
- Vitamin C has this ability to interact with many other medications. Patients who are taking these medications on a regular basis should care about this interaction and are recommended to talk with their health care providers!
- Due to the oxidizing entity of radiation therapy and several types of chemotherapeutic agents, supplementation with Vitamin C is a topic of debate among oncologists!
- Infants born to mothers taking 6,000 mg or more of vitamin C per day, may develop rebound Scurvy! because their intake of vitamin C drops after birth. If you are pregnant, talk to your doctor before taking more than 1,000 mg of vitamin C.
- Vitamin C may raise blood sugar levels in diabetics. In older women with diabetes, doses of vitamin C above 300 mg per day were associated with an increased risk of death from heart disease!