Ascorbic acid, or vitamin C, is one of the most important water-soluble vitamins. It is essential for the biosynthesis of collagen, carnitine and neurotransmitters. Most plants and animals synthesize ascorbic acid for their needs. However, monkeys and humans can not synthesize ascorbic acid due to a deficiency of the enzyme gonolactone oxidase.
Therefore, ascorbic acid should be supplemented mainly through fruits, vegetables and pills. The current recommended dose for ascorbic acid is between 100 and 120 mg per day for adults.
Many health benefits have been attributed to ascorbic acid, such as antioxidants, anti-atherogenic, anti-cancer, immunomodulatory and prevention of colds and so on.
Excess vitamin C has no effect on kidney stone formation, prooxidant effects and excessive iron absorption.
Although ascorbic acid was discovered in the seventeenth century, the exact role of this vitamin / nutrient in biology and human health is still a mystery due to its many beneficial properties.
Sources of ascorbic acid
Ascorbic acid is widely found in fresh fruits and vegetables. Vitamin C is found in fruits such as oranges, lemons, grapefruits, watermelons, papayas, strawberries, cantaloupes, mangoes, pineapples, raspberries and cherries. It is also found in green leafy vegetables such as tomatoes, broccoli, green and red peppers and cabbage.
Most plants and animals synthesize ascorbic acid from diglucose or digalactose. Most animals produce relatively high levels of ascorbic acid from glucose in the liver.
However, fruit bats, monkeys, and humans are unable to synthesize ascorbic acid due to the lack of the enzyme L-gonolactone oxidase. Hence, in humans, ascorbic acid must be supplied through food or in pill form.
Ascorbic acid is a sensitive molecule, it may be lost during cooking / processing of food, although it has the ability to preserve foods due to its reducing properties.
Synthetic ascorbic acid is available in a wide range of supplements such as tablets, capsules, chewable tablets, crystalline powder and effervescent tablets.
Ascorbic acid catabolism
Ascorbic acid in foods is readily available and easily absorbed in the gut. Most of it (80 to 90%) is absorbed when consumed up to 100 mg per day, while at higher levels of consumption (500 mg per day) the ascorbic acid absorption efficiency decreases rapidly. Ascorbic acid is sensitive to air, light, heat and is lost in long-term storage.
Ascorbic acid is a water-soluble compound. It is easily absorbed, but not stored in the body. Therefore, ascorbic acid should be supplied regularly through diet or pills to maintain the body’s needs.
The main way is excretion of ascorbic acid and its metabolites through urine. In case of high doses of ascorbic acid, it is excreted unchanged. Ascorbic acid is generally non-toxic, but in high doses (2 to 6 grams per day) can cause gastrointestinal upset or diarrhea.
Side effects are generally not serious and can be easily reversed by reducing ascorbic acid intake. In addition, there is no conclusive data on the serious and negative effects of vitamin C on human health.
Average daily intake, required to meet the nutritional needs of ascorbic acid, or the recommended dietary value (RDA) for adults (over 19 years), 90 mg per day for men and 75 mg per day, For women. Consumption of 100 mg per day of ascorbic acid is enough to saturate the body (neutrophils, leukocytes and other tissues) in healthy people.
According to clinical and epidemiological studies, the consumption of 100 mg of ascorbic acid in the diet is associated with a reduction in mortality from heart disease, stroke and cancer. However, stress, smoking, alcoholism, fever, and viral infections all cause a rapid decrease in blood ascorbic acid levels.
Physiological functions of ascorbic acid
Ascorbic acid plays an important role in maintaining collagen, which makes up about one-third of the body’s total protein. Protein makes up the skin, bones, teeth, cartilage, tendons, blood vessels, heart valves, intervertebral discs, cornea and lens of the eye. Ascorbic acid deficiency reduces the hydroxylation of proline and lysine and thus affects collagen synthesis.
Ascorbic acid is essential for the synthesis of muscle carnitine (β-hydroxybutyric acid). Carnitine is needed to transport fatty acids to the mitochondria, where they can be used to produce energy.
Ascorbic acid is also essential for the conversion of cholesterol to bile acids. Ascorbic acid deficiency causes the accumulation of cholesterol in the liver, hypercholesterolemia, the formation of cholesterol gallstones, and so on.
The most important benefits of ascorbic acid (vitamin C)
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Ascorbic acid and colds
The most well-known beneficial effect of ascorbic acid on health is the prevention or relief of colds. Pauling stated that consuming 1 to 2 grams of ascorbic acid effectively prevents colds. The role of oral vitamin C in the prevention and treatment of colds is still controversial, despite many controlled trials. Several clinical trials with different doses of ascorbic acid have shown that ascorbic acid has no significant preventive effect, but reduces the severity and duration of cold symptoms during the course of infection.
Randomized and non-randomized trials on vitamin C for the prevention or treatment of colds showed that consuming 1.0 g of ascorbic acid per day for several winter months did not have a very positive effect on the occurrence of colds.
For both prophylactic and therapeutic trials, there was a beneficial but generally moderate therapeutic effect on the duration of cold symptoms. In trials that tested for vitamin C after the onset of cold symptoms, there was evidence of greater benefits at higher doses than at lower doses.
There has long been debate about the role of ascorbic acid in boosting immunity during cold infections. Vitamin C has been shown to stimulate the immune system by increasing the proliferation of T cells in response to infection. These cells are able to kill infected targets by producing large amounts of cytokines and helping B cells synthesize immunoglobulins to control inflammatory reactions.
In addition, ascorbic acid has been shown to block pathways that lead to T cell apoptosis and thus stimulate or maintain T cell proliferation to attack infection.
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Ascorbic acid and wound healing
Ascorbic acid plays an important role in wound healing and the healing / regeneration process, as it stimulates collagen synthesis. Adequate sources of vitamin C are essential for the natural healing process, especially for postoperative patients.
Rapid use of ascorbic acid for collagen synthesis at the wound / burn site during the postoperative period has been suggested. Therefore, administration of 500 mg to 1.0 g per day of ascorbic acid is recommended to accelerate the healing process.
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Ascorbic acid and anti-cancer properties
Nobel laureate Pauling and Cameron suggested using high doses of ascorbic acid (more than 10 grams per day) to treat and prevent cold infections and to treat cancer.
The benefits of this included increased excellent sense of improvement, longer survival time in terminal patients, and complete regression in some cases.
However, clinical studies in cancer patients performed at the Mayo Clinic did not show a significant difference between the vitamin C and placebo groups in terms of survival time.
Cameron and Pauling believed that vitamin C fights cancer by promoting collagen synthesis, thus preventing tumors from invading other tissues.
However, researchers now believe that ascorbic acid prevents cancer by neutralizing free radicals before they can damage DNA and start tumor growth. It may also act as a prooxidant, helping the body’s free radicals to kill tumors in the early stages.
Conclusion
Ascorbic acid is one of the most important and essential vitamins for human health. Required for many physiological functions in human biology.
Fruits, fresh vegetables as well as artificial pills meet the body’s need for ascorbic acid. However, stress, smoking, infections and burns reduce the body’s stores of ascorbic acid and require higher doses of ascorbic acid supplementation.
Based on available biochemical, clinical, and epidemiological studies, the current RDA is recommended for ascorbic acid 100-120 mg / day to achieve cell saturation and optimally reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, and cancer in healthy individuals.
Ascorbic acid and its derivatives are widely used as preservatives in the food industry due to their antioxidant properties. Many health benefits have been attributed to ascorbic acid, including antioxidant, anti-atherogenic and anti-cancer activity.
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