Vitamin C Essay

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Vitamin C
Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, is a water-soluble vitamin that is naturally present in some foods, added to others, and available as a dietary supplement. Humans, unlike most animals, are unable to synthesize vitamin C, so it is an essential dietary component. In some settings, vitamin C serves as a cofactor helping a specific enzyme perform its job, but in others, it acts as an antioxidant participating in more general ways. Vitamin C loses electrons easily, a characteristic that allows it to perform as an antioxidant. Vitamin C is like a bodyguard for water-soluble substances. In the cells and body fluids, Vitamin C protects tissues from the oxidative stress of free radicals thus may play an important role in preventing diseases. Food sources for Vitamin C come from fruits and vegetables mainly. Broccoli, carrots, potato, tomato juice, banana, orange, strawberries, watermelon, cheese, citrus fruits, cabbage-type vegetables, dark green vegetables, cantaloupe, lettuce, tomatoes, papayas and mangos are all significant sources of Vitamin C. Functions of Vitamin C in the body include collagen synthesis, which strengthens blood vessel walls, forms scar tissue, provides matrix for bone growth. More functions include antioxidants, thyroxin synthesis, amino acid metabolism, strengthens resistance to infection, helps in absorption of iron. Ascorbic acid is absorbed in the body by both active transport and simple diffusion. With regular intake the absorption rate varies between 70 to 95%.
There are plenty of supplements available for Vitamin C that you can get at any drug or grocery store. Vitamin C can come in all different forms; powdered, liquid and pill form. You can get ascorbic acid in all different amounts, such as a small packet of the powder version or a 500mg pill. There are very little restrictions when it comes to taking Vitamin C because there has been very little evidence to suggest that large amounts of Vitamin C could be harmful. The most common complaints are diarrhea, nausea, abdominal cramps, and other gastrointestinal disturbances due to the osmotic effect of unabsorbed vitamin C in the gastrointestinal tract. There is some concern with Vitamin C when it comes to a few circumstances though. In postmenopausal women with diabetes who participated in the Iowa Women's Health Study, supplemental (but not dietary) vitamin C intake (at least 300 mg/dayVitamin C
Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, is a water-soluble vitamin that is naturally present in some foods, added to others, and available as a dietary supplement. Humans, unlike most animals, are unable to synthesize vitamin C, so it is an essential dietary component. In some settings, vitamin C serves as a cofactor helping a specific enzyme perform its job, but in others, it acts as an antioxidant participating in more general ways. Vitamin C loses electrons easily, a characteristic that allows it to perform as an antioxidant. Vitamin C is like a bodyguard for water-soluble substances. In the cells and body fluids, Vitamin C protects tissues from the oxidative stress of free radicals thus may play an important role in preventing diseases. Food sources for Vitamin C come from fruits and vegetables mainly. Broccoli, carrots, potato, tomato juice, banana, orange, strawberries, watermelon, cheese, citrus fruits, cabbage-type vegetables, dark green vegetables, cantaloupe, lettuce, tomatoes, papayas and mangos are all significant sources of Vitamin C. Functions of Vitamin C in the body include collagen synthesis, which strengthens blood vessel walls, forms scar tissue, provides matrix for bone growth. More functions include antioxidants, thyroxin synthesis, amino acid metabolism, strengthens resistance to infection, helps in absorption of iron. Ascorbic acid is absorbed in the body by both active transport and simple diffusion. With regular intake the absorption rate varies between 70 to 95%.
There are plenty of supplements available for Vitamin
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