What is vitamin C?
Ascorbic acid, often known as vitamin C, is a water-soluble vitamin that may dissolve in water but is insoluble in fat. After ingestion, it distributes to bodily tissues. It is advised to regularly consume vitamin C-rich meals or vitamin C supplements since vitamin C doesn’t store in the body’s cells.
Benefits of Vitamin C are :
- It keeps the cell active
- It helps in repairing tissues
- It forms the collagen
- Vitamin C is responsible for the proper functioning of several enzymes
- It helps in healing the wounds
- It maintains the health of our skin and blood vessels
- It shows the activity as an antioxidant
Sources of Vitamin C:
Citrus Fruits:
Citrus fruits such as orange and guava contain a good amount of vitamin C
Strawberries:
Strawberries not just taste good but also have many minerals and also contain a good amount of vitamin c
Peppers:
Peppers are a very good source of vitamin C. 100g of red chili pepper gives about 143.7mg of vitamin C
Broccoli:
Broccoli is loaded with loads of fibers and vitamin c. 100g of broccoli gives about 65mg of vitamin c
Brussels sprouts:
Brussel sprouts are one of the best sources of vitamin c. 100g of Brussels sprout gives about 85mg of vitamin c
Potatoes:
Potatoes not only contain starch, but it also contains a good amount of vitamin c. 100g of potato gives about 19.7mg of vitamin c
Red Cabbage:
Also called purple cabbage. Red cabbage is rich in vitamins and contains high fiber. It is also a very good source of vitamin c and gives very low calories
Daily Recommended value of vitamin c:
The RDA value of vitamin c for a healthy man is 80mg and for women, RDA is 65mg. For smokers, It is suggested to take additional 35mg (approx) of vitamin c as it has shown that smoking can deplete the level of vitamin c in the body.
What happens if there is a deficiency of vitamin C?
Scurvy:
Deficiency of vitamin c leads to scurvy, symptoms of which include swollen joints, loose teeth, and bleeding gums.
Dry Skin:
Due to deficiency of vitamin c, skin becomes rough, dry, and scaly
Dental problems:
Lack of vitamin c causes loosening of teeth because gums become swollen, purple, and spongy.
Tiredness:
Due to deficiency of vitamin c, feeling of tiredness, weakness, and irritability are experienced by the adults.
How can the deficiency of vitamin c be prevented?
- By adding vitamin c rich fruits and vegetables to the diet
- By taking supplements
- By avoiding smoking
Effects of overconsumption of vitamin C:
Diarrhea:
Consuming more than 1,000 mg of vitamin c per day leads to diarrhea as all of these will not be absorbed by the body.
Kidney Stones:
As our body can’t store the excess vitamin c, hence overdose of vitamin c leads to the formation of kidney stones.
Menopause:
Studies show that in females, overconsumption of vitamin c after menopause causes an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases.
Hemochromatosis:
It is an iron absorption disorder. During hemochromatosis, overconsumption of vitamin c leads to damage to tissue.
Conclusion:
Vitamin c is a water-soluble vitamin that is not stored by our body, hence it is required to take vitamin c rich food or supplements on regular basis. Vitamin c has many functions like repairment of tissues, healing of wounds, etc.