Supplements

Vitamin C (L-Ascorbic Acid): where it is found in nature and what it is used for

Copertina - vitamina C - acido ascorbico
23 Oct

What is Vitamin C or Ascorbic Acid?

There vitamin C or L-ascorbic acid - also known as an antiscorbutic factor - is a rather delicate water-soluble vitamin and susceptible to environmental conditions. It possesses various biological functions among which the most important are:

  • antioxidant;
  • synthesis of collagen;
  • immune functioning;
  • wound healing;
  • iron absorption optimizer.

L'L-ascorbic acid it is abundantly present especially in fresh and raw fruit and vegetables and is particularly perishable if exposed to heat and oxidation (exposure to oxygen).

Also very useful in the food industry and for the numerous health virtues attributed to it, the production and trade of C vitamin as an additive and cosmetic ingredient - in various chemical forms, such as calcium or sodium ascorbate - and as a food supplement, it is among the most important in the world.

Where is vitamin C (L-ascorbic acid) found?

There C vitamin it is abundantly present in certain foods of plant origin, while foods of animal nature generally not they contain it in significant quantities.

The only exceptions are:

  • Human breast milk, in an amount of 5.0 mg / 100 g - while cow's milk contains some only 1.0 mg / 100 g;
  • Milk formulated for babies, in the measure of 6.1 mg / 100;
  • Raw liver (any) - however unadvisable from a food safety point of view. For example, raw chicken liver contains 17.9 mg / 100 g of L-ascorbic acid but, following total cooking (for example cut into slices and sautéed in a pan), this content comes reduced at 2.7 mg / 100 g.

Chicken eggs do not naturally contain C vitamin, not even raw.

Foods of plant origin are globally considered a good source of L-ascorbic acid, even if the specific quantity depends on various factors such as: the product in question, the nature of the soil and the climate of cultivation, the state of ripeness at the time of harvest, the time and conditions of conservation, and any preparatory work for consumption .

The most common and widespread products in the Italian (Mediterranean) diet that contain high concentrations of C vitamin I'm:

  • Peppers;
  • Chili Peppers;
  • Grape;
  • Currant;
  • Parsley;
  • Black cabbage;
  • Turnip greens;
  • Broccoli;
  • Rocket;
  • Kiwi;
  • Brussels sprouts;
  • Swiss chard;
  • Cauliflower;
  • Lettuce;
  • Spinach;
  • Mandarin oranges;
  • Cabbage;
  • Elder;
  • Mandarins;
  • Strawberries;
  • Oranges
  • Lemons;
  • Grapefruits;
  • Apples;
  • Green radicchio;
  • Tomatoes.

There C vitamin it is also quite abundant in the germ of seeds, such as that of rice, corn, wheat, etc. On the other hand, due to conservation and industrial processing, often a large part of theL-ascorbic acid remains compromised. The situation is different with regard to the sprouts. Being “living” organisms, these maintain the levels of C vitamin and can be considered excellent alternative nutritional sources.

Then there is a long list of foreign products very rich in L-ascorbic acid, however scarcely in use within the Bel Paese. Between these:

Note: researching the specific nutritional content in C vitamin of foods pay attention to the state or form of the same. Whether dried or preserved and rich in L-ascorbic acid, in all probability these are foods artificially enriched with antioxidants.

Warning! Cooking up to or above 60 ° C causes the loss of at least 60 % of the C vitamin overall, an amount that increases over time. High deductions of L-ascorbic acid they are observed by leaching, or by dispersion-dilution in water. This happens, for example, by soaking fruit and vegetables cut into pieces, or boiling them by poaching. Cutting and storing at low temperatures, on the other hand, do not seem to cause large losses of C vitamin, as long as the food surfaces are not left exposed to the air - it is necessary to adequately cover with cling film or lids.

Foods fortified in Vitamin C, additives and food supplements

Food fortification

Several food safety agencies have evaluated the effect of food fortification with ascorbates and determined whether it is relevant.

In Canada, for example, fortification has been made "mandatory" for several food classes, such as fruit-flavored drinks, blends and concentrates, low-energy diet foods, meal replacement products and evaporated milk.

Food supplements

Food supplements of C vitamin are available in tablets, capsules, soluble powders, soluble multi-vitamin / mineral formulations, antioxidant complexes etc.

The content of tablets and capsules ranges from 25mg to 1500mg per serving.

The most commonly used chemical forms of supplement are theascorbic acid, sodium ascorbate and calcium ascorbate. The molecules of C vitamin they can also be linked to the palmitate of fatty acids, creating ascorbyl palmitate (see below), or incorporated into liposomes.

Food additives

L'ascorbic acid and some of its salts and esters are additives commonly added to various types of foods, mainly with the intent of retarding oxidation.

The European abbreviations relating to additives containing C vitamin I'm:

  • Ascorbic acid E300;
  • Sodium ascorbate E301;
  • Calcium ascorbate E302;
  • E304 fatty acid esters of ascorbic acid as ascorbyl palmitate.

How much vitamin C (L-ascorbic acid) to take with the diet?

The recommended intake levels of C vitamin for the adult population (> 18 years) they are slightly different depending on the bibliographic source consulted:

Each research institute then estimated the recommended intake levels for different population groups, such as growing-up, pregnant, nursing and smokers. The following is recommended by the LARN:

  • Children:
    • 1-3 years: 35 mg / day;
    • 4-6 years: 45 mg / day;
    • 7-10 years: 60 mg / day.
  • Teenagers:
    • 11-14 years 90 mg / day males and 80 mg / day females;
    • 15-17 years 105 mg / day males and 85 mg / day females;
  • Pregnant: 130 mg / day;
  • Nutrients: 130 mg / day;
  • Smokers: + 35 mg / day *.

* As cigarette smokers and people exposed to related secondhand smoke show plasma levels of L-ascorbic acid lower than non-smokers, an increase of 35 mg / day was established. The hypothetical mechanism underlying this circumstance would be the oxidative damage caused by the inhalation of smoke. To the advantage of this theory, the outcome of a meta-analysis which showed an inverse relationship between the assumption of C vitamin and lung cancer, although he concluded that more research is needed to confirm this observation.

The maximum tolerable dose - Tolerable Upper Intake Level - of L-ascorbic acid for an adult it is about 2,000 mg / day, as certain human studies have reported the occurrence of diarrhea and other gastrointestinal disturbances at doses above 3,000 mg / day.

A 2013-2014 survey conducted by National Center for Health Statistics reported that for adults 20 years of age and older, men consumed an average of 83.3 mg / day and women 75.1 mg / day of C vitamin. This means that half of women and more than half of men do not introduce the minimum amount of ascorbic acid necessary for psychophysical well-being. The same survey stated that around 30 % of adults report having consumed a dietary supplement of C vitamin or a multi-vitamin / mineral supplement that included C vitamin and that, for these subjects, the total consumption was between 300 and 400 mg / day.

What is Vitamin C used for?

There C vitamin it is an essential nutrient and, since the human body is unable to synthesize it, we are obliged to introduce it with food. Other animals, such as large herbivores, on the other hand, have the ability to produce it autonomously. Goats, for example, synthesize L-ascorbic acid in large quantities, an adult animal in full health is capable of producing over 10,000 mg of L-ascorbic acid per day, an amount that increases in case of stress.

The functions of the C vitamin in the human organism are different. It is a cofactor of many enzymatic reactions that mediate a variety of essential biological functions, including collagen synthesis and wound healing.

Another primary biochemical role of the C vitamin is that of a powerful antioxidant (reducing agent), as it donates electrons in various enzymatic and non-enzymatic reactions. In this way theL-ascorbic acid converts to an oxidized state, such as semidehydroascorbic acid or dehydroascorbic acid. These compounds can be restored to a reduced state since glutathione and by the enzymatic mechanisms dependent on the NADPH.

L'L-ascorbic acid it is also very useful in optimizing intestinal absorption of iron, hindering theanemia iron deficiency in predisposed subjects.

There C vitamin it is recommended in periods of greatest immune vulnerability, given its trophic role in relation to the immune system.

What does vitamin C (L-ascorbic acid) deficiency entail?

The human body can only store a certain amount di vitamin C inside the liver; in case of chronic shortage, these stocks run out quite quickly.

The shortage of C vitamin leads to impaired collagen synthesis, which is too unstable, contributing to the more severe symptoms of scurvy. Furthermore, the lack of L-ascorbic acid it causes the malfunction of many other enzymes that depend on it.

Scurvy manifests itself with spots and bleeding under the skin (especially on the thighs and legs), spongy gums, impaired hair growth, and poor wound healing. People with scurvy appear pale, depressed, and move with difficulty. In advanced scurvy, more extensive wounds open, suppuration, tooth loss, bone abnormalities appear, and eventually death.

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