Vitamin C is a nutrient required in very small amounts to allow a range of essential metabolic reactions in the body. Vitamin C is principally known as a water-soluble anti-oxidant and has been found to prevent scurvy. It is also known by the chemical name of its principal form, L-ascorbic acid or simply ascorbic acid.

Functions and benefits of Vitamin C

Vitamin C is required for the growth and repair of tissues in all parts of body. It is necessary to form collagen, an important protein used to make skin, scar tissue, tendons, ligaments, and blood vessels. Vitamin C is essential for the healing of wounds, and for the repair and maintenance of cartilage, bones, and teeth.

Vitamin C is one of many antioxidants. Vitamin E and beta-carotene are two other well-known antioxidants. Antioxidants are nutrients that block some of the damage caused by free radicals, which are by-products that result when our bodies transform food into energy.

Vitamin C also helps prevent atherosclerosis by strenghtening the artery walls through its participation in the synthesis of collagen, and by preventing the undesirable adhesion of white blood cells to damaged arteries. An adequate intake of the vitamin is highly protective against stroke and heart attack.

Recommended Dosage for Vitamin C

Early US and Canadian RDAs suggested that 20 mg of Vitamin C per day would prevent scurvy; and, to leave a margin of error, 40 mg per day was recommended. Later, concerns that Vitamin C is destroyed by storage and cooking, and that food estimates of Vitamin C content may be misleading, lead to the increase in RDA to 60 mg per day.

Food sources of Vitamin C

Some excellent sources of vitamin C are oranges, green peppers, watermelon, papaya, grapefruit, cantaloupe, strawberries, kiwi, mango, broccoli, tomatoes, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, cabbage, and citrus juices or juices fortified with Vitamin C. Meat, fish, poultry, eggs, and dairy products contain much smaller amounts, and cereal grains contain essentially none. Losses of vitamin C occur when foods are cooked in large amounts of water, exposed to extensive heating, or exposed to air.

Deficiency Symptoms of Vitamin C

Symptoms of the vitamin C deficiency disease called scurvy - including bleeding gums and skin discoloration due to ruptured blood vessels - are rare in the U.S. Poor wound healing, however, is not rare, and can be a symptom of vitamin C deficiency. Weak immune function, including susceptibility to colds and other infections, can also be a telltale sign of vitamin C deficiency. Since the lining of our respiratory tract also depend heavily on vitamin C for protection, respiratory infection and other lung-related conditions can also be symptomatic of vitamin C deficiency.

A deficiency in vitamin C will result in a loss of collagen, which means the body will tend to bruise easier, as well as bleed, and be unable to form supportive scar tissue - a critical factor in healing. Symptoms include fatigue, depression, and connective tissue defects. In infants and children, bone growth may be impaired.