vitamin C and vitamin C function
Vitamin C or L-ascorbate is an essential nutrient for a large number of higher primate species, a small number of other mammalian species (notably guinea pigs and bats), a few species of birds, and some fish.
The presence of ascorbate is required for a range of essential metabolic reactions in all animals and plants. It is made internally by almost all organisms, humans being the most well-known exception. It is widely known as the vitamin whose deficiency causes scurvy in humans.It is also widely used as a food additive.
Function
Vitamin C is required for the synthesis of collagen, an important structural component of blood vessels, tendons, ligaments, and bone. Vitamin C also plays an important role in the synthesis of the neurotransmitter, norepinephrine. Neurotransmitters are critical to brain function and are known to affect mood. In addition, vitamin C is required for the synthesis of carnitine, a small molecule that is essential for the transport of fat to cellular organelles called mitochondria, for conversion to energy (1).
The pharmacophore of vitamin C is the ascorbate ion. In living organisms, ascorbate is an antioxidant, since it protects the body against oxidative stress,and is a cofactor in several vital enzymatic reactions.
How Much Vitamin C Do You Need?
The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which is sometimes referred to as the daily allowance or daily value, is 60-95 mg per day. The Food Standards Agency of the UK only recommends 40 mg. However, these dosage recommendations are hotly contested among scientists, some of whom who, like Linus Pauling, recommend upward to 18,000 mg per day!
What events can indicate a need for more high-vitamin C foods?
* Poor wound healing
* Frequent colds or infections
* Lung-related problems
Heart Disease prevention with vitamin c
Results of scientific studies regarding the benefit of vitamin C for heart disease or stroke is somewhat confusing. While not all of the studies agree, some information suggests that vitamin C may help protect blood vessels from the damaging effects that lead to or result from the presence of atherosclerosis.
