What is Vitamin C
Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin that prevents scurvy, which was prevalent among sailors during the Age of Discovery from the 16th to the 18th centuries, who ate very little fresh vegetables and fruits. It was discovered from orange juice as a component.
Many mammals can synthesize vitamin C from glucose in their bodies, but humans and some animals such as guinea pigs cannot synthesize vitamin C because they lack the enzymes necessary for synthesis. You must take vitamin C. The chemical name of vitamin C is ascorbic acid, and in the body, it usually exists in the form of reduced L-ascorbic acid or oxidized L-dehydroascorbic acid.
Absorption and function of vitamin C1
Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, is an essential compound for the production of collagen, a protein that binds bones and tendons. If you don’t have enough vitamin C, you won’t be able to synthesize collagen, which will make your blood vessels fragile and cause bleeding. This is scurvy. Other symptoms of scurvy include irritability, a pale complexion, anemia, muscle wasting, heart problems, and difficulty breathing. In addition to maintaining normal capillaries, teeth, and cartilage, it also suppresses the production of melanin pigment in the skin, prevents sunburn, and strengthens resistance to diseases such as stress and colds.
Recently, the antioxidant effect of vitamin C has attracted attention, and it is expected that vitamin C is effective in preventing cancer, arteriosclerosis, and anti-aging.
Recommended daily intake of vitamin C1
Since humans cannot produce vitamin C in their bodies, the recommended daily intake for adults is set at 100 mg (2020 Dietary Reference Intakes). In addition, since there have been no reports of overdose in normal diets, the tolerable upper limit has not been established (Tables 1-1 and 1-2).
However, considering the amount of vitamin C intake, absorption, and excretion from the body comprehensively, the basic intake is from normal foods, and the intake of vitamin C from foods other than normal foods is 1,000 mg/day or more.
Table 1: Dietary Reference Intakes for Vitamin C (Men) (mg/day) a,1)
Age etc. Estimated average requirement recommended amount
| Age etc. | Estimated average requirement | recommended amount | Recommended amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-5 (month) | – | – | 40 |
| 6-11 (Mon) | – | – | 40 |
| 1-2 years old | 35 | 40 | – |
| 3-5 years old | 40 | 50 | – |
| 6-7 years old | 50 | 60 | – |
| 8-9 years old | 60 | 70 | – |
| 10-11 years old | 70 | 85 | – |
| 12-14 years old | 85 | 100 | – |
| 15-17 years old | 85 | 100 | – |
| 18-29 years old | 85 | 100 | – |
| 30-49 years old | 85 | 100 | – |
| 50-64 (years old) | 85 | 100 | – |
| 65-74 (years old) | 80 | 100 | – |
| Over 75 (years old) | 80 | 100 | – |
| Pregnant women (additional dose) | |||
| Lactating women (additional dose) |
| Age etc. | Estimated average requirement | recommended amount | Recommended amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-5 (month) | – | – | 40 |
| 6-11 (Mon) | – | – | 40 |
| 1-2 years old | 35 | 40 | – |
| 3-5 years old | 40 | 50 | – |
| 6-7 years old | 50 | 60 | – |
| 8-9 years old | 60 | 70 | – |
| 10-11 years old | 70 | 85 | – |
| 12-14 years old | 85 | 100 | – |
| 15-17 years old | 85 | 100 | – |
| 18-29 years old | 85 | 100 | – |
| 30-49 years old | 85 | 100 | – |
| 50-64 (years old) | 85 | 100 | – |
| 65-74 (years old) | 80 | 100 | |
| Over 75 (years old) | 80 | 100 | – |
| Pregnant women (additional dose) | +10 | +10 | – |
| Lactating women (additional dose) | +40 | +45 | – |
It is indicated by the weight of L-ascorbic acid (molecular weight = 176.12).
Special note: Estimated average requirement calculated from cardiovascular disease prevention and antioxidant effects, not scurvy avoidance
- Estimated Average Need: Amount that meets the needs of half the people.
- Recommended Amount: An amount that meets the needs of most people.
- Estimated amount: The amount is sufficient to maintain a certain nutritional status, and there is little risk of deficiency if the intake is above the recommended amount.
According to the 2019 National Health and Nutrition Survey, the average intake of vitamin C in Japan is 93.5mg. Looking at the amount of intake by food group, the amount of intake from vegetables is the highest, followed by fruits, luxury drinks, and potatoes in that order.
What happens when you don’t have enough vitamin C1
A lack of vitamin C can lead to scurvy, bruising, osteogenesis imperfecta, and anemia.
Since vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin and the surplus is excreted in the urine, it has been believed that there is no overdose. However, in recent years, it has been suggested that an overdose of vitamin C may produce reactive oxygen species and cause cell death when the oxygen concentration in tissues and cells is reduced due to ischemia 3 ). There is no clear conclusion yet, but be careful when using supplements.
Foods rich in vitamin C3
Vitamin C is found in large amounts in fruits, vegetables, potatoes, and starches, and in soft drinks. If you keep a well-balanced diet in mind, you should not worry about deficiency.
The need for vitamin C increases during infections such as colds and flu. Smoking also increases the need for vitamin C.
In recent years, the amount of vegetable intake has decreased, and some people supplement vitamins that tend to be deficient with vegetable juices and supplements. It is known to take much less time to excretion than the case.
Health Japan 21 sets the daily intake of vegetables at 350g for adults as one of the target values for preventing lifestyle-related diseases and maintaining a healthy life. One handful of an adult’s hand is equivalent to about 100g of vegetables, so as a guideline, try to take at least one handful of green and yellow vegetables and two handfuls of light-colored vegetables every day.
Vitamin C is weak against heat and is decomposed by cooking. However, since vitamin C is protected by starch in potatoes and sweet potatoes, it remains almost undecomposed even after cooking.
Tables 2 to 5 summarize the foods rich in vitamin C that can be purchased at general supermarkets and other familiar places, are easy to cook, and are easy to consume on a daily basis.
| food name | Vitamin C amount (mg) | Approximate weight of food (including discarded portion) (unit: weight) |
|---|---|---|
| Acerola sour seed raw | 1,700 | 1 piece: 6g |
| Acerola sweet seed raw | 800 | 1 piece: 6g |
| Guava red meat, white meat, raw | 220 | 1 piece: 100g |
| Yuzu peel raw | 160 | 1 piece: 100g |
| Kiwi fruit yellow flesh raw | 140 | 1 piece: 80g |
| Acerola 10% fruit juice drink | 120 | 1 cup: 200g |
| Kiwi fruit green flesh raw | 71 | 1 piece: 80g |
| Oysters sweetened raw | 70 | 1 medium: 150-200g |
| strawberry raw | 62 | 1 piece: 15g |
- The edible part is the whole food or the purchased part excluding the discarded parts (fruit skin, seeds, core, etc.).
| food name | Vitamin C (mg) | Approximate weight of food (including discarded portion) (unit: weight) |
|---|---|---|
| red bell pepper fruit raw | 170 | 1 piece: 100g |
| Cabbage tuber leaf raw | 160 | 1 piece: 10-20g |
| broccoli inflorescence raw | 140 | 1 strain: 250g |
| turnip leaves raw | 82 | 1 piece: 80g |
| green pepper fruit raw | 76 | 1 piece: 30g |
| Saya peas, young pods, raw | 60 | 5 pods: 15g |
| Cabbage tuber leaf raw | 41 | 1 sheet: 95g |
- The edible part is the whole food or the purchased part excluding the discarded parts (vegetable skin, roots, cores, etc.).
| food name | Vitamin C amount (mg) | Approximate weight of food (including discarded portion) (unit: weight) |
|---|---|---|
| potato tubers with skin raw | 28 | 1 medium: 150-200g |
| sweet potato tuberous root with skin raw | twenty five | 1 medium: 200-250g |
| Taro corm raw | 6 | 1 piece: 50g |
| nagaimo tuberous root raw | 6 | 1 stick: 600-1000g |
- The edible part is the whole food or the purchased form excluding the discarded parts (skin, etc.).
| food name | Vitamin C amount (mg) | Approximate weight of food (including discarded portion) (unit: weight) |
|---|---|---|
| Gyokuro extract | 19 | 1 scoop (100ml): 16g |
| Sencha extract | 6 | 1 scoop (100ml): 2.3g |
- Gyokuro infusion method: 10g of tea leaves/60ml at 60℃, 2.5 minutes
- Sencha infusion method: 10g of tea leaves/430ml at 90℃, 1 minute
Welcome to my blog. My name is Muhammad Hassaan. I am a blogger and have a knowledge of five years of blogging. I also belong to the field of health as a D pharmacy student. That’s why I am running this health blog. I am very much interested to read articles on health and love to share information with other people and also get information from them. If you have any questions you can ask me through the contact us page. Thanks for Visiting us and Have a great day.
