Vitamin C, or ascorbic acid, is an important vitamin in the body's growth and development. It is a water-soluble vitamin, which means the body gets rid of it in the urine and does not store it, so you need a daily supply of this vitamin for health maintenance. Vitamin C is also an antioxidant, which are molecules that help the body decrease the tissue damage caused by toxic chemicals.
Function
Vitamin C is an integral component in the growth and repair of the body's various tissues. Vitamin C is important in the production of collagen, a protein that the body uses to make the skin, tendons, ligaments, tendons, blood vessels, and which is also important in the creation of scar tissue in the process of wound healing. Vitamin C also helps maintain the health of bones and teeth.
Dietary Recommendations
Fruits and vegetables are important dietary sources of vitamin C. These include citrus fruits and juices, strawberries, tomatoes, broccoli and green peppers. Other fruits and vegetables high in vitamin C include mango, cauliflower, different berries and Brussels sprouts. Because it is a water-soluble vitamin, you should ingest foods with high vitamin C content every day. The daily requirements for vitamin C increase with age, and pregnant women and those who are breastfeeding need higher amounts.
Vitamin C Deficiency
Vitamin C deficiency mostly affects elderly, undernourished adults. It causes bleeding gums, dry and brittle hair, easy bruising, and delayed wound healing. It also causes nosebleeds, swollen joints and lowers your defenses against infections. A severe form of vitamin C deficiency is known as scurvy. Infants with vitamin C deficiency become irritable, hard to console, have pain when moving, lose appetite and fail to gain weight appropriately.
Disease Prevention
Vitamin C has been identified as an important nutritional protector against many diseases. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, vitamin C's role as an antioxidant makes it useful in preventing the progression of atherosclerotic disease, the damaging scarring of blood vessels that can predispose to heart attack and stroke. Other studies have shown that people who consume high concentrations of vitamin C and other antioxidants have lower blood pressure. According to the University of Maryland, vitamin C does not cure the common cold, but it may be helpful in boosting the immune system, maintaining healthy gums and teeth and in the healing of wounds and burns.
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