Metabolism is the complex series of chemical reactions that supports life. Metabolism converts food into energy for breathing, digestion, blood circulation and brain activity, and controls the nervous system, body temperature and muscle contractions. The higher your metabolic rate, the more fuel you burn, so boosting metabolism can be beneficial to weight control. Vitamin C plays a role in metabolism, and it may be more significant the older you are.
Vitamin C Availability and Activity
Vitamin C, or ascorbic acid, is a water-soluble vitamin easily obtained from fruits and vegetables including all citrus, strawberries, tomatoes, leafy greens, berries, kiwi, broccoli, brussels sprouts and peppers. The University of Maryland Medical Center points out that, because vitamin C is water-soluble, any excess is excreted in the urine. To ensure adequate levels, vitamin C must be consumed daily in balanced healthy diet or through supplements. Vitamin C works to build and strengthen cells, aids in iron absorption, maintains the immune system and blood vessels and creates connective tissue, activities critical to healthy metabolism.
Metabolism and Aging
Vitamin C’s antioxidant properties may have a direct effect on metabolism in aging populations, according to studies conducted at the University of Colorado in 2002. When oxygen combines with other molecules to form unbalanced “free radicals,” they create oxidative stress, a condition that has been linked to symptoms of aging and degenerative diseases. The body produces fewer antioxidants as it ages. Oxidative stress reduces resting metabolism so a diet rich in antioxidants becomes more significant with age. Researchers recorded higher metabolic rates in test subjects aged 60 and older after they received intravenous vitamin C. The antioxidant boosted metabolism by 100 calories per day, potentially lowering the risks for weight gain, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Cholesterol Metabolism
Vitamin C metabolizes cholesterol, according to the Linus Pauling Institute. The ascorbic acid reduces the levels of LDL, the “bad” cholesterol that puts you at risk for stroke, heart attack and atherosclerosis. Vitamin C turns cholesterol into bile acids that help to break down fats.
Vitamin C Fat Burner
Vitamin C is important in the oxidation of fatty acids. It is required for the production of carnitine which promotes fat burning. A 2006 study at Arizona State University, published in the “Journal of Nutrition & Metabolism,” showed that people with low amounts of vitamin C oxidize 25 percent less fat than people with adequate vitamin C intake. Researchers think that explains why low levels of vitamin C are associated with overweight and obesity. A vitamin C deficiency means your body burns fat less efficiently so it’s easier to gain weight and harder to take it off.
References
- Science Daily: Vitamin C May Help Juice Up Metabolism in Older Adults, Offsetting Weight Gain; April 8, 2002
- “Journal of Nutrition & Metabolism”; Marginal Vitamin C Status is Associated with Reduced Fat Oxidation During Submaximal Exercise in Young Adults; C.S. Johnston, et al.; Aug. 31, 2006
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Vitamin C
- University of Virginia: Metabolism: An Overview
- Colorado State University Extension: Water-Soluble Vitamins; J. Anderson, et al.; March 2002
- National Institutes of Health: Metabolism
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