Vitamin C - Sources & Benefits.

Wound healing, Skin repair, detoxification, an antioxidant, a Stress buster - You name it and you get it in all the fruits especially citrus fruits and vegetables which are rich sources of Vitamin C.

Vitamin C also referred to as ascorbic acid/ascorbate, appears to be important for plants and animals in order to combat oxidative stress and in plants it may even modulate gene expression. Highly evolved mammalian species seem to have lost the ability to synthesize Vitamin C. Hence, it must be supplied by the diet in some vertebrates including man.Vitamin C is water soluble and tends to get easily destroyed on exposure to air, light, alkali and heat.

Recommended Dietary Allowance for Vitamin C 

Infants require 25 mg of vitamin C as per recommendations given by ICMR (2010). The recommendations for children from 1-9 years; adolescents from 10-17 years and all adults is 40 mg/day for vitamin C. During pregnancy and lactation, requirements are higher - 60 and 80 mg/day respectively.
The institute of Medicine in the US has pointed out that persons who smoke need more vitamin C, since they face more oxidative stress as compared to non-smokers.

FOOD SOURCES OF VITAMIN C 

Many fruits and vegetables are sources of vitamin C.
However the vitamin is highly labile since it is easily destroyed by prolonged storage, heating and exposure to air/light. Hence, it is advisable to obtain vitamin C from raw fruits and vegetables.

Some rich sources of Vitamin C (mg/100 g) are :

• Amla - 600 
• Drumstick leaves - 220
• Guava - 212
• Turnip greens - 180
• Capsicum - 137
• Coriander leaves - 135
• Cabbage - 124
• Green chillies - 111
• Radish leaves - 106
• Lime - 63
• Lemon - 39
• Orange - 30

Functions of Vitamin C

Collagen Synthesis :-

Collagen is a fibrous protein, present in skin, bone, tendon, cartilages and teeth. Vitamin C supports the formation of muscle fibers in connective tissues and speeds up the healing process. Therefore, Vitamin C is important in wound healing and formation of scar tissue, formation of matrix of bones, cartilages and connective tissues. Therefore patients with burns, injuries or who have undergone surgery need adequate vitamin C intakes. It will also help in skin related issues like scars, dull skin, and helps prevent aging.

Acts as an Antioxidant :-

Ascorbic Acid is a naturally occurring cytosolic antioxidant that prevents damage caused by free radicals. It helps to regenerate Vitamin E. It has been suggested to be helpful in reducing the risk of many chronic diseases.

Iron Absorption :-

Vitamin C converts ferric form of iron into the ferrous form of iron and thereby improves the absorption of ferric iron or non-heme iron, present in plant foods.

Promotes Immune Function :- 

It helps prevent infections and helps to control inflammation. Vitamin C may have antiviral activity and may help in reducing the severity of symptoms of cold. It enhances the activity of natural killer cells that are a part of the body's surveillance against tumor cells in the early stages of tumor development.

Synthesis of Neurotransmitters :-

Synthesis of adrenalin, a stress hormone requires Vitamin C.
Ascorbate is also involved in conversion of tryptophan to serotonin, a relaxing neurotransmitter.
The enzyme involved in synthesis of nor-epinephrine from dopamine is vitamin C dependent.
So next time you are stressed out, don't forget to grab a glass of orange juice or a bowl of fruit salad.

Detoxification :-

Helps in neutralizing the toxins and heavy metals like lead and cadmium. (present in polluted environment, cigarette smoke, water pipe lines and certain utensils). It Suppresses formation of nitrosamines (that are carcinogenic) from nitrites present in food.

Other Physiological Functions :-

Vitamin C may help in reducing blood pressure and provide protection against cardiovascular diseases.