Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid) in Foods

Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin, meaning that your body doesn't store it. We get what we need, instead, from food. You need vitamin C for the growth and repair of tissues in all parts of your body. It helps the body make collagen, an important protein used to make skin, cartilage, tendons, ligaments, and blood vessels. Vitamin C is essential for healing wounds, and for repairing and maintaining bones and teeth.

Vitamin C is an antioxidant, along with vitamin E, beta-carotene, and many other plant-based nutrients. Antioxidants block some of the damage caused by free radicals, which occur naturally when our bodies transform food into energy. The build-up of free radicals over time may be largely responsible for the aging process and can contribute to the development of health conditions such as cancer, heart disease, and arthritis.

Signs of Vitamin C Deficiency:

• Dry and splitting hair

• Gingivitis (inflammation of the gums) and bleeding gums

• Rough, dry, scaly skin

• Decreased wound-healing rate, easy bruising

• Nosebleeds

• Decreased ability to ward off infection

Smoking cigarettes lowers the amount of vitamin C in the body, so smokers are at a higher risk of deficiency. A severe form of vitamin C deficiency is known as scurvy.

Low Levels of Vitamin C can be associated with the following Conditions:

• High blood pressure

• Gallbladder disease (see Gallbladder Inflammation, Gallstone Formation)

• Stroke

• Some cancers

• Atherosclerosis (the build-up plaque in blood vessels that can lead to heart attack and stroke)

Vitamin C can Help You Protect Against:

• Heart disease (See Atherosclerosis, Myocardial Infarction [Heart Attack])

• High blood pressure

• Common cold

• Cancer

• Osteoarthritis

• Age-related macular degeneration

• Pre-eclampsia

• Asthma

Other Benefits of Vitamin C:

• Boosting immune system function

• Maintaining healthy gums

• Improving vision for those with uveitis (an inflammation of the middle part of the eye)

• Treating allergy-related conditions, such as asthma, eczema, and hay fever (called allergic rhinitis)

• Reducing effects of sun exposure, such as sunburn or redness (called erythema)

• Alleviating dry mouth, particularly from antidepressant medications (a common side effect from these drugs)

• Healing burns and wounds

• Decreasing blood sugar in people with diabetes

Foods Rich in Vitamin C

Citrus Fruits and Juices	(especially)
	Grapefruit
	Oranges
Fruits	(especially)
	Guava
	Papaya
	Pineapple
	Blueberries
	Melon
	Cantaloupe
	Honeydrew
	Strawberries
	Mango
Root Crops
	Potato (cooked, unpeeled)
	Sweet potatoes (cooked, unpeeled)
Vegetables
	Especially green and leafy

Other Excellent Sources of Vitamin C: 

• Green peppers

• Watermelon 

• Kiwi

• Raspberries 

• Blueberries

• Cranberries 

• Juices fortified with Vitamin C

• Tomatoes (canned and fresh tomatoes)

• Broccoli

• Cauliflower

• Cabbage 

• Brussels sprouts

• Raw and cooked leafy greens (turnip greens, spinach) 

• Red and green peppers

• Winter squash

Vitamin C is sensitive to light, air, and heat, so you'll get the most vitamin C if you eat fruits and vegetables raw or lightly cooked.

References:

Healing Wonders of Diet Effective Guide to Diet Therapy p.245 © 2003 Philippine Publishing House ISBN 971-581-013-6

http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/vitamin-c-000339.htm Retrieved on April 26, 2011