Diets, Recepies and Healthy Lifestyle by Pareizs-Uzturs.com

Vitamin C (ascorbic acid)

Water- soluble vitamin

Vitamin C takes part in the regulation of the oxidation processes, hormones synthesis, and regeneration of tissues, increases the body ability to resist infectious diseases, regulates capillary wall permeability.

Vitamin C is suitable to use together with vitamin E because it has antioxidant qualities and hence together they work more effectively.

Fruit, berries and vegetables are rich in vitamin C (there is a lot of this in rose –fruit, black currants, red pepper). Little vitamin C is in animal products but there is no vitamin C in grains and legumes at all. Very important source of vitamin C in our climatic conditions during the winter is potatoes and sauerkraut. Vitamin C easily oxidises in the presence of oxygen.

Vitamin C does not form in the human body.

Vitamin C belongs to the acids and therefore it is not recommended to use on an empty stomach because it irritates the gastric mucosa. The best is to use vitamin C after or during the meal.

Vitamin C is very unstable- when cooking or just storing the fruit and vegetables the amount of it can rapidly decrease. After storing vegetables for some months they contain only half of the vitamin C amount.

The lack of vitamin C in the organism

The lack of vitamin C can cause damages of conjunctive tissue caused by collagen synthesis disorders (scurvy). Scurvy is characterized by gum bleeding, tooth loss, joint pain and heart diseases.

Overdose of vitamin C

If there is an overdose of vitamin C then digestive disorders, kidney stones can occur.

The daily dose of vitamin C is 75mg, for pregnant women and infection patients it is 100-150 mg.