Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is crucial for proper metabolism functioning. Despite its importance, the human body doesn’t produce it, so it must be supplied daily with food.
Coverage of the daily value of vitamin C is necessary to strengthen the immune system, fight free radicals, and maintain optimal connective and bone tissue functions. How to take ascorbic acid correctly – and are ordinary products enough?
Vitamin C – why take it?
Vitamin C is needed to provide a number of energy processes in the body. It optimizes the mechanisms for processing nutrients from food (from proteins and carbohydrates to vitamins and minerals), and also affects the synthesis of cholesterol and reduces the formation of cholesterol plaques.
In addition, vitamin C is involved in the synthesis of collagen. Meeting the daily allowance enhances cell membrane resilience against various damaging factors. These include viruses, sunlight, and post-workout muscle inflammation.
Vitamin C is water-soluble (unlike the fat-soluble vitamins D, E, K, and A) and cannot be stored in body tissues. For this reason, it must be consumed daily, and not taken in courses, as some mistakenly believe.
Effect on glucose
Vitamin C has a sweetish taste for a reason – in the body of some mammals (for example, cats), it is able to be synthesized from glucose. However, a person cannot independently produce ascorbic acid – it must be supplied with food.
First of all, the lack of this vitamin disrupts the mechanisms of the transformation of glucose into glycogen. In the event that a person does not receive the required daily dose of vitamin C, a number of metabolic processes in the body are disrupted – from a drop in immunity to a deterioration in overall physical fitness.
Daily values
The recommended daily allowance for vitamin C is 90 mg for men and 75 mg for women. Teenagers need 65 to 75 mg of vitamin C per day, and children need about 35-50 mg. One time and without harm to health, about 3000 mg (or 3 g) of ascorbic acid in tablets can be used as much as possible.
For comparison, one tablet of ascorbic acid contains 50 mg – half the daily norm for men and 2/3 of the norm for women. In turn, 3000 mg of vitamin C is equivalent to a kilogram of rose hips or 6 kg of oranges or lemons.
Daily values for Vitamin C:
- For men – 90mg
- For women – 75mg
- For teenagers – 65 to 75mg
- For children under 13 years old – 35 to 50mg
Deficiency symptoms
Scurvy, an acute ascorbic acid deficiency, is rare today. Yet, moderate vitamin C deficiency is common among those not meeting the daily allowance. The reason may be bad habits – alcohol and nicotine accelerate the excretion of this vitamin from the body.
Deficiency symptoms are slow wound healing, increased brittle nails, hair loss, decreased immunity, and chronic fatigue. Since the body needs vitamin C to absorb iron, symptoms of a deficiency often overlap.
Does vitamin C help with colds?
Lack of vitamin C in the diet lowers immunity. However, large doses of ascorbic acid don’t cure viral diseases or boost immunity. Scientific studies have refuted the notion that when taking large doses of vitamin C, colds disappear faster.
The same principle applies to most other vitamins and omega-3 fats. They cover daily requirements to optimize metabolism, not cure diseases or improve health.
Foods rich in vitamin C
Although oranges, lemons, and other citrus fruits contain vitamin C, they do not contain as much vitamin C as is often believed. The foods richest in this vitamin are rose hips, red peppers, sea buckthorn berries, black currants, green parsley, and spinach leaves.
Note that during heat treatment, vitamin C is destroyed – especially when cooked in water. In addition, the actual amount of ascorbic acid in products may decrease during storage.
Vitamin C content in food
| Product | Vitamin C per 100g | % of daily value |
| Fresh rose hips | 450 – 600mg | 500 – 600% |
| Sweet red pepper | 180 – 250mg | 200 – 300% |
| Sea buckthorn and black currant | 180 – 200mg | 200 – 250% |
| Green pepper | 130 – 150mg | 150 – 170% |
| Spinach and other green salads | 100 – 120mg | 110 – 120% |
| Kiwi | 70 – 90mg | 80 – 100% |
| Broccoli, Brussel sprouts | 80 – 95mg | 95 – 100% |
| Strawberries and other berries | 50 – 60mg | 45 – 55% |
| Oranges | 50 – 60mg | 45 – 55% |
| Lemons | 40 – 45mg | 40 – 50% |
| Tangerines | 30 – 40mg | 30 – 40% |
| Pineapple, melon, apples | 15 – 20mg | 10 – 15% |
Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is one of the most important elements of good nutrition. This vitamin is responsible for immune function, tissue regeneration, and nutrient absorption. However, despite the fact that health needs to cover the daily intake of vitamin C, this does not mean at all that taking it in tablets can improve immunity.
Check out our previous post about Morning vs Evening: When Should You Schedule Your Cardio? – CaveMode (cave-mode.com).