Also known as ascorbic acid, Vitamin C is a low molecular weight
carbohydrate that has aene-diol structure and is soluble in water.
Except for guinea pigs, birds, fish, certain species of bat and higher order
primates such as humans, apes and monkeys it can be synthesized by all species.
This is why all these species depend on their diet to intake Vitamin C.
Since the ancient times people have known to include
Vitamin C is widely used as a dietary supplement.
It is an important nutrient that is required in production of
some neurotransmitters and repair of tissues in human body.
Several enzymes in human body function with the help of Vitamin
C and human immune system also requires this nutrient.
Bell peppers, all cutrus fruits, brusells,
strawberries and broccoli are rich in Vitamin C.
Sudies have already confirmed that Vitamin C is beneficial for the cancer patients.
This nutrient has so many good effects that medical science
hasn’t stopped researching further aboutits benefits.
It has an enormous potential as an antioxidant and has the capacity of both
preventing and in several cases reversing the host of illnesses in humans.
It also helps in enhancing the benefits of exercises and lowering
the impact of harmful toxins such as smoke from smoking cigarettes.
It blocks the harmful DNA degradation which
is the cause of cancer and also prevents the
disease of the artery known as atherosclerosis
where there is plaque build-up in the arteries.
Medical science discovers something more about the benefits of Vitamin C everyday
and as they unveil more about its goodness its importance also increases.
Vitamic C acts as a redundant which means that it donates an electron to a substrate
when it is being oxidized to aascorbyl radical wich is a stable free radical.
2 molecules of ascorbyl free radical dismutates to 1
molecule of dehydroascorbicacid and 1 molecule of ascorbate.
These are the oxidized and reduced forms of Vitamin C respectively.
In order to hold Vitamin C in human body there
is are certain retaining mechanisms in place.
SVCT1 (sodium-dependent vitamin C transporter) and SVCT2
control the tissue specific transport of Vitamin C.
The nutrient is present in its highest
concentration in the adrenal gland, brain and eye.
The main role of Vitamic C is when it is in its reduced form known as
ascorbate which then takes over enzymatic and non-enzymatic functions.
Ascorbate is an an electron donor to different enzymes.
Many recent studies also show that Vitamin C
has an important role in vascular function.
It modulates the endothelial cell barrier and
regulates the activity of NADPH (Nicotinamide
adenine dinucleotide phosphate) oxidases which
partakes in the inflammatory gene response.
Besides being responsible for enzymatic roles ascorbate is also an antioxidant
that can reduce many free reactive oxygen species and free radicals.
Vitamin C also has the abiity to regenerate Vitamin E which
lets Vitamin C prevent lipid peroxidation indirectly.
In the process of lipid peroxidation the free radicals steal electrons
from the lipids presentin the cell membranes which then cause cell damage.
In its process of being an antioxidant it also reduces the
gluthathione and urate radicals in the extracellular fluids and cells.
The astonishing health benefits that Vitamin C has in store makes
it one of the most important nutirents that is known to man.