Vitamin C Properties

Introduction

Vitamin C is one of the most important vitamins. Without vitamin C, human life would not be on this planet today. It does many positive things in the human body. It increases recovery time from illnesses such as colds. It helps to prevent free radical damage and collagen glycation, which cause the body to age much faster than it usually should. It also helps to prevent major diseases, like scurvy, which results from Vitamin C deficiency. Vitamin C is necessary for human life.

Properties of Vitamin C

The chemical name for vitamin C is ascorbic acid. Its molecular structure is fairly simple to recognize, C6H8O6. There are many positive properties of vitamin C. It is a water-soluble vitamin, so it is easily ingested into the bloodstream. It is also "virtually nontoxic" (3). When vitamin C is ingested, the body only uses what is needed. The rest is carried out of the body through urine. An experiment was carried out using guinea pigs to test the toxicity of the vitamin. "Guinea pigs that were given one half of one percent of their body weight of ascorbic acid per day for a period of days showed no symptoms of toxicity" (3).

Vitamin C is also a necessary part of the immune system. White blood cells are the body's defense system against infections. The white blood cells in the human body could not "activate" if vitamin C was not present (Biamonte). The cells would be useless, and a person's body would be very vulnerable to infection, similar to AIDS. Vitamin C is also used in the lymph glands to form lymphocytes, which neutralize bacteria in the glands. Vitamin C is used in the spleen. It directs the white blood cells where they need to go to fight an infection.

There are only two negative aspects of vitamin C. It is not produced in the human body, so a person needs to have a daily intake of at least 60 mg (recommended daily value) to stay healthy (5). There are many ways for a person to obtain vitamin C. One way is to take a daily vitamin that contains 100% of the recommended amount. Other ways to receive the amount needed is to eat foods that are rich in vitamin C. Some fruit rich in vitamin C are oranges, grapefruit, watermelon, and strawberries. Some vegetables that contain a high amount of vitamin C are asparagus, brussel sprouts, and cauliflower (6). The other negative aspect of the vitamin is that is breaks down in heat. The heat oxidizes the molecule, breaks down the hydrogen bonds, and turns it into dehydroascorbic acid. It is also broken down by alkalis, like sodium bicarbonate.

Vitamin C and Scurvy

Scurvy has been known as a disease for hundreds of years. Until 1911, though, it was not known that it was a deficiency disease (3). Scurvy was most commonly found on ships that traveled on long voyages. There are many symptoms of scurvy. They are fatigue, yellow skin, and later, muscle pain. If those symptoms are not treated with a sizeable dose of vitamin C, the conditions will continue to worsen. Mental depression will start to set in, the patient's face will start to look like it is sagging, and his teeth will start to fall out. They will look bruised because of internal hemorrhages that occur in the muscles. The final stages of the disease are shown by major exhaustion and kidney trouble, which leads to the person's death (3).

In 1747, a Scottish physician named James Lind made an experiment to test what could prevent scurvy. There were twelve patients who were deathly ill with the disease. To three of them, Lind gave two lemons and an orange. To the others, he gave vinegar or a mixture of drugs. At the end of one week, the three men who were treated with the citrus fruit were well, while the others were still very sick. Scurvy is a breakdown of collagen, and vitamin C prevents that.

Vitamin C and Collagen Glycation

Collagen is one of the most important structures in the human body. It gives the "mechanical support" to the rest of the body, and it strengthens the skin and bones. It makes up 75% of the body's skin, and determines how a person will look. If a person's collagen breaks down prematurely, then they will look like they aged faster. Today, people can receive treatments that increase the amount of collagen in their bodies. One of those treatments is collagen implants, which are injected into the facial area.

Collagen glycation is caused by a breakdown in the collagen triple helix, and causes a person to look and feel different. It increases the rate at which a person ages, and can lead to major disease if not treated correctly. The strands of collagen are broken down by glucose, and free radical damage is able to take place on the strands. When collagen glycation occurs, a piece of the original strand has broken off, and the glucose attaches to the lysine amino acid, also known as a Schiff base. If this is not dealt with quickly, the glucose will attach itself to more strands, and eventually, visible evidence of collagen glycation will appear. When the glucose attaches to a second strand, it is called an Amadori Arrangement. "Ascorbic acid is required for the synthesis of collagen in the bodies of humans and other animals. Collagen differs from other fibrous proteins in having a rather large content of the amino acid hydroxyproline. There is evidence that ascorbic