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Vitamin C1
V
itamin C (ascorbic acid) is a simple low-molecular- ulates vasorelaxation by increasing NO synthesis or bioa-
weight carbohydrate with an ene-diol structure that vailability in a number of ways (1). Endothelial NO synthase
has made it a ubiquitous and essential water-soluble (eNOS) generates NO, which diffuses to the smooth
16 ©2014 American Society for Nutrition. Adv. Nutr. 5: 16–18, 2014; doi:10.3945/an.113.005157.
associated with metabolic syndrome, such as hypertension, teas and tinctures from rose hips, pine needles, and tree barks)
diabetes, and obesity. and animal organs, such as raw liver and whale skin.
Nutrient Information 17
kidney stone formation. Vitamin C consumed with iron could * To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: jopl@
increase the risk of iron overload in susceptible individuals. sund.ku.dk.
Patients with these conditions should not avoid eating fruit
1
and vegetables but limit their intake of iron instead. Vitamin C Author disclosures: J. Lykkesfeldt, A. J. Michels, and B. Frei, no
has been reported to cause hemolysis in individuals with glu- conflicts of interest.
cose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency, but these reports
2
have not been substantiated. Abbreviations used: CVD, cardiovascular disease; eNOS, endothe-
lial NO synthase; HIF-1a, hypoxia inducible factor 1a; IOM, Institute