Vitamin C

Kavitha Reddy Ph.D.

sreyanutrition@gmail.com

Introduction
Vitamin C is also known as ascorbic acid and is a water-soluble vitamin. Vitamin C is the most
commonly used supplement in the world. Ascorbic acid (AA) was first isolated in 1923 by
Hungarian biochemist and Nobel laureate Szent-Gyorgyi. Vitamin C is essential for a number of
metabolic reactions and is involved in enzymatic and non-enzymatic reactions (1). Vitamin C is
an important dietary antioxidant and plays a vital role in the functioning of immune system, in
wound healing and in the prevention of anemia.

Key features/Quick facts

Human beings cannot synthesize vitamin C in the body because of the lack of gulonolactone
oxidase. The recommended dietary allowance of vitamin C for adult men and women is 90
mg/day and 75 mg/day respectively (2).

Vitamin C is readily absorbed from food but is not stored in the body. It has to be supplied via
diet every day (3).

Foods that contain vitamin C include fruits such as oranges, lemons, guava, strawberries,
blackberries, kiwi fruit, and papaya. Tomatoes, carrots, bell peppers and broccoli, also are good
sources of vitamin C (2). Vitamin C is heat labile therefore it is essential to include fresh fruit in
the diet daily.

Benefits
Immunomodulator

Vitamin C is a key player in different aspects of the immune system. It has favorable effects on
cellular functions of both the innate and adaptive immune system (4). As an antioxidant vitamin
C helps in reducing the risk of heart problems and certain cancers by decreasing the
accumulation of free radicals. As an antioxidant Vitamin C protects intestinal cells from
inflammatory reactions (5). It was observed that patients with recurrent furunculosis (infection
of hair follicle) and with defective neutrophil functions can probably be treated with vitamin C
supplementation (6).

Vitamin C helps maintain the redox integrity of cells and shields them from reactive oxygen
species released during respiratory burst and inflammation (7, 8). As an antioxidant and an
immunomodulator vitamin C can be a valuable contributor towards boosting immune system
(9).

Prevents anemia

Ascorbic acid has the ability to enhance the bioavailability and absorption of iron from non-
heme iron sources (10) and there by prevents iron deficiency anemia. Vitamin C aids in
absorbing iron in the intestine especially when people have low levels of serum iron as observed
in a study conducted on pregnant women (11).

Wound healing

It is well documented that ascorbic acid plays an important role in optimal wound healing (12).
Vitamin C is a co-factor required for collagen synthesis and because it is also an antioxidant it is
needed during healing of wounds. It also decreases the expression of pro-inflammatory and
promotes anti-inflammatory effects during wound healing (13). Since vitamin C is essential for
collagen synthesis supplementation with the same can hasten wound healing (3).

Acts as antioxidant

Vitamin C is a powerful water-soluble antioxidant and may have a protective effect against
oxidant damage of tissues seen in atherosclerosis and cancer (4, 14). Vitamin C is a strong
antioxidant and has the ability to reduce unstable species of oxygen, nitrogen and sulfur
radicals through electron donation/transfer process. It also has the power to regenerate other
antioxidants in the body, such as vitamin E. It was also seen that ascorbic acid can help in
prevention of lipid peroxidation which is the result of presence of peroxide radicals (15, 16).

Tolerable Upper Intake levels

For an adult the tolerable upper intake level is 2000 mg of vitamin D (17). Vitamin C
supplements can interact with quite a few medications and it is always a good idea to have
a talk with your doctor before starting any supplements.

References
1. Van der Veldena, U. (2020) Vitamin C and Its Role in Periodontal Diseases - The Past and
the Present: A Narrative Review, Oral Health Prev Dent. Vol. 18(2).
http://www.quintpub.com/userhome/ohpd/ohpd_18_2_van_p115.pdf
2. Wildman, R. (2009) The Nutritionist-Food, Nutrition, and Optimal Health. Vitamins are
vital molecules in food 191. Routledge, Taylor and Francis Group. Second Edition. New
York and London.

3. Bikker, A., Wielders, J., Van Loo, R. and Loubert, M. (2016) Ascorbic acid deficiency
impairs wound healing in surgical patients: Four case reports, International Journal of
Surgery Open. Vol. 2.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405857215300346

4. Carr, A. C. and Maggini, S. (2017) Vitamin C and Immune Function, Nutrients. Vol. 9(11).
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5707683/

5. Mousavi, S., Bereswill, S. and Heimesaat, M. M. (2019) Immunomodulatory and

antimicrobial effects of vitamin C, European Journal of Microbiology and Immunology
EuJMI. Vol. 9(3).
https://akjournals.com/view/journals/1886/9/3/article-p73.xml?body=pdf-18270

6. Levy, R., Shriker, O., Porath, A., Riesenberg, K. and Schlaeffer, F. (1996) Vitamin C for the
Treatment of Recurrent Furunculosis in Patients with Impaired Neutrophil Functions,
The Journal of Infectious Diseases. Vol.173.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8648230/

7. Beveridge, S., Wintergerst, E. S., Maggini, S. and Hornig, D. (2008) Immune-enhancing

role of vitamin C and zinc and effect on clinical conditions, Proceedings of the Nutrition
Society.Vol. 67(OCE1).
https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-
core/content/view/7DF493E4BF919549DA7F11BCD40656F3/S0029665108006927a.pdf/
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8. Maggini, S., Wintergerst, E., Beveridge, S. and Hornig, D. (2007) Selected vitamins and
trace elements support immune function by strengthening epithelial barriers and
cellular and humoral immune responses, British Journal of Nutrition. Vol. 98(S1).
https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-
 core/content/view/AD8420087FD74E8AFC48D922791FAEB2/S0029665108006939a.pdf
/contribution_of_selected_vitamins_and_trace_elements_to_immune_function.pdf

9. Naidu, A. K. (2003) Vitamin C in human health and disease is still a mystery? An

overview, Nutrition Journal. Vol. 2(7).
https://nutritionj.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1475-2891-2-7#Sec8

10. Teucher, B., Olivares, M. and Cori, H. (2004) Enhancers of Iron Absorption: Ascorbic Acid
and other Organic Acids, International journal for vitamin and nutrition research. Vol.74.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/7991048_Enhancers_of_Iron_Absorption_As
corbic_Acid_and_other_Organic_Acids

11. Shu, E. N. and Ogbodo, S. O. (2005) Role of ascorbic acid in the prevention of iron
deficiency anemia in pregnancy, Biomedical Research. Vol.16 (1).
https://www.alliedacademies.org/articles/role-of-ascorbic-acid-in-the-prevention-of-
irondeficiency-anaemia-in-pregnancy.pdf

12. Murad, S., Grove, D., Lindberg, K. A., Reynolds, G., Sivarajah, A. and Pinnell, S. R. (1981)
Regulation of collagen synthesis by ascorbic acid, Proceedings of the National Academy
of Sciences. Vol. 78(5).
https://www.pnas.org/content/78/5/2879.short

13. Mohammed, B.M., Fisher, B.J., Kraskauskas, D., Ward, S., Wayne, J.S., Brophy, D.F.,
Fowler III, A.A., Yager, D.R. and Natarajan, R. (2016) Vitamin C promotes wound healing
through novel pleiotropic mechanisms, International wound journal. Vol. 13(4).
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/iwj.12484

14. Padayatty, S., Katz, A., Wang, Y., Eck, P., Kwon, O., Lee, Je-H., Chen, S., Corpe, Ch., Dutta,
A., Dutta, S. and Levine, M. (2003) Vitamin C as an antioxidant: evaluation of its role in
disease prevention, J Am Coll Nutr. Vol. 22(1).
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/10916278_Vitamin_C_as_an_Antioxidant_E
valuation_of_Its_Role_in_Disease_Prevention
15. Caritá, A. C., Fonseca-Santos, B., Shultz, J. D., Michniak-Kohn, B., Chorilli, M. and
Leonardi, G. R. (2020) Vitamin C: One compound, several uses. Advances for delivery,
efficiency and stability, Nanomedicine: Nanotechnology, Biology and Medicine. Vol. 24.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1549963419302011

16. Sinbad, O. O., Folorunsho, A. A., Olabisi, O. L., Ayoola, O. A. and Temitope, E. J. (2019)
Vitamins as Antioxidants, J Food Sci. Vol. 2(3).
http://www.academia.edu/download/61519018/vitamins-as-antioxidants20191215-
94872-p3pg71.pdf

17. National Institute of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements (2019). Vitamin C.

https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminC-Consumer/