VITAMIN

BME 2015 : sgubiomed15@gmail.com

Agatha Hintama
Christopher Aldwin
Irena Sugiarto
Raissa Azarine
VITAMIN C

• Ascorbic acid,  L-enantiomer

• Water soluble
• Unlike most mammals, humans do not have the ability to make their
own vitamin C. Therefore, we must obtain vitamin C through our diet.
• Did you know? "ascorbic acid" comes from the New Latin "scorbutus"
meaning scurvy!
History
Metabolism
• oxidation/reduction
• dehydroascorbic acid
• dehydroascorbate reductase
• glutathione (GSH)
• glutamate-cysteine-glycine
 ascorbic acid dehydroascorbic acid
(reduced form) (oxidized form)
Natural Vitamin C
• Definition of natural vitamin C
• Examples of natural source of vitamin C, commonly found in fruits &
vegetables.
Synthetic Vitamin C
• Definition of synthetic vitamin C
• Examples of synthetic form of vitamin C
 Natural vs Synthetic
• Contains more • Contains only
than just vitamin C vitamin C in 1
in 1 source source
• Less vitamin C • More vitamin C
content content
• Same effect • Same effect
Health Benefit
of Vitamin C
• Prevention of Scurvy
• Treatment of the Common Cold
• Lowering Hypertension
• Treatment of Vasodilation
• Cure of Lead Toxicity
• Curing Cataracts (Eye Disorder)
• Treatment of Cancer
• Mood
 Enhances absorption of iron

Reduce iron to be in more

absorbable ferrous form.
(Vitamin C pro-oxidant instead
of antioxidant)
Chelates with ferrous ion to
make it more soluble.
Hydroxylation of proline and lysine

Post-translational reaction of procollagen.

Hydroxylated collagen can be cross-linked to triple helix collagen.
Scurvy – weak collagen.
Hydroxylation reactions

Synthesis of:
• Neurotransmitters
• (dopamine, norepinephrine, serotonin)

• Tyrosine
• Bile acid
• Carnitine
Excess Vitamin C
Mega doses of vitamin C supplements may cause:
• Abdominal bloating and cramps
• Diarrhea
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Heartburn
• Headache
• Insomnia
• Kidney stones
Vitamin C Deficiency
o Scurvy

o Fatigue & malaise

o Mood changes

o Inflammation of gums

o Joint & muscle pain

o Poor wound healing

o Bruising

o Infection

o Dry hair & skin

How many grams do we need?
Recommended daily intake for adults:

o Men, 90 mg/day
o Women, 75 mg/day
o Pregnant women, 85 mg/day
o Breastfeeding women, 120 mg/day
o Smokers, 250 mg/day
Recommended daily intake for children:

o Infants 0 – 6 months, 40 mg/day

o Infants 7 – 12 months, 50 mg/day
o Toddler, 15 mg/day
o Children 4 – 13 years old, 25 – 45 mg/day
o Teens, 65– 75 mg/day
Did you know?
“Contains 1,000 mg of Vitamin C to
help strengthen your immune system
and keep you healthy.”
Source: http://youc1000.com/en/produk
Vitamin C Tolerable Upper Intake Levels
Age Male Female Pregnancy Lactation

1 – 3 years 400 mg 400 mg

4 – 8 years 650 mg 650 mg

9 – 13 years 1,200 mg 1,200 mg

14 – 18 years 1,800 mg 1,800 mg 1,800 mg 1,800 mg

19+ years 2,000 mg 2,000 mg 2,000 mg 2,000 mg

Source: National Institutes of Health

Cancer prevention

Vitamin C can limit the formation of carcinogens, such as nitrosamines ,

in vivo; modulate immune response and, through its antioxidant
function, possibly attenuate oxidative damage that can lead to cancer.

• Results from most clinical trials suggest that modest vitamin C

supplementation alone or with other nutrients offers no benefit in the
prevention of cancer. So, the evidence is still inconsistent
Cancer treatment

During the 1970s, studies by Cameron, Campbell, and Pauling

suggested that high-dose vitamin C has beneficial effects on quality of
life and survival time in patients with terminal cancer.

• However, some subsequent studies did not support this findings

because Moertel found a patients with advanced colorectal cancer
who received 10 g/day vitamin C fared no better than those receiving
a placebo.
Cardiovascular disease

Evidence from many epidemiological studies suggests that high intakes

of fruits and vegetables are associated with a reduced risk of
cardiovascular disease. This association might be partly attributable to
the antioxidant content of these foods because oxidative damage,
including oxidative modification of low-density lipoproteins, is a major
cause of cardiovascular disease.
 Cardiovascular disease (cont.)
• In addition to its antioxidant properties, vitamin C has been shown to reduce
monocyte adherence to the endothelium, improve endothelium-dependent nitric
oxide production and vasodilation, and reduce vascular smooth-muscle-cell
apoptosis, which prevents plaque instability in atherosclerosis.

• There is a conflict during the studies. However, it came to conclusion that intake of
vitamin C from diet alone showed no significant associations, suggesting that vitamin
C supplement users might be at lower risk of coronary heart disease. A much smaller
study indicated that postmenopausal women with diabetes who took at least 300
mg/day vitamin C supplements had increased cardiovascular disease mortality
Common cold

In the 1970s Linus Pauling suggested that vitamin C could successfully

treat and/or prevent the common cold.

However, results of controlled studies

have been inconsistent, resulting in
confusion and controversy, although
public interest in the subject remains
high.
Common cold (cont.)
• Nowadays, regular intakes of vitamin C at doses of at least 200 mg/day do not reduce
the incidence of the common cold in the general population, but such intakes might
be helpful in people exposed to extreme physical exercise or cold environments and
those with marginal vitamin C status, such as the elderly and chronic smokers.

• The use of vitamin C supplements might shorten the duration of the common cold in
the general population, possibly due to the anti-histamine effect of high-dose
vitamin C. However, taking vitamin C after the onset of cold symptoms does not
appear to be beneficial
Conclusion

Vitamin C helps our immune system but healthy immunity requires

more than a single vitamin.