Transcript Vitamin C
Vitamin C
Lily Chin
Nikita Gupta
Shirley He
Brenda Wong
Vitamin C
Ascorbic Acid
water soluble
helps to synthesize collagen,
norepinephrine, and carnitine
Antioxidant
Vitamin C
Function in the Body
Collagen –important part of blood
vessels, ligaments, tendons and bone
Norepinephrine/noradrenaline –
neurotransmitter that affects mood and
brain function
Carnitine – small molecule essential to
transport of fat to mitochondria where fat
is turned into energy
Vitamin C Deficiency
can occur from
a diet low in vitamin C (not enough fresh
fruits and vegetables)
cooking food (destroys vitamin C)
pregnancy, breastfeeding, surgery, and
smoking increases the body's requirements
for vitamin C, which increases the risk of
deficiency
Severe Deficiency
can lead to scurvy
causes bruising
swollen gums and loss of teeth
dry hair and skin
Anemia
wounds no longer heal
impairs bone growth in young children
Deficiency Symptoms
fatigue, irritability
Depression
weight loss
muscle/joint pain
Treatment
high doses of daily vitamin C
supplements symptoms disappear after
1-2 weeks
Vitamin C Toxicity/Statistics
Body does not store vitamin C
Therefore vitamin C is rare
If you consume more than 200 mg a day,
you have:
Stomach ache
Diarrhea
Fun Fact
To avoid Vitamin C overdose, do not
drink a full bottle of naked juice. Some
flavors contain over 400% of your daily
recommended intake, which is 8000 mg
a day.
Top 10 Food Sources
Guava
Red sweet pepper
Kiwi
Orange
Green sweet pepper
Grapefruit Juice
Vegetable Juice Cocktail
Strawberries
Brussels Sprouts
Cantaloupe
Good Food Sources of Vitamin C
Substantial amount of vitamin C in
relation to its calorie content
Contributes at least 10% of the U.S.
RDA
U.S. RDA for Vitamin C is 60 mg/day
Food Sources
Vitamin C can be lost from food during
preparation, cooking, storage. To retain
Vitamin C:
Serve fruits and vegetables raw
Steam, boil food with minimum water
Cook potatoes in their skin
Refrigerate prepared juices
Bibliography
http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/vita
mins/vitaminC/
Benjah-bmm27
http://www.merck.com/mmhe/sec12/c
h154/ch154i.html
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency
/article/002404.htm