The role and function of vitamin C

People often hear the word "vitamins" on TV, the Internet or the radio, especially in some health programs. Most people should know that vitamins have a huge impact on the human body. They are also necessary for the human body. When the human body lacks certain vitamins, corresponding symptoms will appear. The types of vitamins that people are familiar with are vitamin A, B, and C. Now let’s talk about vitamin C.

When it comes to vitamin C, what people usually think of is the vegetables we usually talk about. That's right, many fruits and vegetables are rich in vitamin C, so eating more fruits and vegetables can help the body maintain the necessary vitamin C intake. So what are the effects and functions of vitamin C?

Vitamin C (English: Vitamin C, also known as L-ascorbic acid) is an essential nutrient for higher primates and a few other organisms. Ascorbic acid is produced by metabolism in most organisms, but humans are the most notable exception. The most well-known is that a lack of vitamin C can cause scurvy. In the body, vitamin C is an antioxidant that protects the body from the threat of free radicals. Vitamin C is also a coenzyme. Its extensive food sources are various fresh fruits and vegetables.

Vitamin C is necessary for antibody and collagen formation, tissue repair (including certain redox reactions), metabolism of phenylalanine, tyrosine, and folic acid, utilization of iron and carbohydrates, synthesis of fat and protein, maintenance of immune function, hydroxylation with serotonin, maintaining vascular integrity, and promoting non-heme iron absorption.

In the human body, vitamin C is a highly effective antioxidant that reduces oxidative stress on the ascorbate peroxidase substrate. There are also many important biosynthetic processes that require the participation of vitamin C. At the same time, vitamin C plays an important role in the formation of collagen. Collagen is an important substance for the development and repair of human tissue cells, gums, blood vessels, bones, and teeth; Vitamin C can help the body absorb iron and is often recommended as a substance for preventing sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Smokers and the elderly need more vitamin C. (One cigarette can destroy 25 to 100 mg of vitamin C).

In addition to the effects introduced above, vitamin C has many other functions. For example, it can be used to treat bleeding teeth, urinary tract infections, and it can also help surgical patients recover quickly. Vitamin C also has antibacterial and anti-cancer effects. Of course, in addition to this, vitamin C has many other functions and effects, so people must maintain daily intake of vitamin C to maintain good health.