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Vitamin C is required for the synthesis of the protein collagen which provides healthy skin, bones, cartilage and teeth. It is also an important antioxidant. Vitamin C helps the absorption of iron (especially from plant foods).
Vitamin C: In-depth
Ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) is a water-soluble vitamin. It is important for the production of collagen which is a protein that provides healthy skin, bones, cartilage, teeth and gums. Collagen also plays an important role in the healing of wounds and burns. Vitamin C helps the absorption of iron from plant sources. For this reason ascorbic acid should be consumed with plant foods that are rich in iron. Vitamin C not only helps to detoxify the liver it is also an effective antioxidant. Antioxidants are substances which prevent or reduce damage caused by free radicals. (Free radicals are small aggressive particles; some are formed in the body and others are spawned by environmental factors.) Alongside vitamin C there are vitamins A, E, selenium and secondary plant metabolites which all belong to the body's defence system of antioxidants.
Ascorbic acid is mostly found in plants but also in certain animal foods because some plants and animals are able to produce their own enzymes that convert glucose into vitamin C . Throughout the course of evolution the human body has lost its ability to synthesise vitamin C. This means that it has to be provided in the diet.
It is being discussed whether vitamin C has positive effects by enhancing the body's resistance to infectious diseases or whether the collection of harmful oxygen radicals can help to inhibit the formation of tumours and the development of arteriosclerosis.
There is not enough scientific evidence to prove that a high intake of vitamin C has a preventive effect.
Vitamin C: Requirement, deficiency, oversupply
Recommended dietary intake of vitamin C according to the DGE* |
Age |
Men |
Women |
19 - 25 |
100 mg |
100 mg |
25 - 51 |
100 mg |
100 mg |
51 - 65 |
100 mg |
100 mg |
over 65 |
100 mg |
100 mg |
Smokers 150 mg |
*Deutsche Gesellschaft für Ernährung - a German Nutrition Society
Vitamin C deficiency symptoms include exhaustion, joint and limb pain, weakness, bleeding of the oral mucosa and the gums, bad wound healing, susceptibility to infection and in extreme cases scurvy. A vitamin C deficiency hardly happens nowadays.
High doses of vitamin C are usually not harmful. High doses of vitamin C can, however, lead to the destruction of vitamin B12. It can also enhance the formation of kidney stones. High doses of vitamin C can also cause diarrhoea.
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Vitamin C in food
Fresh fruit and vegetables are the best sources for vitamin C. Foods that are particularly rich in vitamin C include black currants, citrus fruits, sallow thorns, sweet peppers and fennel. Potatoes, types of cabbages, spinach, and tomatoes are also vitamin C sources.
Vitamin C in 100 g food:
Pineapples: 1000 mg
Dog rose: 1250 mg
Sweet Peppers: 120 mg
Stinging nettles: 175 mg
Broccoli: 115 mg
Curly Kale: 105 mg
Cauliflower: 30 mg
Black currants: 180 mg
Kiwis: 60 mg
Lemons: 53 mg
Oranges : 50 mg
Beef liver: 31 mg
Pork liver: 23 mg
Vitamin C is relatively sensitive to heat and reacts to atmospheric oxygen. It is therefore important to store the food well and only for short periods of time. A vitamin loss can be caused by cooking, excessive washing, or storage.
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Earl Mindell's New Vitamin Bible,
Earl Mindell, Hester Mundis
Prescription for Nutritional Healing, Fifth Edition: A Practical A-to-Z Reference to Drug-Free Remedies Using Vitamins, Minerals, Herbs & Food Supplements, Phyllis A. Balch CNC
The Complete Book of Food Counts, 9th Edition: The Book That Counts It All
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