Vitamin C

1520 Words4 Pages

Introduction
Vitamin C is one of the most important vitamins. Without vitamin C, human life would not be on this planet today. It does many positive things in the human body. It increases recovery time from illnesses such as colds. It helps to prevent free radical damage and collagen glycation, which cause the body to age much faster than it usually should. It also helps to prevent major diseases, like scurvy, which results from Vitamin C deficiency. Vitamin C is necessary for human life.
Properties of Vitamin C
The chemical name for vitamin C is ascorbic acid. Its molecular structure is fairly simple to recognize, C6H8O6. There are many positive properties of vitamin C. It is a water-soluble vitamin, so it is easily ingested into the bloodstream. It is also “virtually nontoxic” (3). When vitamin C is ingested, the body only uses what is needed. The rest is carried out of the body through urine. An experiment was carried out using guinea pigs to test the toxicity of the vitamin. “Guinea pigs that were given one half of one percent of their body weight of ascorbic acid per day for a period of days showed no symptoms of toxicity” (3).
Vitamin C is also a necessary part of the immune system. White blood cells are the body’s defense system against infections. The white blood cells in the human body could not “activate” if vitamin C was not present (Biamonte). The cells would be useless, and a person’s body would be very vulnerable to infection, similar to AIDS. Vitamin C is also used in the lymph glands to form lymphocytes, which neutralize bacteria in the glands. Vitamin C is used in the spleen. It directs the white blood cells where they need to go to fight an infection.
There are only two negative aspects of vitamin C. It is not produced in the human body, so a person needs to have a daily intake of at least 60 mg (recommended daily value) to stay healthy (5). There are many ways for a person to obtain vitamin C. One way is to take a daily vitamin that contains 100% of the recommended amount. Other ways to receive the amount needed is to eat foods that are rich in vitamin C. Some fruit rich in vitamin C are oranges, grapefruit, watermelon, and strawberries. Some vegetables that contain a high amount of vitamin C are asparagus, brussel s...

... middle of paper ...

...has the necessary electrons to satisfy the free radicals. The electrons, which have a negative charge, are attracted to the positive charge of the vitamin C molecule, and do not go to the collagen strands.
Free radicals are not only involved with collagen. They are also greatly involved with actions that occur in the brain. When a person wakes up from sleeping, blood flow increases. When the blood flow starts to increase, there is a surge of free radicals. The symptoms of free radical damage are similar to that of a stroke. A patient that received a dose of vitamin C every day while in recovery for a stroke recovered much faster than a patient that did not receive a vitamin supplement. This proves that the vitamin stopped free radicals from damaging the cells (4).
Conclusion
There is no disputing the overall value of vitamin C. There are many ways that people can receive the vitamin, through food and supplements. It is beneficial in many ways. It is helpful for your body. Vitamin C protects and supports the immune system when a person is sick. It also prevents damage to collagen and helps prevent free radical damage.

More about Vitamin C

Open Document