Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is water soluble. Unlike animals, the vitamin can not do this alone produce. Given that vitamin C is excreted in the urine, usually there is no overdose poisoning.
A little history of vitamin C ...
This vitamin known to man almost 100 years. The consequences of the lack (so-called scurvy) can be seen in the skeletons of Stone Age and Bronze Age. Tradition is also the disease as a disease of seafarers sailing months on a ship without a source of this vitamin. One of them was Jacques Cartier, whose crew also suffered scurvy. The experienced sailor docked on the river Wed Lawrence and on the advice of local Indians began to consume the crew of the bark and needles of a certain tree. Everyone is cured. After returning this story Cartier, nobody believed.
In 1747 discovered the Scottish physician James Lind, the beneficial effects of citrus fruits. Only in 1928 isolated the first vitamin C, Albert Szent Gyorgii of paprika.
What is vitamin C in the body good?
Vitamin C in the body perform many important functions. The antioxidants, which means it helps the body neutralize the resulting free oxygen radicals. These effects occur in the body of oxygen. Each human cell invades every day thousands of free oxygen radicals. The lack of protection of the cell, among others, vitamin C would have been its degeneration in cancerous growths.
Vitamin C also acts as an important prevention of cardiovascular diseases. Participates in the formation of collagen, the adrenal hormones, carnitine, and dopamine. He also participates in the metabolism of bile acids, copper and iron. This vitamin also protects the body from heavy metals.
Another important role in the functioning of the immune system. It increases the body's resistance to infection and also against the cold.
What happens when a lack of vitamin C? As described in the first part of this series, vitamin C in the body has a number of unique features. It is therefore not surprising that in its absence there are many dangerous symptoms.
Due to its antioxidant capacity and significant role in the formation of collagen occurs in the absence of a loss of elasticity of blood vessels. The most frequent symptoms are because of bleeding into the skin, mucous membranes, joints and the periosteum. Young children and infants is a lack of vitamin C appear to thrive, anemia, impaired ossification. This disease is known as scurvy or scurvy.
The decline in vitamin C intake below 10 mg daily with this disease occur in every person. The lack of vitamin C may even die. Lack of this vitamin is particularly evident in the increased exertion or severe medical condition (with multiple trauma with increased consumption of vitamin C three times). In sepsis supplies of vitamin depleted within 48 hours.
What is the daily requirement of vitamin C?
Requirement of vitamin C is dependent on age. At the age of 0-1, this daily dose of 50 mg, aged 1-3 years is 60 mg at 4-6letých 70 mg, 7-10-year 80-mg dose during puberty, this need for boys to 90 mg and 100 mg in girls aged 15-18 years in boys 100 mg and 90 mg for girls.
During physical exertion, this need increases of 10 mg. In the adult daily requirement of vitamin C in the range of 70-100 mg. For people of all increases in infection, wound healing, rapid growth. This need increases and the smoking of cigarettes by up to 60-100%. In pregnancy, pregnant women should receive 110 mg of vitamin C in breast-feeding up to 120-150 mg.