Are vitamin C and ascorbic acid the same?

What Is Ascorbic Acid?

Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, is a soluble vitamin with a chemical structure similar to glucose. It was once known as the "universal vitamin." Lack of vitamin C may cause bleeding gums, decreased resistance, and in severe cases, scurvy, which is why it is commonly known as "ascorbic acid." Vitamin C is highly soluble in water and has the simplest molecular structure among the 13 vitamins. Vitamin C is one of the essential vitamins for the human body. It participates in the metabolism of nutrients in the human body and various reduction reactions, and can enhance the body's resistance. People need to consume a lot of vitamin C when they have a cold, fatigue, recover from illness, or heal wounds.

How much vitamin C do we need?

The human body cannot synthesize vitamin C and needs to obtain it from food. Vitamin C in food is absorbed in the small intestine. This absorption process is also adaptive. Eating too much will lead to a decrease in the absorption rate. When the intake exceeds 1000 mg per day, the absorption rate is only 50% or even less.

① The US guidelines recommend daily vitamin C requirements:

▪ Children: 15-45 mg/d

▪ Women: 75 mg/d

▪ Men: 90 mg/d

▪ Pregnant or lactating/elderly people require up to 120 mg/d.

The upper limit of vitamin C intake for adults is 2000 mg/d.

② my country's dietary nutrient reference intake: The recommended amount of vitamin C for most adults is 100 mg, and the upper limit is also 2000 mg. 

Foods richer in vitamin C than oranges

When it comes to vitamin C, the first thing that comes to mind is oranges and sour lemons. In fact, many vegetables and fruits contain a lot of vitamin C. If we rank them by the vitamin C content per 100g of food, oranges are far from the first.

The following ingredients are rich in vitamin C:

Bell peppers and green peppers: 100g of red bell peppers contain 190mg of vitamin C. One medium-sized bell pepper can meet the vitamin C needs for 2 days, and it can also provide vitamin A. It can be said to be an antioxidant factory, with only 26kcal. The vitamin C content of green peppers is slightly less, but it is enough to meet the needs of 1 day. In fact, the vitamin C content of red peppers is also very high. 1 small bowl can reach 100mg or even more, but not everyone can handle it;

Broccoli: 100g of broccoli contains 90mg of vitamin C, which is exactly what is needed for 1 day. At the same time, it can also provide 2.6g of dietary fiber, with only 34kcal.

Kiwifruit is also rich in vitamin C. Regardless of whether it has other effects or not, papaya is rich in vitamins. 100g of papaya contains 62mg of vitamin C, and also contains a lot of vitamin A, with only 39kcal. Other fruits and vegetables rich in vitamin C include snow peas, strawberries, etc.

Finally, 100g of oranges and lemons both contain 53mg of vitamin C. Eating two a day will not be a lack of vitamin C.

What Are The Functions Of Ascorbic Acid?

Vitamin C can participate in protein synthesis, that is, many important protein biosynthesis processes require the participation of vitamin C, such as the formation of antibodies and collagen in the human body, tissue renewal and repair, etc. If the human body lacks vitamin C, cell function will change.

Vitamin C has the effect of preventing scurvy. The strength of blood vessel walls is directly related to vitamin C. Microvessels are the smallest of all blood vessels. When the vitamin C content in the human body is insufficient, microvessels are prone to rupture. This situation is easy to occur on the surface of the skin, and may cause purpura and congestion.

Vitamin C also has a certain therapeutic effect on gingival atrophy and gingival bleeding. If the human body lacks vitamin C, gingival bleeding is prone to occur.

Vitamin C can fight against arteriosclerosis, promote iron absorption, promote tetrahydrofolate formation, maintain the activity of sulfhydryl enzymes, and detoxify.

Vitamin C has a strong antioxidant property. Vitamin C can exist in the human body in an oxidized form or a reduced form; it can be used as a hydrogen donor or a hydrogen acceptor, playing an important role in the oxidation-reduction process. Because of its strong antioxidant properties, it has a strong effect in scavenging free radicals, thereby enhancing human immunity, improving the body's ability to resist stress to the external environment, and delaying aging.

What Is The Application Of Ascorbic Acid?

Food Industry

Vitamin C is an important antioxidant in plants. Studies have shown that if the vitamin C content of fruits and vegetables is increased during post-harvest storage, the post-harvest preservation effect of fruits and vegetables can be improved.

Agriculture, Forestry and Animal Husbandry

Appropriate use of vitamin C can promote the survival of chicks, promote the growth of broiler chicks, increase the egg production rate of laying hens, improve the quality of egg shells, enhance the immunity of chickens, and improve the ability of chickens to resist stress.

Adding vitamin C to feed can also improve the immunity of aquatic animals and increase their survival rate. Vitamin C can reduce the secretion of glucocorticoids and avoid the immunosuppression caused by it, thereby improving the anti-stress ability of aquatic animals.