What Is Vitamin C?
Vitamin C is also known as ascorbic acid. It’s an essential nutrient and an important antioxidant. Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin and an important cofactor that is involved in the regulation of development, function, and maintenance of several cell types in the body.
It’s the most potent enhancer of nonheme iron absorption.
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Vitamin C Is Essential
Vitamin C is an essential water-soluble vitamin, also known as ascorbic acid and ascorbate. The body requires vitamin C for normal physiological functions. (source 🗗)
Vitamin C has three main roles in human metabolism – enzyme cofactor, chemical reductant, and antioxidant. (source 🗗)
Vitamin C In Food
Humans are unable to synthesize ascorbic acid, therefore we need to obtain vitamin C from our daily diet. Vitamin C is found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, limes, grapefruits. But also vegetables like potatoes, broccoli, spinach, Brussels sprouts, red peppers. (source 🗗)
If you are interested in a list of ranked foods where you can find this nutrient. Go to our nutrition tool and check out vitamin C.
Vitamin C Can Easily Be Destroyed
Ascorbic acid can be easily destroyed by heat. Foods can therefore lose their ascorbic acid content because of cooking or oxidation. The vitamin C content in food can also decrease by prolonged storage. (source 🗗)