Vitamin C: Use of ascorbic acid

Ascorbic acid is very helpful

Ascorbic acid is another term for what we all know asvitamin C. this is a water-soluble type of vitamin which is very important inthe process of absorption of iron. It is also one of the important factors inthe formation of collagen in the blood vessels, muscles, cartilage and thebones. Fortunately enough, there are numerous dietary sources of this importantvitamin and those usually include different types of fruits and vegetables.Those who suffer from severe instances of vitamin C deficiency may sometimesget affected by scurvy. Scurvy occurs only in rare cases, but when it does itmay lead to rather serious medical consequences and sometimes even suddendeath. It can only be treated by vitamin C and it requires constant medicalsupervision. Among numerous different types of proposed uses for the vitamin C,only a few have been confirmed by official scientific studies. The studieswhich addressed the use of vitamin C for the treatment of diabetes, cancer andasthma are largely inconclusive. No study has confirmed that vitamin C can beused for the treatment or prevention of heart disease or cataracts. The use ofvitamin C for the prevention and treatment of common cold and a large number ofdifferent types of respiratory infections is still a somewhat controversialmatter. According to certain studies, vitamin C cannot reduce the risk ofdeveloping common colds. Those same studies have also shown that vitamin Ccannot be of any help when it comes to reducing the severity of all thesymptoms of a common cold. It can only be helpful in slightly reducing theduration of common colds and other sorts of respiratory infections. It may bean interesting fact that vitamin C reduces the risk of developing a cold atleast by 50 percent in extreme circumstances such as cold weather andexhausting physical activities. It is because of that the vitamin C is of particularimportance to military personnel and elite athletes.

Vitamin C is one of the most significant factors of thegrowth and self-repairs of the bones and different tissues in the human body.There are numerous vitamin C supplements available on the market, but there areno scientific studies which would confirm all the health benefits they arebelieved to provide. There are also numerous claims that vitamin C has verypotent antioxidant properties, but these claims also miss the scientific studieswhich would confirm them. According to various studies, vitamin C is not thathelpful in the prevention and treatment of serious medical conditions such asstroke or high levels of cholesterol in the blood. It is an interesting factthat certain studies have shown that vitamin C is very helpful when it comes todecreasing the risk of peripheral arterial disease in women. Unfortunately thesame cannot be said about men. This is mainly due to the fact that vitamin Ccombined with vitamin E only in certain types of slow release formulationsprovides the desired results. One should note that such formulation havevirtually no effect in women who are postmenopausal. It is also known thatvitamin C may be of help to a certain extent in people who suffer fromhypertension and usually take it along with their prescribed antihypertensivemedicaments. This can only be said for those who suffer from both hypertension andtype 2 diabetes.

Dosing and possible dangers

Some people seem to take significant amounts of vitamin C,believing that its beneficial effects will have an even stronger impact.According to certain studies, it is completely foolish to do such a thing,because doses larger than 200 milligrams cannot even be utilized by the humanbody. All the unused amounts of the substances get released through the urine.The best natural sources of vitamin C include sweet potatoes, broccoli,tomatoes, strawberries, citrus fruits and juices and green peppers. One should beaware of the fact that heat and light ten to reduce the levels of vitamin C, soit best to consume vegetables and fruits while they are still uncooked andfresh. Potential side effects which may occur when taking vitamin C in itssupplemental form include headaches, cramps, heartburn, nausea and vomiting. Insome severe cases, it may lead to slightly more severe medical conditions suchas severe diarrhea, kidney stones and dental erosion. Some rare cases have alsoincluded side effects such as gastritis, fatigue, dizziness, faintness andflushing. Vitamin C is also known for sometimes interacting with certain typesof medicaments such as blood thinners, antacids, acetaminophen and Aspirin. Itspositive effects get reduced by the ingestion of nicotine. There are certaingroups of people who need to avoid vitamin C due to certain potential risks. Thoseinclude people who suffer from kidney disease, liver disease or gout, alongwith pregnant or breastfeeding mothers.