Vitamin C, also called ascorbic acid, is an important component of our body because it is involved in many processes: fatigue, immunity, aging… When to take it? In what forms in pharmacies?
A tirednessa common cold… One of the first reflexes is to use vitamin C, flagship energy vitamin for the body ! But how to take it? In tablets ? In priest ? In which food do we find it especially? Tips for replenishing vitamin C.
What is Vitamin C?
It’s about a water soluble vitamin. It is essential for the proper functioning of our body. Also called “ascorbic acid“, it owes its name to the disease it prevents, the scurvyonce common among sailors who could not eat enough fruits and vegetables at sea.
Is liposomal vitamin C more effective?
Vitamin C is available in liposomal form in pharmacies. It is a dietary supplement: vitamin C is encapsulated in a liposomea sphere composed of lipids. “Natural vitamin C being water-soluble and sensitive, there is a loss in the stomach, explains Florence Foucaut, dietician and nutritionist. Surrounding it with lipids allows it to suffer less from the effects of digestion and the final quantity absorbed by the body will be greater.“.
Where can I find natural vitamin C?
In humans, there is no neither synthesis nor storage of vitamin C in the body ; food is therefore the only natural source of this vitamin. Vitamin C is said to be natural when it comes directly from food. In other words, when it is not “of synthesis”. It is hydrosoluble: it is therefore soluble in water. In France, the main food sources of vitamin C are 70% vegetables (parsley, red pepper…) and the fresh fruit (blackcurrant, citrus, etc.), and in lesser quantity potatoes, bread and cereals (20%). It is also found in certain bays such as sea buckthorn and rose hips. The vitamin is degraded during cooking.
What is the role and benefits of vitamin C?
After ingestion, vitamin C passes quickly into the blood, then diffuses in a variable way in all tissues. Vitamin C allows the formation of collagenan essential element for bone formation but also cartilage, connective tissue and skin. Because she strengthens the immune defenses (it increases the mobility of leukocytes), it allows better resist infections. She improves the healing process, promotes the absorption of iron contained in plants and participates in the formation of red blood cells. “She also has antioxidant properties which help us to protect our cells against damage caused by free radicals, to prevent cardiovascular disorders, certain cancers such as those of the lung, skin and breast, as well as eye diseases, such as cataracts and Age-Related Macular Degeneration“, adds Florence Foucaut. The elimination of vitamin C is mainly urinary.
When to take vitamin C?
Vitamin C is indicated to fight against a temporary state of fatigue. It can be taken against this state of fatigue alone and if it is associated with a viral infection (cold, flu, etc.) to boost the immune system. Vitamin C must be taken at the maximum recommended doses, indicated on the instructions for each supplement, generally 500 to 1 gram per day.
What is the recommended dose of vitamin C per day?
The Recommended Daily Allowances (RDA) for vitamin C are 110 mg for an adult, 100 mg for a child and of 120 mg for a pregnant woman and an elderly person. A increase in intake of 35 mg/day is recommended for smokers car each cigarette “grits” 25 mg of vitamin C !
| Recommended daily intake of vitamin C (mg) | |
|---|---|
| Children | 100 |
| Adults | 110 |
| Pregnant women | 120 |
| The elderly | 120 |
| Smokers | 130 |
Foods Rich in Vitamin C
The vitamin is mainly found in fruits and vegetables : kiwi, red fruits, citrus fruits, lychee, guava, watercress, broccoli, peppers, spinach or even red cabbage. But beware, it is very sensitive to heat and oxygen. To take advantage of its benefits, it is therefore advisable to quickly consume foods that contain it and preferably raw or very lightly cooked, as cooking reduces the vitamin C content of food.
When to do a vitamin C assay?
The doctor can prescribe a dosage of ascorbic acid in the blood to identify a possible deficiency, and in the event of clinical signs such as significant fatigue, malnutrition, repeated affections, inflammatory digestive pathologies, dermatological disorders and disorders of healing. This is a blood test, usually in the crease of the elbow. Normal values for vitamin C assay are between 5 and 17mg/L. According to the HAS, more than 40,000 assays were carried out in 2016 in France.
Dosage of vitamin C
Depending on dietary supplements, it is recommended to take 500 mg to 1 g per day of vitamin C, preferably in the morning.
What are the signs of vitamin C deficiency?
There are many causes of vitamin C deficiency:
- a diet low in fruits and vegetables is at the forefront,
- stress, intensive sport, smoking and alcoholism can also be involved.
Vitamin C deficiency causes intense fatigue, lack of appetite and weight loss, a weakened immune system, healing defects, joint pain and anemia. A deep deficiency causes scurvy, a disease characterized by skin hemorrhages, the appearance of hematomas on the body, loosening of the teeth, gingivitis and edema. If we thought this disease had disappeared from developed countries, it reappeared in 2019 with three declared cases.
Excesses of vitamin C are relatively rare because vitamin C is the most fragile of all vitamins (it is destroyed by heat, light and under certain conditions by water). Moreover, it is easily eliminated in the urine. Nevertheless, if an excess of vitamin C appears (more than 500 mg/day) this can result in digestive disorders such as stomach aches, diarrhea or even kidney stones. This excess could also increase cellular stress.
Can you give vitamin C to a child?
In the child, food intake is always favored over supplementation. “But if the dietary survey reveals insufficient fruit and vegetable intake, it may be considered for a minimum month, to be reassessed“, says our expert.
What are the contraindications for taking vitamin C?
“The vitamin C cure is contraindicated in case ofkidney failure and hemochromatosisa genetic disease characterized by an abnormal increase in iron levels in the body“, says Florence Foucaut. Ascorbic acid (vitamin C) increases the gastrointestinal absorption of iron.
Thanks to Florence Foucaut, dietitian and nutritionist. Source: Dosage of vitamin C in the blood May 2018, HAS.