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why it is important and the foods in which to find it

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why it is important and the foods in which to find it

WHAT IS VITAMIN C – Its scientific name is ascorbic acid and it is essential for our health because it intervenes in numerous and fundamental enzymatic and metabolic processes. Unlike some animal species, capable of synthesizing it autonomously, man must take it from the outside, through food. The history of vitamin C is linked to that of a disease, scurvy, which struck sailors during the long voyages due to the frugal diet provided for them. Already in the sixteenth century it was known that scurvy could be cured or prevented with the consumption of fresh vegetables and lemon, so much so that in the eighteenth century the English Navy imposed the introduction of lemon and lime juice in the diet of the crews embarked on Majesty’s ships her. Vitamin C was isolated and crystallized in 1933.

WHAT IS IT FOR – Vitamin C is important plays some important functionsi, including the correct functioning of the immune system, the synthesis of collagen (the substance that keeps the skin and connective tissues elastic), the absorption of iron at the intestinal level, the wound healing. It also plays an important role in the production of some neurotransmitters and, together with vitamin E, provides the body with a system of protection against oxidative damage caused by free radicals: therefore has an action antioxidant and anti-aging.

THE DAILY NEED – Although there is some discrepancy between different organizations on the amount of Vitamin C to be taken each day, the indication of EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) it is 80 mg/day for women and 90 mg/day for men in adulthood. The requirement rises to 100 mg per day during pregnancy and 130-150 during breastfeeding. The requirement in children up to 6 years of age is set at 20-30 mg/day and increases progressively with age up to 15 years when one passes to the indications valid for adults. According to the US Institute of Medicine, smokers and people exposed to secondhand smoke have lower plasma levels of vitamin C than non-smokers and therefore need about 35 mg more vitamin C per day than non-smokers, even though this additional quota has not been formally established. In any case, the risk of overdose is minimal because the body excretes the excessive amounts in the urine.

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WHERE TO FIND IT – Among the foods richest in vitamin C (indications of mg of vitamin per 100 grams of fresh and raw product) stand out, among verdure, red and yellow peppers (166 mg): green peppers (127 mg); rocket (110 mg.); cabbage and broccoli (120 and 80 mg); Brussels sprouts (81 mg); spinach (54 mg). Between fruits richer in vitamin C we remember instead the red currant (200 mg); kiwi (85 mg), followed by strawberries and tangerines (54 mg); oranges and lemons (50 mg); pineapple (40 mg).
On the other hand, foods of animal origin such as meat, chicken eggs and cow’s milk do not contain vitamin C, except in negligible quantities. Furthermore, the small quantities present are generally destroyed by cooking.

THE ENEMIES OF VISTAMINE C – Ascorbic acid is a thermolabile molecule: this means that it loses its properties in the presence of heat. Even the spend some time it is a factor of decay: therefore, to enjoy the quantities of vitamins present in different foods, the ideal is to consume them raw and fresh. In the case of fruit it is sufficient to consume the product in the shortest possible time from the moment it is harvested, while in the case of vegetables it is good to prefer consumption raw or after a short cooking, for example steamed, avoiding boiling, so that the vitamin is not destroyed in cooking.

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