Why do we need Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid)

Vitamin C ( Ascorbic Acid) It’s among water-soluble vitamins. It was discovered in 1747 by Dr Lind, a British physician.

The dietary recommendation of vitamin c daily is 40mg/day in adults, 25mg/day in infants ( ICMR )

Vitamin c is has a lot of benefits in our bodies, to mention a few:

• It’s essential in collagen formation found in blood vessels, teeth, and bones.
• For iron to be absorbed, vitamin c plays a major role in its convention to ferrous which can easily be absorbed.
• It’s required for wound healing due to its role in the formation of connective tissues.
• Vitamin c plays a role in the synthesis of Norepinephrine which is a hormone and neurotransmitter.
• Vitamin c is an antioxidant, which means it combines with free radicals oxidizing them to harmless substances that can be excreted.

Where can we get vitamin C:

Green leafy vegetables: like cabbage, spinach, broccoli, kale, lettuce

Roots and tuber: such as carrots, potato

Fruits: mature ovary of the flower, citrus fruits and guava are good sources of vitamin c.

So its essential need for include fruits and green leafy vegetables in the daily menu.

How to conserve nutrients in the preparation and cooking of vegetables:

Nutrients in vegetables begin to be lost from how we prepare them and more lost in the cooking process.

1. When fruits and vegetables are peeled the vitamins below it tend to be lost.
2. Vitamin c is water soluble and its lost when water in which vegetables are cooked is discarded.
3. Vitamin c is lost by oxidation due to exposure to air.
4. When edible leaves of carrots and outer layer of cabbages are discarded.

How to minimize nutrients loss during preparation:

1. Wash vegetables before cutting, washing time should be reduced.
2. Vegetables should be cut into big peaces to reduce water loss during cooking 
3. Remove only a thin layer of skin on the vegetable.
4. Cook vegetable by steaming and pressure so vitamins will be consereved.
5. Water for cooking should minimal in amount
6. Cover the pot with a lid while cooking
7. Soda destroy valuable vitamin
8. Vegetable salad should not stay for a long time before serving
9. Use lime juice or vinegar in salad it prevent loss of vitamin c as its stable in acid.

Fact:

Do you know vitamin C plays a role in corona patient management?

Yes, it does; oxidative stress from acute respiratory distress syndrome generate free radicals and cytokines, leading to cellular malfunction and organ failure. So the anti-oxidative agents like vitamin c can help, although its clinical implication in viral pneumonia  is not established . ( Medscape.com)