Vitamin C

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Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, is a water-soluble vitamin found particularly in citrus fruits and green vegetables. One of its roles is as an antioxidant, that is, it helps to protect cells from damage by oxidative stress and also improves mitochondrial function. Another role is as a cofactor for several enzymes.[1] After absorption, Vitamin C is present throughout the whole body.

Large cross-sectional population studies confirm that vitamin C deficiency is common in humans, affecting 5%–10% of adults in the industrialized world. Moreover, significant associations between poor vitamin C status and increased morbidity and mortality have consistently been observed. However, the absorption, distribution and elimination kinetics of vitamin C in vivo are highly complex, due to dose-dependent non-linearity, and the specific regulatory mechanisms are not fully understood.[2]

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Vitamin C is important in mast cell activation disorder for its role in the breakdown of histamine and as a mast cell stabilizer. Vitamin C is also a co-factor in collagen synthesis, making it a potentially important nutrient in Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and other connective tissue disorders.[citation needed] Deficiency of vitamin C may contribute to osteoporosis.[3][4]

Biology[edit | edit source]

Vitamin C is found in the whole body, even skin tissue.[5][6] High levels of vitamin C are found in the eyes, pituitary, adrenal gland, pancreas, liver, spleen and brain. Vitamin C is also found in relative high levels in the bone marrow, muscles and skin.[6][7] Bone marrow is probably also involved in the vitamin C homeostasis process.[5][3][4]

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The adrenal gland can inject vitamin C into the blood.[5]

Too much sun exposure may deplete the Vitamin C stores in the skin tissue.[6]

In human disease[edit | edit source]

Vitamin C is important in mast cell activation disorder for its role in the breakdown of histamine and as a mast cell stabilizer. Vitamin C is also a co-factor in collagen synthesis, making it a potentially important nutrient in Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and other connective tissue disorders.[citation needed] Deficiency of vitamin C may contribute to osteoporosis.[3][4]

Vitamin C leads to altered function of procollagen-proline dioxygenase and lysyl hydroxylase enzymes. Each are essential for collagen synthesis and require Vitamin C as a cofactor.[8]

Mast cell activation disorder[edit | edit source]

Numerous studies have found Vitamin C to be inversely correlated with histamine and that the administration of Vitamin C reduces blood histamine levels.[9][10][11] It does this potentially through several mechanisms: by inhibiting mast cell production; by increasing diamine oxidase (an enzyme that breaks down histamine); by inhibiting mast cell degranulation and the release of histamine in the first place (i.e., as a mast cell stabilizer),[12] and by inhibiting histidine decarboxylase (the enzyme that forms histamine).[13]

ME/CFS[edit | edit source]

Dr. Rosamund Vallings, an ME/CFS expert, warns against very high dose mega vitamin C supplementation, stating that: "those with CFS...maybe worsened by high dose vitamin C, as the immune system is often already very overactive, and Vitamin C may aggravate this condition."[14]

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Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome[edit | edit source]

A case study found improved wound healing in a patient with vascular Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome who was given high-dose (4g/day) oral vitamin C supplementation for two years.[15] A case study of two patients with Kyphoscoliotic EDS received high-dose Vitamin C (5g/day). After one year, they had reduced bleeding time and improve wound healing, and muscle strength.[16]

Supplementation[edit | edit source]

Several studies indicates the recovery from Vitamin C depletion will require several months of treatment. [5]

Notable studies[edit | edit source]

  • 2014, Mitochondrial dysfunction and chronic disease: treatment with natural supplements[17] (Full text)

See also[edit | edit source]

Learn more[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. Dietary reference intakes for vitamin C, vitamin E, selenium, and carotenoids : a report of the Panel on Dietary Antioxidants and Related Compounds, Subcommittees on Upper Reference Levels of Nutrients and of Interpretation and Use of Dietary Reference Intakes, and the Standing Committee on the Scientific Evaluation of Dietary Reference Intakes, Food and Nutrition Board, Institute of Medicine. National Research Council (U.S.), Institute of Medicine (U.S.). Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press. 2000. ISBN 0309597196. OCLC 55641398.CS1 maint: others (link)
  2. Lindblad, Maiken; Tveden-Nyborg, Pernille; Lykkesfeld, Jens (May 2013), "Regulation of Vitamin C Homeostasis during Deficiency", Nutrients (5): 2860–2879, ISSN 2072-6643
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 Seftel, H; Malkin, C; Schmaman, A; Abrahams, C; Lynch, S; Charlton, S; Bothwell, T, "Osteoporosis, Scurvy, and Siderosis in Johannesburg Bantu", Br Med J, 1 (5488): 642–644
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 Aghajanian, P; Hall, S.; Wongworawat, MD; Mohan, S (2015), "The Roles and Mechanisms of Actions of Vitamin C in Bone: New Developments", J Bone Miner Res, 30 (11): 1945–1955
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Padayatty, Sebastian; Levine, Mark (June 2016), "Vitamin C: the known and the unknown and Goldilocks", Oral Disease, 22 (6): 463–93
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 Pullar, JM; Carr, AC; Vissers, MCM (2017), "The Roles of Vitamin C in Skin Health", Nutrients, 9 (8): 866
  7. "Vitamin neurotoxicity". Mol Neurobiology.
  8. Wu, Marlyn; Crane, Jonathan S. (2019). "Biochemistry, Collagen Synthesis". Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing. PMID 29939531. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  9. Clemetson, C. A. (April 1980), "Histamine and ascorbic acid in human blood", The Journal of Nutrition, 110 (4): 662–668, ISSN 0022-3166, PMID 7365537
  10. Johnston, C. S.; Martin, L. J.; Cai, X. (April 1992), "Antihistamine effect of supplemental ascorbic acid and neutrophil chemotaxis", Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 11 (2): 172–176, ISSN 0731-5724, PMID 1578094
  11. Johnston, CS (December 1996). "Vitamin C depletion is associated with alterations in blood histamine and plasma free carnitine in adults". J Am Coll Nutr.
  12. Mio, M (1999). "Ultraviolet B (UVB) light-induced histamine release from rat peritoneal mast cells and its augmentation by certain phenothiazine compounds". Immunopharmacology.
  13. Molderings, Gerhard (2016). "Pharmacological treatment options for mast cell activation disease". Naunyn Schmiedebergs Arch Pharmacol.
  14. Vallings, Rosamund (2015). "ARE SUPPLEMENTS IMPORTANT IN ME/CFS?" (PDF). Retrieved November 17, 2018. Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  15. Ringsdorf, W. M.; Cheraskin, E. (March 1, 1982). "Vitamin C and human wound healing". Oral Surgery, Oral Medicine, Oral Pathology. 53 (3): 231–236. doi:10.1016/0030-4220(82)90295-X. ISSN 0030-4220.
  16. Dembure, Philip P.; Janko, Anita R.; Priest, Jean H.; Elsas, Louis J. (July 1, 1987). "Ascorbate regulation of collagen biosynthesis in Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, type VI". Metabolism. 36 (7): 687–691. doi:10.1016/0026-0495(87)90155-7. ISSN 0026-0495.
  17. Nicolson, Garth L. (2014). "Mitochondrial dysfunction and chronic disease: treatment with natural supplements". Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine. 20 Suppl 1: 18–25. ISSN 1078-6791. PMID 24473982.

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