This biologically active compound has another name - antiscorbutic vitamin. In former times, almost all sailors, going on a long voyage, after some time faced a disease called scurvy. Symptoms in this disease were severe bleeding gums, loosening and loss of teeth. In those days, people still knew nothing not only about ascorbic acid, but in general about vitamins. Since the stock of fruits and vegetables on the ship was spent in the first months of the voyage, and the duration of the whole trip was sometimes even two or three years, the reason for the development of scurvy in the crew of the ship becomes obvious. The fact is that the main source of ascorbic acid intake into the human body are all kinds of fruits and vegetables. In any of them, always in this or that quantity is necessarily present this vitamin. The complete disappearance of ascorbic acid from the intake of food (which is observed in the absence of fruits and vegetables in the diet) necessarily causes the development of scurvy. This disease occurs due to a violation of the synthesis of the intercellular collagen protein. As a result, the permeability and fragility of blood vessels sharply increases.
Ascorbic acid must also be present in food during the period of massive colds. Why do doctors recommend taking vitamin C in such periods? It turns out that ascorbic acid is able to significantly strengthen the human immunity, due to which our body becomes more resistant to the effects of all sorts of viral and bacterial infections. With the first symptoms of a cold, it is recommended that you immediately take "shock" doses of ascorbic acid. This approach can greatly help in the fight against the disease.
The presence of sufficient amounts of ascorbic acid in the food also helps to lower blood pressure (which is very important for people suffering from hypertension). Vitamin C is also a powerful antioxidant that prevents the negative effects of free radicals that destroy many important molecules in the living body cell.
The daily dose of ascorbic acid for an adult is about 100 mg. The most important food products that must necessarily be present in food to provide the required amount of ascorbic acid are, as already noted above, vegetables and fruits. Leaders in the content of ascorbic acid can be called wild rose, black currant, citrus (lemon, orange, tangerines), parsley.
As a preventive and therapeutic agent, ascorbic acid is recommended for various diseases of the cardiovascular system, respiratory organs, liver, kidneys, joint disorders, poisoning with poisons. Large doses of ascorbic acid reduce the harmful effects of hazardous substances contained in tobacco smoke. Therefore, products containing ascorbic acid, must necessarily be present in the diet of smokers (for them the daily dose of vitamin C can reach 500 - 600 mg).
Thus, the role of ascorbic acid in maintaining human health is very important. To ensure the normal flow of many physiological processes, this vitamin must necessarily enter our body with food.