Vitamin C research

Question
Tanya
I am a chiropractic student doing a research project on the bodies ability to absorb ascorbic acid as opposed to vitamin C in a whole food form. Our hypothesis is that in a natural form the body will absorb more than in the processed form. We need some research articles to use in our thesis and I have come up short on finding any similar research. There is a plethora of studies on how it affects different functions and how it goes with other vitamins and nutrients but none that comes close to our project.
   Any help you could give us would be greatly appreciated.
Mark

Answer
Hi Mark,

I see two aspects of your question. First, how L-ascorbic acid or vitamin C is being absorbed depending on its source. There's surprisingly little research data on this and what does exist, mostly deals with technical details of pharmacokinetics of pure L-ascorbic acid.

The second and more practically important aspect is this vitamin's efficiency and how it depends on the source.

For example, dietary carotenoids and vitamins C and E can neutralize bad oxygen reactions in the body and reduce oxidative tissue damage, genetic mutations, and also may enhance immunity. Taken separately, every one of the group is less efficient as an antioxidant (Nature 278, 737 - 738, 1979, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol 62, 1995).

This is only an example but it's natural to imagine that there are many other, un-researched factors increasing or decreasing vitamin C effects. As recently shown for calcium effects on lipolysis (fat burning) diary intake is significantly more efficient than calcium supplements -- but how exactly can this fact be explained, remains unclear though the tiniest details of calcium work in the fat cells is well studied.

One more remark. Vitamin C in foods is more vulnerable than in the stabilized pill form. Not only high temperature during cooking is ruining ascorbic acid but even careful storing, for example, leafy green vegetables, in your refrigerator rob them from the vitamin. It's shown that frozen greens keep more vital vitamins after just several days.

Read also:

Neuroprotective effects of vitamins C and E
http://brainfuels.com/2010/06/neuroprotective-effects-of-vitamins-c-and-e-agains...

Sorry I couldn't be of more help.

= TZ

1. Prev:lowering cholesterol by diet
2. Next:Circulation