What is Vitamin C?
Vitamin C (L-ascorbic acid) has been known as an antioxidant for most people. However, its physiological role is much larger and encompasses very different processes ranging from facilitation of iron absorption through involvement in hormones and carnitine synthesis for important roles in epigenetic processes [1].
Vitamin C and its role in Iron Absorption
The last known function of vitamin C is associated again with its potential to reduce ferric ions into ferrous ones. In this way, vitamin C increases iron absorption even with a low amount of vitamin C corresponding to its content in a normal diet [2,3].
Vitamin C added to meals facilitates the intestinal absorption of nonheme iron, possibly due to lowering of gastrointestinal iron to the more absorbable ferrous state or to countering the effect of substances that inhibit iron absorption [4].
Vitamin C in Iron Supplements
Vitamin C is frequently added to oral preparations containing iron in order to increase iron absorption [2,3].
- Doseděl, Martin et al. “Vitamin C-Sources, Physiological Role, Kinetics, Deficiency, Use, Toxicity, and Determination.” Nutrients 13,2 615. 13 Feb. 2021, doi:10.3390/nu13020615 - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7918462/
- Levine, M et al. “Criteria and recommendations for vitamin C intake.” JAMA 281,15 (1999): 1415-23. doi:10.1001/jama.281.15.1415 - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10217058/
- Padayatty, Sebastian J et al. “Vitamin C as an antioxidant: evaluation of its role in disease prevention.” Journal of the American College of Nutrition 22,1 (2003): 18-35. doi:10.1080/07315724.2003.10719272 - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12569111/
- Medicine, Institute Of. “Dietary Reference Intakes.” National Academies Press eBooks, 2006, https://doi.org/10.17226/11537. - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/read/11537/chapter/1
Could you be experiencing iron deficiency?
