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Vitamins That Are Acidic

Acidic vitamins play a special role in maintaining the health of the human body in that they each contribute to cell health and formation. While vitamin C primarily acts a cell anti-oxidant, vitamins B9 and B5 contribute to cell formation and the carrying of human genetic information. Vitamin B5, however, is the only acidic vitamin that can be created by the human body. It is generated by bacteria in the large intestine.

  1. Vitamin C

    • Automatically associated with the most sour of fruits, like oranges and lemons, vitamin C -- or ascorbic acid -- is probably the most popular of the acidic vitamins. According to the George Mateljan Foundation, ascorbic acid prevents disease by boosting the immune system, improving iron absorption and protecting cells from free radical damage. Vitamin C supplements can prevent scurvy, lung disease, cancer, joint disease, heart disease and cataracts. Ascorbic acid also helps in healing of the body by regenerating vitamin E stores and assisting with the healing of wounds. Whole food sources of vitamin C, besides oranges and lemons, include strawberries, broccoli, brussels sprouts, kale, parsley, asparagus, celery, kiwi fruit, bell peppers, papaya, mustard greens and cauliflower.

    Vitamin B9

    • Vitamin B9 is also known as folic acid or pteroylgutamic acid. Folic acid is actually composed of three acids: pteroic acid, para-aminobenzoic acid and glutamic acid. In its coenzyme form, tetrahydrofolic acid, vitamin B9 combines with vitamin B12 in the human body to create the building blocks of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA). DNA and RNA are essential to human life formation as they carry all genetic information. Because of this, women of child-bearing age are recommended to consume at least 400 mcg of folic acid daily, twice the amount for men. Vitamin B9 is also necessary for the formation of red blood cells.

      Natural food sources of vitamin B9 include fresh, green, leafy vegetables like spinach and broccoli. It can also be consumed from fruit, beans, liver and whole grains. It is important to note that cooking vegetables destroys the folic acid content.

    Vitamin B5

    • According to the Linus Paul Institute, vitamin B5 or pantothenic acid is a component of coenzyme A (CoA). Without vitamin B5, CoA would not be able to turn digested protein, carbohydrates and fat into energy. CoA is also used by the human body for the metabolization of drugs and the formation of hemoglobin and the hormone, melatonin. In addition, CoA uses pantothenic acid to signal cells to divide affecting gene expression. Many food sources are rich in vitamin B5, so deficiency is rare. It can be consumed from shellfish, mushrooms, milk, eggs, tuna fish, avocado, broccoli, lentils, chicken, cooked cod fish and sweet potatoes.

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