Products Containing Ascorbic Acid
Ascorbic acid is the chemical name for vitamin C. Because vitamin C is water-soluble, the human body cannot store it for later consumption. To maintain good health, people must consume a fresh supply of vitamin C daily. This is not difficult to do. Eating the right foods will ensure that you get an adequate supply of ascorbic acid each day.-
Fruits
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Citrus fruits, including orange, lemons, tangerines and limes, are well known for containing ascorbic acid. In the days of long sea voyages, sailors knew that a supply of these fruits would prevent rickets, a nutritional deficiency disease. British soldiers came to be known as "Limeys" because they ate limes throughout a voyage in order to get adequate vitamin C.
However, other fruits and the products made from them are also good sources of ascorbic acid. Such fruits include guavas, papayas, mangoes, strawberries and cantaloupes. Grapefruit, another citrus fruit, also contains ascorbic acid. Papayas and guavas actually contain more vitamin C than an equivalent amount of oranges; a medium guava has 165 mg of ascorbic acid, while an average orange has only 60. Kiwis, honeydew melons, raspberries and currants also contain ascorbic acid.
Vegetables
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Some vegetables also provide significant levels of ascorbic acid. One-half cup of broccoli contains 60 mg of vitamin C, the same amount as an orange. Other vegetables and vegetable products are good sources of the vitamin even though they contain fewer milligrams than oranges do. In declining order of usefulness, these vegetables include green bell pepper, kohlrabi, tomato juice, potatoes with skins, cabbage and spinach. Bell peppers contain significantly different levels of ascorbic acid depending on their color. A serving of 1/2 cup of red bell pepper has more than 150 percent of the amount of vitamin C in an average orange.
Additive Use
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Ascorbic acid has qualities that food packagers find convenient. One-third of all manufactured ascorbic acid is used in vitamin products; the remainder serves as an additive in a wide range of food products. Food manufacturers add it to meat to help with the curing process and mix it into wheat flour to help it mature faster. In prepared doughs, ascorbic acid enhances stability. Ascorbic acid helps to clarify alcoholic beverages such as wine and beer. Fruit packers sprinkle it over the cut surface of fruits to prevent browning and spoilage. Although ascorbic acid is generally retarded as safe, U.S. law prohibits its addition to fresh meat because, by helping promote a red color, it may allow spoiled meat to appear fresh.
Nutritional Supplements
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Most multivitamin tablets contain ascorbic acid. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, a division of the National Institutes of Health, adult women need about 75 mg of ascorbic acid each day; adult men need about 90 mg. The best practice is to get vitamin C by eating foods rich in it, since these supply fiber and other vitamins and minerals essential for good health. People who do not eat enough fruits and vegetables should consider supplements, and smokers should be aware that nicotine interferes with the absorption of ascorbic acid. This means that smokers need to consume at least 35 additional mg per day.
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