Pediatria pre prax 1/2005
VITAMIN C – WHAT WE (DO-NOT) KNOW ABOUT IT
Vitamin C ranks among the basic antioxidants and is participles in the production of collagen and in other metabolic processes in the body. Humans are not able to synthesize it and they have to take it from food and or pharmacologic sources. The physiologic demands vary with age (40–50 mg/day in infants, 80–100 mg/day in teenagers and adults). The demands are higher in inflammatory states, wound healing, anaemia, in infancy, active and passive smoking and in others conditions. In industrial countries up to 50 % of vitamin C demands are saturated in form of medicaments.
Keywords: vitamin C, ascorbic acid, hypovitaminosis, supplementation.
