WHAT IS ASCORBATE?
As you all know my current passion project is antioxidants and free radicals. To catch you up, free radicals are compounds in the body that cause damage and inflammation. Antioxidants combat these free radicals and protect the body from damage. Some of these antioxidants are endogenous meaning they are created by the body. On the other hand, we have exogenous antioxidants that the body cannot create and must be obtained through the diet. One such exogenous antioxidant is ascorbate (vitamin C).
VITAMIN C’s ROLE IN EXTRACELLULAR ANTIOXIDANT REACTIONS
Vitamin C is a highly versatile antioxidant and antitoxin. It is most highly concentrated in the lungs and brain. Because it is not created by the body, it has a hard time getting inside the cells. Therefore, it does most of its scavenging extracellularly (outside of the cell). But this is not a bad thing. Most antioxidant enzymes are located inside of the cells and are not able to optimally protect the exterior surface of the cell (the cell membrane is actually known as the "brain" of the cell and is crucial to function and survival).
VITAMIN C HELPS OTHER ANTIOXIDANTS
What is interesting about vitamin C is that its role in antioxidant defense is linked to other antioxidant factors. For example, in the case of vitamin E. Vitamin E is a major antioxidant obtained through our diet. When it comes in contact with a free radical, it neutralizes it by becoming oxidized (gaining an electron) and is transformed into its inactive form tocopheryl quinone radical. When vitamin E is oxidized, it is unable to perform its role of neutralizing free radicals. This is where vitamin C comes in. Vitamin C is able to reduce (take an electron) from tocopheryl quinone radical which reactivates it to the active form of vitamin E. In the process of this happening, vitamin C becomes the inactive form dehydroascorbate. Glutathione (another antioxidant) comes along and reactivates vitamin C to its active form (which is really freaking cool). So not only is vitamin C an antioxidant on its own, but it is able to aid other antioxidants (such as vitamin E) in neutralization of damaging free radicals.
VITAMIN C IN THE GUT
Vitamin C is also found in the GI tract. Vitamin C binds to nitrite compounds to prevent the formation of carcinogenic nitrosamines. It also acts as a "dummy" target for carcinogens and reactive environmental pollutant compounds. This is crucial because we know these toxic, reactive compounds will attack something. Vitamin C serves as the sacrifice to protect the body's tissues from damage caused by these compounds.
HOW MUCH SHOULD I TAKE?
The recommended daily amount of vitamin C is 65-90 milligrams. However, it is reported that for optimal antioxidant defense, higher levels of vitamin C are needed. How much vitamin C should we take? In short, we don't really know. High doses of vitamin C are very unlikely to cause damage and the worst case scenario for too much vitamin C is diarrhea and nausea.
At this time we should reflect and be grateful for all the amazing built in protective mechanisms our bodies have. Without these protective mechanisms, humans would not be here today. If these mechanisms are compromised, free radical damage will propagate and we will see systemic inflammation leading to chronic disease and dysfunction. If you want to be really healthy and proactive, you need to give your body the proper tools to aid antioxidant function.