Vitamin – C

Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, is a water-soluble nutrient found in some foods. In the body, it acts as an antioxidant, helping to protect cells from the damage caused by free radicals. Free radicals are compounds formed when our bodies convert the food we eat into energy. Ascorbic acid is also used to prevent and treat scurvy (a disease that causes fatigue, gum swelling, joint pain, and poor wound healing from a lack of vitamin C in the body). Ascorbic acid is in a class of medications called antioxidants.

Ascorbic acid is used to prevent or treat low levels of vitamin C in people who do not get enough of the vitamin from their diets. Most people who eat a normal diet do not need extra ascorbic acid. Low levels of vitamin C can result in a condition called scurvy.