Ascorbic Acid Intake Research Articles

Ascorbic Acid in Orange Juice

To the Editor.— The article Bioavailability of Ascorbic Acid in Orange Juice by Horowitz et al (235:2624, 1976) gives some useful information on the amount active and inactive ascorbic acid in fresh, frozen concentrate, and pasteurized orange juice. However, the authors should have indicated that the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) of ascorbic acid for adult men and for nonpregnant and nonlactating women is 45 mg. 1 Therefore, the 39 mg/100 ml of active ascorbic acid in the pasteurized orange juice, though substantially less than the values found for the fresh and frozen concentrate forms, provides almost the recommended intake of ascorbic acid per day if 100 ml is consumed. A diet that would include other fruits, tomatoes, potatoes, and leafy vegetables, together with the pasteurized orange juice, would certainly provide the recommended intake of ascorbic acid. Furthermore, a recent market research survey indicated that orange juice remains the most popular

C-6 oxidation of ascorbic acid: A major metabolic process in animals

Metabolic activity of the C-6 carbon of ascorbic acid has been examined using two experimental methods. 43% of the label from ascorbic-6- 3H acid is converted to water in the monkey after i.v. injection. The rate of formation of 3H 2O corresponds to the rate of excretion of organic ascorbate metabolites in the urine as measured using ascorbic-6- 3H or ascorbic-6- 14C acid. Periodate degradations of whole urine from rats or monkeys given ascorbic-6- 14C acid by i.v. injection show that 45% of the labeled metabolites do not give formaldehyde from the C-6 carbon, indicating the C-6 carbon is no longer a primary alcohol or that the C-5 and/or C-6 hydroxyl groups are derivitized. There is no significant excretion of 14CO 2 in these experiments indicating the metabolites do not enter general carbohydrate catabolism. The combination of these results show that about 45% of the C-6 carbon of ascorbic acid is oxidized in vivo. Because the monkeys had an adequate dietary intake of ascorbic acid and the rats synthesize ascorbic acid as needed, the results also indicate that the precursor of the oxidation is a slowly exchanging form of ascorbic acid in which the C-6 carbon is in the primary alcohol oxidation state.

Effect of nutrition education on the nutritional status of low-income pregnant women of Mexican descent

Low-income pregnant women of Mexican descent were studied to determine whether their food habits could be improved by nutrition education. Biochemical indices of nutritional status were also investigated. Twenty-four-hour dietary recalls were obtained at an initial interview and again at a final interview after a nutrition education program, which was offered to a randomly selected treatment group. At the initial interview, the mean nutrient intakes that were most often below two-thirds of the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) were iron, vitamin A, thiamin, and calcium. The mean energy value of the diets was also frequently below the RDA. At the final intakes, although the mean energy values and the calcium and carbohydrate of both the control and treatment groups increased significantly, the following improvements in dietary intakes were seen only within the treatment group: 1) there were significant increases in the mean intake of protein, ascorbic acid, niacin, riboflavin, and thiamin, 2) there were significant decreases in the percentage of intakes below two-thirds of the RDA for ascorbic acid and riboflavin, and 3) there was a significant decrease in the incidence of multiple low nutrient intakes. These dietary improvements, which occurred only in the treatment group, suggest the effectiveness of the nutrition education program. The most common biochemical deficiencies were of folic acid, thiamin, and riboflavin. Except for an improvement in mean serum folate levels, the biochemical indices for the treatment group did not appear to be influenced by the nutrition education. It is possible that the vitamin and mineral supplements which were taken by 80% of the women could have obscured improvements in biochemical indices which may have been due to the education program.

Mutogenic action of ascorbic acid.

MICROBIAL1, mammalian2,3 and human4,5 bioassays are being applied to uncover the mutagenic action of synthetic compounds which have been introduced accidently or intentionally into the environment. Somewhat less attention has been given to the potential genetic hazard of chemicals which are an essential part of human nutrition or are formed within mammalian tissues and organs. Ascorbic acid belongs to this group of “neglected” naturally occurring compounds, although its capacity to form radicals and its interaction with viral6 and bacterial7 DNA should have raised suspicion about its possible mutagenic capacity. Considering the large daily intake of ascorbic acid, its addition to many food products8 and its potential use as an inhibitor of the intragastric formation of N-nitroso compounds8,9 and nitrosamine formation in food products10, its action on the genome of human cells requires investigation. We here present evidence, from several experimental systems, suggesting that vitamin C, particularly in the presence of copper, has a mutagenic effect.

Letter: Ascorbic acid effects on erythrocytes.

Comments and Corrections1 April 1976Ascorbic Acid Effects on ErythrocytesCHARLES E. MENGEL, M.D., HARRY L. GREENE JR., M.D.CHARLES E. MENGEL, M.D.Search for more papers by this author, HARRY L. GREENE JR., M.D.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-84-4-490_1 SectionsAboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail ExcerptTo the editor: A recent communication in this journal (1) concerning a patient with G-6-PD deficiency who apparently suffered an episode of hemolysis after the administration of intravenous doses of ascorbic acid prompted us to review the results of a study done in our laboratory a few years ago, but not previously reported.We had been concerned by the use of large quantities of ascorbic acid in some persons. Our studies in mice showed an untoward in-vivo effect of ascorbic acid, or aspirin, or both, on erythrocytes (2). Subsequently, we studied the effect of ingestion of ascorbic acid on erythrocytes...

Pharmacokinetics of ascorbic acid in man

The pharmacokinetic characteristics of ascorbic acid have been investigated in normal adult volunteers, using a two-compartment open model. After oral administration in a normal gelatine capsule the bioavailability of ascorbic acid was 69%. It was 98% when a sustained-release preparation was given in an identical capsule. During daily oral intake of ascorbic acid 1 g in the sustained-release form blood levels reached the equilibrium state within 3 days. Daily doses of ascorbic acid 1 g resulted in tissue saturation in 7 days, with a profound change in the pharmacokinetics of the vitamin. The binding of ascorbic acid to plasma proteins was low (≃24%). Its significance for the pharmacokinetic behaviour of the drug is discussed.

False-negative stool occult blood tests caused by ingestion of ascorbic acid (vitamin C).

In a female patient with unexplained anemia, ascorbic acid ingestion and apparent false-negative occult blood tests were related. When she stopped ascorbic acid, her stools became strongly reactive ("4+") by three tests for occult stool blood; this association was observed repeatedly. A test developed to measure stool occult blood in the presence of ascorbic acid remained reactive throughout this observation, and the observation was confirmed by in-vitro studies. Current tests for occult blood depend on the pseudoperoxidase activity of heme and are inhibited by low levels of ascorbic acid. Reducing substances chemically similar to ascorbic acid also inhibits occult blood tests; oxidized ascorbic acid and sulfhydryl reducing agents do not inhibit them at physiologic levels.

Comparison of the nutritional status of pregnant adolescents with adult pregnant women. II. Anthropometric and dietary findings

Weight, triceps and subscapular skinfold measurements, and mean intakes of 11 nutrients and calories were evaluated for 102 pregnant women in four age groups. The increase in weight during the antepartum period was the only significant finding for anthropometric measurements. Comparison of antepartum group means showed the two younger groups, 12-17 and 18-19 years, had higher intakes of calories, protein, fat, carbohydrate, calcium, phosphorus, and iron than the two older groups, 20-24 and 25-32. The two older groups had higher mean intakes of vitamin A, thiamin, niacin, and ascorbic acid, most of them significantly so. In the postpartum period, there were no significant differences among age groups for mean intakes of calories, protein, fat, carbohydrate, or phosphorus. The two older groups had the higher mean intakes of the remaining nutrients. There were no significant differences among age groups for any of the nutrients with respect to level of education. Regardless of age, the subjects attending the low-cost clinic had a mean intake of iron significantly higher than those having private physicians, while the latter had a mean ascorbic acid intake significantly higher than that of the clinic group.

A dietary survey of older people in Edinburgh.

1. Dietary histories covering 1 week were obtained from 212 men and 263 women, aged 62--90 years, who formed a random sample of the older people living in a defined area of Edinburgh. The histories were validated by 2 d weighed-diet records for 219 of the subjects. 2. Nutrient intakes are given as mean values and standard deviations, and as percentage distributions of intake relative to the recommended intakes of nutrients. Intakes are also related to factors which might affect diet adversely. 3. Mean values obtained suggested that intakes were less than recommended intakes for more nutrients for women than for men, particularly values for energy and vitamin D. Values for percentage distributions indicated that a substantial proportion of all subjects had low intakes of ascorbic acid and vitamin D, that the energy intake of many women was low and that for most nutrients a greater proportion of men than of women had the recommended intake. Factors assocIATED With significant proportions of subjects with less than the recommended intakes were mental illness in women and deafness and severe dyspnoea in men. 4. Possible action to improve the diet of the elderly is discussed.

Ascorbic Acid and Vitamin B12 Deficiency

To the Editor.— Drs Herbert and Jacob made the observation that ascorbic acid (vitamin C) in quantities in excess of 0.5 gm will destroy between 50% and 95% of vitamin B 12 content in food (230:241, 1974). During the past six months, we have been able to assess the vitamin B 12 concentrations in serum as well as in the peripheral blood smears in 90 subjects at Cleveland Metropolitan General Hospital, all taking more than 500 mg of ascorbic acid daily. These subjects responded to publicity concerning the possible danger of megadose ascorbic acid ingestion. Three subjects, aged 50 to 60 years, had been taking a minimum of 1,000 mg of ascorbic acid with each meal for more than three years. These three subjects did show subnormal serum vitamin B 12 concentrations ranging from 65 to 100 pg/ml. Two of the three had hypersegmented neutrophils and occasional ovalomacrocytes, although none

Major nutrients in the Type A lunch1: II. Amounts consumed by students

Plate waste from Type A school lunches was collected during the period that fifth, seventh, and tenth grade students ate lunch. Twelve elementary, three junior high, and seven high schools distributed among three geographic regions of North Carolina were included in the sample. Nutrients served and nutrients in plate waste were determined by laboratory analyses of two five-day composites of meals and of waste from each school. Nutrients consumed were determined by difference. Relative to the Type A goal, protein intake was highest; riboflavin and vitamin A values were consumed in satisfactory (one-third or more of the allowances) amounts. Younger students consumed adequate iron and calcium, and calcium intake approached adequacy among older students. High school students consumed only 69 per cent of their goal for iron and 75 per cent of the goal of energy value; among the three groups, however, this was the highest percentage of the goal for energy value consumed. Ascorbic acid intake was least satisfactory for fifth and seventh grade students. Overall, fifth graders consumed a significantly (P less than .01) lower percentage of the nutrients served than the two older groups. With a few exceptions, students consumed 80 to 90 per cent of the various nutrients which were served: 62 to 66 per cent of the vitamin A value served was consumed; fifth grade students consumed only 77 per cent of the iron served; and the two younger groups consumed only 69 per cent of the ascorbic acid served. Although the most marked regional differences in nutrients consumed occurred with vitamin A and ascorbic acid, overall elementary students in the eastern region consumed a significantly (P less than .01) higher percentage of nutrients served than did those in other two regions.

Effects of ascorbic acid on health parameters in guinea pigs.

The maximal response of a selection of ascorbic-acid-dependent parameters to a range of intakes of ascorbic acid has been shown to occur at virtually one level of intake in the present experiments. Further, this response occurred with intakes that produced only 1/2 saturation or less of tissues with ascorbic acid. Excessive intakes did not enhance effects, and, as in the case of serum copper levels, may have a detrimental effect. In view of the known factors that may influence requirements and the intralaboratory variability in experimental conditions, the more reasonable approach to the interpretation of dose response data is likely to relate the response to the accompanying degree of tissue saturation, rather than to an absolute level of ascorbic acid intake.

Longitudinal study of age and cohort influences on dietary patterns.

Dietary data from weighed food intake records were obtained from 35 women 29 years old and older during 4 studies from 1948 to 1966. Longitudinal data were analyzed by the use of a multiple linear-regression model with year of birth and age as independent variables. With increasing age, mean intakes declined significantly for fat, saturated fatty acids, and oleic acid, and increased significantly for calcium. After accounting for cohort effects, no significant changes occurred in mean intakes of food energy, carbohydrate, protein, phosphorus, iron, thiamin, riboflavin, preformed niacin, vitamin A, and ascorbic acid. For successive year of birth, mean intakes increased significantly for protein, calcium, phosphorus, riboflavin, preformed niacin, and linoleic acid. The regression model used explained approximately 20% of the variability in intakes of food energy and most nutrients examined.

Hydrops fetalis associated with erythrocyte G-6-PD deficiency and maternal ingestion of fava beans and ascorbic acid

ERYTHROCYTE g l u c o s e 6 p h o s p h a t e d e h y d r o g e n a s e def ic iency is a well k n o w n cause of n e o n a t a l j aund ice , w h i c h usual ly first appears on the s e c o n d day of life or la ter a n d suggests tha t .the cond i t ions or agen t s respons ible for hemolys i s have b e e n e n c o u n t e r e d pos tpa r tum. Occasional ly , j aund i ce is p r e s e n t shor t ly after b i r t h and the re is an an t ena t a l his tory of m a t e r n a l inges t ion of potent ia l ly hemoly t i c agents . W e repor t here a case o f mat e rna l inges t ion of fava b e a n s a n d ascorbic acid associa ted with hydrops fetalis a n d death .

Dietary survey of low-income, rural families in Iowa and North Carolina . III. Contribution of food groups to nutrients

Percentage contributions of specific food groups indicated in the Basic 4 to protein, calcium, vitamin A, and ascorbic acid in one day's diets of thirty-five Iowa families and twenty-five North Carolina families are reported. All members of the families ate all meals at home. Their diets met or exceeded two-thirds of the 1968 Recommended Dietary Allowances for seven nutrients. Data were collected by the 24-hr. recall method. While the percentage contribution of the meat group to protein intake of the North Carolina families ranged from zero to 84 per cent, that of the Iowa group was from 35 to 85 per cent. The range for the percentage contribution of the milk group to calcium intake of North Carolina families was similar; however, in the Iowa group the range was from 2 to 97 per cent. The vitamin A-rich fruit and vegetable group contributed from zero to 99 per cent for the North Carolina families of vitamin A intake and from zero to 88 per cent for the Iowa group. Ascorbic acid-rich fruits and vegetables contributed from zero to 100 per cent of the ascorbic acid intake of the Iowa group and from zero to 95 per cent in North Carolina families. The results support the argument that the exclusive use of the "Daily Food Guide" or the "Basic 4" to assess nutritional intake of diets may produce biased in formation.

Effect of ascorbic acid on hyaluronidase inhibitor.

THE presence of a physiological inhibitor of hyaluronidase (PHI) in mammalian serum was suggested by Duran-Reynals1 who observed the destruction of spreading factor by blood. Hobby et al.2 and McClean3 later reported the inhibition of microbial and mammalian hyaluronidase by serum. PHI, which is a glycoprotein and sensitive to heat4, has been shown to increase in both bacterial and viral infections, cancer and various liver, kidney and rheumatic diseases4,5. A small increase of PHI has been reported in scorbutic guinea pigs by Shack et al.6. These increases have been suggested5,8 to represent a defence against invasive microorganisms, or a non-specific response to tissue inflammation or destruction4. (Fiszer-Szafarz7 described a hyaluronidase inhibitor in the serum of cancer patients which she believes is different from PHI.) Cameron and Pauling suggested that a high intake of ascorbic acid increases the biosynthesis of PHI, resulting in a decrease in hyaluronidase activity9. Consequently, the invasiveness of proliferative diseases would be prevented by reduced depolymerisation of the intercellular matrix of the proliferating cells. We have investigated the effect of doses of ascorbic acid of 0–1,000 mg kg−1 d−1 on levels of PHI in the serum of guinea pigs. Our results show that PHI is not affected by high levels of dietary ascorbic acid.

Nutritional status of black preschool children in Mississippi . Influence of income, mother's education, and food programs

The nutritional status of 247 black preschoolers in two counties of Mississippi was studied by relating caloric and nutrient intakes and anthropometric measurements to homemaker's education, family income, and participation in Food Stamp and donated food programs..23AUTHOR Low intakes of calories, iron, calcium, vitamin A, and ascorbic acid were found in many of the children, regardless of the variable considered. These findings--in comparison with similar studies--imply that, as time passes, low education and income are having less impact on child nutrition. This ameliorating effect may be due to programs designed to educate parents and extend purchasing power of food dollars. Thus, it seems advisable to continue these programs.?23AUTHOR

The relationship of laboratory parameters to dietary intake in a long-stay hospital.

The dietary intakes of 98 long-stay geriatric patients were measured. These were compared with blood levels of thiamine, pyridoxine, folic acid, ascorbic acid, calcium, phosphate, potassium and albumin. Low leucocyte ascorbic-acid levels were associated with a low intake of ascorbic acid. There was no association between any of the other dietary and laboratory parameters of nutrition. The reasons and significance of these findings are discussed.

Anemia in black preschool children in Mississippi . Dietary and hematologic findings

Protein, iron, and ascorbic acid intakes of black preschoolers were calculated from four-day records and correlated with hematologic findings.

Some inter-relationships between vitamin C (l-ascorbic acid) and mercury in the guinea-pig

Young male guinea-pigs were used to study the interrelationships ofl-xyloascorbic acid (vitamin C) and orally administered mercuric mercury (8 mg Hg2+/kg body weight). Mercury significantly reduced the concentration of ascorbic acid in the brain, adrenals and spleen of animals receiving maintenance doses of the vitamin. Large doses of ascorbic acid resulted in an increased deposition of mercury in the liver and kidney. Mercury administration depressed the growth rate and altered the weights of the liver and kidney, and these changes were not affected by large intakes of ascorbic acid. The mercury-induced adrenal hypertrophy, however, was prevented by large doses of ascorbic acid.