Vitamin C - Isolated For The First Time From Peppers

Author: Victoria Aly Time for reading: ~1 minutes Last Updated: August 08, 2022

Vitamin C - Isolated For The First Time From Peppers

Vitamin C was first isolated from red peppers by Hungarian scientist Albert St. George.

Today marks 118 years since the birth of Albert St. George, the discoverer of one of the most important vitamins for the human body - vitamin C.

The Hungarian managed to extract the vitamin from red peppers for the first time, for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize.

Vitamin C, also called ascorbic acid, is a water-soluble vitamin that plays a key role in combating oxidative stress.

Ascorbic acid is also a cofactor for some enzymes involved in collagen synthesis, fatty acid metabolism and energy supply of biochemical processes and others.

The human body cannot get the necessary amounts of the vitamin on its own, which requires its intake from the external environment. Ascorbic acid deficiency can cause scurvy.

Scurvy is a vitamin C vitamin deficiency and is characterized by the appearance of bleeding gums. In the absence of treatment, complications and risk of fatal outcome may occur for the patient.

In the past, scurvy was widespread among sailors due to long voyages and the lack of fresh products containing vitamin C. Once the cause of their illness was established, they were supplied with the necessary amount of vitamin C during their stay through the consumption of citrus fruits.

Nowadays, vitamin C can also be taken in tablet form. Although absorbed extremely quickly by the body, this vitamin can be overdosed and lead to hypervitaminosis.

Symptoms of hypervitaminosis with ascorbic acid are headache, anxiety, insomnia, increased blood sugar levels and blood pressure, lack of honey in the body and others.

Vitamin C - Isolated For The First Time From Peppers

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