Vitamin C in fruit juice and health benefits

Vitamin C is defined as hexuronic acid, cevitamin acid or xiloascorbic acid. The term vitamin C is commonly used to describe all these compounds even though the representative of which is ascorbic acid.

Citrus fruits provide about 51% of vitamin C and also large quantities of some carotenoids: 68% for β-cryptoxanthin and 43% for zeaxanthin.

Many factors influence the vitamin C content of citrus fruits such as lemon. Decadence of ascorbic acid earnings both aerobic and anaerobic pathways and appertain to many factors such as oxygen, heat, light, storage temperature and storage time.

During juice processing, temperature and oxygen are the main factors responsible for vitamin C losses. Non-thermal processed juices retain higher levels of vitamin C.

Regarding packing material, vitamin C in fruit juice is quite stable when stored in metal or glass containers, whereas juice stored in plastic bottles has a much shorter shelf-life.

This water soluble vitamin contributes to many health benefits such as prevention of scurvy and cancer, relief from common cold, stimulate collagen synthesis and play a significant role in wound healing process. Deficiency of this vitamin in the body causes many diseases such as scurvy.
Vitamin C in fruit juice and health benefits

Fruit juice with vitamin C

Vitamin C is one of the most important vitamins in plant foods not only for its nutritional role in human diet but also for its high antioxidant capacity. Most fruits and vegetables contain very high proportions of water which makes them easy to squeeze or pulverize into a juice.

Depending on the fruit or vegetable from which it is made, the juice may provide some vitamin A and/or C. The vitamin C of fruits increases until just before ripening and then declares, due to the action of an enzyme, ascorbic acid oxidase.

When fruits are cooked, much of the ascorbic acid transfers from the tissue into the liquid and may be oxidised, oxidation occurring more easily in iron, copper or badly tinned vessels.

Vitamin C prevents the deficiency disease scurvy, and is particularly abundant in citrus fruits such as oranges, lemons and limes. Orange juice is the principal source of vitamin C daily intake in developed countries.

Fruit juices come to market in cans, bottles and cartons. They arrive fresh, as frozen concentrates, or in powdered forms that often contain added sugar.
Fruit juice with vitamin C