Vitamin C as a Possible Therapeutic and Prophylactic Agent

Abstract

Vitamin C (VC) is considered a powerful antioxidant and enzyme cofactor that is essential in many biochemical pathways, such as redox reactions and collagen production. Scurvy, a historic disease that caused a large number of deaths among sailors in the 15th and 18th centuries, resulted from a clinical shortage of this essential component. The human body is unable to synthesize this material, so it requires exogenous VC to protect tissue integrity. Nowadays, VC gets a lot of interest due to its importance for various biological activities. An increasing number of articles study the relationship between this vitamin and the incidence of serious diseases, along with the progression and recovery of these diseases. In this review, we explore the effect of deficiency as well as the intake of VC on cancer prognosis, musculoskeletal injuries, skin care, immunity, infections, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer's, and psychiatric diseases. We concluded that VC intake could increase survival time in cancer patients, improve immunity, relieve allergic symptoms, preserve tissue integrity, protect skin from UV harmful effects, fight skin aging, and improve symptoms in neurodegenerative and psychiatric diseases