9 Your Guide For A Child t July 2022 The Versatile Slice an apple into half, and it turns brown. A copper penny suddenly becomes green, or an iron nail when left outside, will rust. What do all these Antioxidant events have in common? These are examples of a process called oxidation. If the sliced apple is Vitamin dipped in a lemon juice, however, the rate at which the apple turns brown is slowed. It is be- cause the Vitamin C in the lemon juice slows the Vitamin C as an antioxidant, rate of oxidative damage. helps reduce the activity of free Since its discovery 65 years ago, vitamin C has radicals, by products of normal come to be known as a “wonder worker.” Because metabolism which nonetheless of its role in collagen formation and other life-sus- taining functions, Vitamin C serves as a key im- can damage cells and set the mune system nutrient and a potent free-radical stage for aging, degeneration, fighter. This double-duty nutrient has been shown to prevent many illnesses, from everyday ailments and cancer. This article provides such as the common cold to devastating diseases information on the many such as cancer. benefits of Vitamin C as an The water-soluble vitamin C is known in the scien- antioxidant. tific world as ascorbic acid, a term that actually means “without scurvy.” We depend on ascorbic acid for many aspects of our biochemical func- tioning; yet human beings are among only a handful of animal species that cannot produce their own supply of vitamin C. Like these other animals, including primates and guinea pigs, we have no choice but to obtain this nutrient through food or our daily diet. Vitamin C can enhance the body's resistance from different diseases, including infections and certain types of cancer. It strengthens and protects the immune system by stimulating the activity of anti- bodies and immune system cells such as phago- cytes and neutrophils. Vitamin C, as an antioxidant, helps reduce the ac- tivity of free radicals. Free radicals are by-products of normal metabolism which can damage cells and set the stage for aging, degeneration, and