Biological Interaction of Ascorbic Acid and Mineral Nutrients

In the diet and at the tissue level, ascorbic acid can interact with mineral nutrients. In the intestine, ascorbic acid enhances the absorption of dietary iron and selenium; reduces the absorption of copper, nickel, and manganese; but apparently has little effect on zinc or cobalt. Ascorbic acid fails to affect the intestinal absorption of two toxic minerals studied, cadmium and mercury. At the tissue level, iron overload enhances the oxidative catabolism of ascorbic acid. Thus, the level of dietary vitamin C can have important nutritional consequences through a wide range of inhibitory and enhancing interactions with mineral nutrients.