Reason Vitamin C Tablet And Suspension Turn Brown

It is very common to encounter vitamin C tablets that have changed colour from its original colour. The final colour is always brown no matter the initial colour. Vitamin C tablets come in white and orange. The brown colour shows that the vitamin C chemical composition has changed.

Oxidised Vitamin C tablet

Character Of Vitamin C

Vitamin C is a clear colourless substance that is water soluble. It is called ascorbic acid containing an unstable form, known as L-ascorbic acid. It is a good supplement found in many fruits and vegetables, including oranges, strawberries, kiwi fruit, bell peppers, broccoli, kale, and spinach.

Function Of Vitamin C

It is an essential vitamin because the body does not manufacture it. It can only be gotten from food or as a supplement.

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It is very important in the body. There are many functions of vitamin C. The most important of them is that it boosts the body's immunity and removes free radicals from the body as antioxidants. It was first discovered to be the cure for seaman's disease, scurvy. This has led many to the consumption of vitamin C in all forms.

Products containing vitamin C are abundant. The most common products are vitamin C tablets and suspension that come in various colours. The most common color is orange. Manufacturers designed it this way because it is very abundant in orange.

Cause Of Vitamin C Colour Change

There are many times vitamin C tablets or the serum in creams have changed colour after buying from the pharmacy. This is because the vitamin C has undergone the process of oxidation (reaction with oxygen) from the unstable L-ascorbic acid form and turned into dehydro-L-ascorbic acid and eventually diketogulonic acid. Dehydro-L-ascorbic acid and diketogulonic colour are yellow down to brown respectively.

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There are three reasons oxidation of vitamin C takes place. When it is exposed to oxygen, light or heat or a combination of two or all three.

Is Oxidised Vitamin C Tablet Bad

There is no research that proves that oxidised vitamin C tablets when swallowed are bad. However, diketogulonic is not known for its antioxidant activity or boost immunity. This means that the tablet will not work and it will not cause any damage. However, some vitamin C may still be in the tablet which may act as an antioxidant or boost immunity. But may not be up to the level expected as the concentration that is required in the body to be effective has been reduced.