eng Science and Education Publishing Journal of Food and Nutrition Research 2333-1240 2025-08-01 13 7 266 275 10.12691/jfnr-13-7-5 JFNR20251375 article Moacir C. Andrade Jr moacircoutjr@gmail.com 1 Department of Nutrition and Metabolic Disorders, Faculty of Medicine, Instituto Metropolitano de Ensino (IME), Manaus, Brazil Vitamin C (L-ascorbic acid) is an essential micronutrient that cannot be synthesized or stored by the human body, necessitating regular dietary intake to prevent deficiency-related conditions such as scurvy, which can be life-threatening. This review examines the pathophysiological mechanisms associated with vitamin C deficiency and evaluates current dietary reference intakes (DRIs), major dietary sources, and the role of supplementation in meeting physiological requirements. It also explores the physicochemical and molecular properties of vitamin C that affect its bioavailability, stability, and biological functions. https://pubs.sciepub.com/jfnr/13/7/5/jfnr-13-7-5.pdf acerola ascorbic acid camu-camu food composition tables food processing and technology kakadu plum vitamin C toxicity