The Effect of the Ingestion of Ascorbic Acid and Dehydroascorbic Acid upon the Blood Levels of These Two Components in Human Subjects

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Abstract
Total ascorbic acid values of fasting serum were consistently higher than ascorbic acid values. The difference gave a dehydroascorbic acid concentration which varied markedly from day to day and ranged from 7 to 41% of the total ascorbic acid values. In general, however, serum with a high concentration of total ascorbic acid (av. 1.50 mg) had a correspondingly high concentration of dehydroascorbic acid (0.39 mg). Similarly, serum with an average of less than 1.00 mg/100 ml total had an average of 0.15 mg dehydroascorbic acid. Following ingestion of either ascorbic acid or dehydro-ascorbic acid there was a rapid rise in total ascorbic acid and ascorbic acid in serum. The increase was independent of the form of the vitamin given. Total ascorbic acid increased an average of 1.02 mg/100 ml serum after 500 mg ascorbic acid. Corresponding values for the increment in ascorbic acid in serum were 0.98 and 0.98 mg/100 ml. Serum dehydroascorbic acid increased after an oral intake of either ascorbic acid or dehydroascorbic acid, and this increase was unaffected by the form of the vitamin given. The original fasting ratio existing between the two forms often remained remarkably constant after ingestion of either form of the vitamin.
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