Vitamin C contributing to the more severe symptoms of scurvy. More generally, the biochemical role of vitamin C is to act as an antioxidant (a reducing agent) by donating electrons to various enzymatic and non-enzymatic reactions. Doing so converts vitamin C to an oxidized state - either as semidehydroascorbic acid or dehydroascorbic acid. These compounds can be restored to a reduced state by glutathione and NADPH-dependent enzymatic mechanisms. In plants, vitamin C is a substrate for ascorbate peroxidase. This enzyme utilizes ascorbate to neutralize toxic hydrogen peroxide (HO) by converting it to water (HO). Scurvy is a disease resulting from a deficiency
Vitamin D and neurology vitamin D blood concentration standard for diagnosing hypovitaminosis D does not exist. In the past, hypovitaminosis D has been defined by blood concentrations lower than 20 ng/ mL. However, in more recent literature many researchers have considered 30 ng/ mL to be an insufficient concentration of vitamin D. Subnormal levels of vitamin D are usually caused by poor nutrition or a lack of sun exposure. Risk factors for hypovitaminosis D include premature birth, darker skin pigmentation, obesity, malabsorption, and older age. The brain requires the use of many neurosteroids to develop and function properly. These molecules are often identified as