Naked Science Forum

Non Life Sciences => Chemistry => Topic started by: Marika on 29/06/2018 09:17:56

Title: Will sodium bicarbonate destroy the health benefits of vitamin c in lemon juice?
Post by: Marika on 29/06/2018 09:17:56

Pade wants to know:

Will sodium bicarbonate destroy the health benefits of vitamin c in lemon juice?

What do you think?

Title: Re: Will sodium bicarbonate destroy the health benefits of vitamin c in lemon juice?
Post by: chiralSPO on 30/06/2018 07:33:11

By itself, no.

Vitamin C (also known as ascorbic acid), is deprotonated by sodium bicarbonate, producing sodium ions, ascorbate ions, water, and carbon dioxide. In your blood and cells, the pH is sufficiently high that vitamin C exists predominantly as ascorbate anyway, so mere deprotonation is not sufficient to deactivate it.

However, ascorbate is more easily oxidized than is ascorbic acid. Prolonged exposure to air will destroy ascorbic acid (especially in the presence of heat and/or light). Ascorbate will decompose much more quickly.

Title: Re: Will sodium bicarbonate destroy the health benefits of vitamin c in lemon juice?
Post by: thinkaroo on 30/06/2018 17:52:09

Interesting question and reply. Why would one want to combine bicarbonate and lemon juice, anyway?

Title: Re: Will sodium bicarbonate destroy the health benefits of vitamin c in lemon juice?
Post by: Bored chemist on 30/06/2018 18:46:54

Quote from: thinkaroo on 30/06/2018 17:52:09

Interesting question and reply. Why would one want to combine bicarbonate and lemon juice, anyway?

To make a fizzy dink?