citric acid

[dragonstar57]

what do citrus plants/fruits use the acid for?

can it be metabolized by the plant/fruit or an animal/person?

Edited January 27, 2011 by dragonstar57

[hypervalent_iodine]

We not only have the ability to metabolise it, we have to. So do plants. It forms a part of Kreb's cycle - aka the citric acid cycle - which is used for cellular respiration.

[Mr Skeptic]

I suspect that the excess of citric acid in citrus fruits might be for flavoring or something, although all plants and animals do have some for metabolism. (it's not the same as vitamin C by the way)

[dragonstar57]

so its good for you?

[Mr Skeptic]

Well without it you die. But your body can make all it needs. Much like cholesterol. Does that make it good for you?

[dragonstar57]

i mean the citric acid in citrus fruits in addition what your body makes?

does it help anything to eat citrus? particularly those hight in citric acid rather than the ones low in it.

[lemur]

i mean the citric acid in citrus fruits in addition what your body makes?

does it help anything to eat citrus? particularly those hight in citric acid rather than the ones low in it.

 

Is this lemons and limes we're talking about here? I think lemons can harm the enamel of teeth making them sensitive. I have sort of a vague sense that sour lemons, etc. cause some neural-electrical effects when they give you goosebumps, but I know that is subjective and I wonder if someone else knows the bio-chemistry of what I'm talking about. I think vitamin C is ascorbic acid, but somehow I thought citric acid was the same. I'm really just talking from vague distant impressions, though, so I could be mixing up words, ideas, or who knows what.

[hypervalent_iodine]

Is this lemons and limes we're talking about here? I think lemons can harm the enamel of teeth making them sensitive. I have sort of a vague sense that sour lemons, etc. cause some neural-electrical effects when they give you goosebumps, but I know that is subjective and I wonder if someone else knows the bio-chemistry of what I'm talking about. I think vitamin C is ascorbic acid, but somehow I thought citric acid was the same. I'm really just talking from vague distant impressions, though, so I could be mixing up words, ideas, or who knows what.

 

Vitamin C is ascorbic acid, but that is not the same as citric acid. Structurally and metabolically they are very different.

[steevey]

Citric also is also what helps make your skin. Keeps stuff out, helps build other compounds, etc. Unless, am I thinking of vitamin C?

Edited January 27, 2011 by steevey

[DeltaScience]

Well actually the citric acid is very important almost for every living organism, as they said here is an esential part of the krebs cycle, is also important for the regulation of the glycolisis, and I think in plants its most used as a bacteriocide, to protect the fruits and seeds from infections and as an atractive smell and flavour for birds and other animals to eat the fruit and so spread the seeds.

 

Greets!

[CaptainPanic]

Vitamin C and Citric acid are not the same.

 

Citric acid is a component which plays a vital role in the combustion of sugars in the body. So, it's basically part of the engine that runs inside of us. Here's the complete overview of the engine, and here's a zoom in on the citric acid cycle (also called Krebs cycle). Sorry for using simple words for a complicated mechanism...

 

Vitamin C is also an acid (that's where the confusion might come from), and is used in the body for multiple things, but not in our main energy cycles.

 

Also, citrus fruits are acidic from the citric acid - but also happen to have a relatively high vitamin C content. However, the vitamin C content might be high compared to many other fruits, but it's way too low to account for the acidity of the fruit.

p.s. I voted for 'yes' in the poll, because I hadn't read the first post, but only the poll.

Edited January 27, 2011 by CaptainPanic

[dragonstar57]

Vitamin C and Citric acid are not the same.

 

Citric acid is a component which plays a vital role in the combustion of sugars in the body. So, it's basically part of the engine that runs inside of us. Here's the complete overview of the engine, and here's a zoom in on the citric acid cycle (also called Krebs cycle). Sorry for using simple words for a complicated mechanism...

 

Vitamin C is also an acid (that's where the confusion might come from), and is used in the body for multiple things, but not in our main energy cycles.

 

Also, citrus fruits are acidic from the citric acid - but also happen to have a relatively high vitamin C content. However, the vitamin C content might be high compared to many other fruits, but it's way too low to account for the acidity of the fruit.

p.s. I voted for 'yes' in the poll, because I hadn't read the first post, but only the poll.

so is it good for you to consume citric acid?

[Mr Skeptic]

Sugar also ends up in the citric acid cycle, as does fat. My guess is citric acid would be treated as just another source of calories, much like sugar but much more acidic and without fine regulation at the blood.

[John Cuthber]

I think there should be an option for "it's a perfectly good question, but a dumb poll"

[dragonstar57]

I think there should be an option for "it's a perfectly good question, but a dumb poll"

now there is