Citric acid, perhaps, is the most popular nutritional supplement which will always be practically in each house. Many hostesses know various methods of application of this substance in various other household purposes (besides cookery). However its properties are so diverse and surprising that It is necessary to tell about it in more detail.
General characteristic and formula
The chemical name of substance for certain will seem to the nonspecialist hard to pronounce. Try to make without preliminary training: two - oxy - one - two - three - propantrikarbonovaya acid or, being on a visit, ask the neighbor to give you IT to add to okroshka. By the way, the English option sounds much more simply: sitrik asid (citric acid).
Not less impressively also the substance formula looks: HOOC-CH2-C(OH)COOH-CH2-COOH or (HOOCCH2)2C(OH)COOH or, if simply — C6H8O7. For those who though remembers school lessons of chemistry, from this formula clearly a little that it is about organic matter. Three atoms of carbon, six atoms of oxygen and three atoms of hydrogen in it form three carboxyl groups (SOON), that is it is about the three-main carbonic acid.
However, for our article, not names and formulas, and first of all, physical properties of this substance are interesting.
Whether you know? Substance received the name thanks to the fact that it was for the first time selected from juice of not quite ripe lemons. We are obliged by this discovery, important for all mankind, which was made in far 1784 to the Swedish chemist and the druggist Karl Sheele.
As substance looks, all know. It is white crystal powder. In a dry form it has temperature of melting of +153 °C, its density of 1.542 g/cm3.
It is perfectly dissolved in water, even at the room temperature of 100 ml of water it is possible to dissolve 132 g of substance, besides, not bad it is dissolved in ethyl, methyl and propyl alcohol, fluorine hydride, formic acid, ethyl oxide, dioxane, a dimethyl sulfoxide. It is not dissolved in chloroform, toluene, carbon sulfur, benzene.
At a temperature of +175 °C substance forms akonitovy (A) and atsetondikarbonovy (B) acids in mix, and at the subsequent heating — itaconic acid (it is formed at the expense of an otshchepleniye of one particle of hydrogen).
At dry distillation there is a substance dekarboksilization (otshchepleniye of carbon dioxide and evaporation of water), acetone and anhydrides of itaconic and tsitrakonovy acid is as a result formed, and when calcinating with alkali — salts of oxalic and acetic acid.
Learn also how such acids as: amber, lipoyevy, orotovy, paraaminobenzoic, folic, pangamovy, pantothenic, influence a human body.
Salts of citric acid (citrates) are formed due to hydrogen replacement with the acylic rest of RCO.
Because of remoteness from each other of extreme carboxyl groups substance not too actively enters various chemical reactions in this connection it is considered weak acid.
Sources of citric acid
The considered organic matter is rather widespread in the nature, and it is not only in lemons where its quantity can reach 8%, but also in other citrus.
In addition, citric acid is also in:
- vegetables (tomatoes, artichokes, some grades of pepper);
- fruit (apricots, plums);
- berries (practically everything, except bilberry: raspberry, strawberry, gooseberry, cranberry, barberry, cherry);
- needles, Chinese magnolia vine, cotton and rustic tobacco. It is interesting that there is it and at tissues of many protozoa.
Important! The sourish taste to the majority of vegetables and fruit is given by not lemon, but ascorbic acid (vitamin C).
It is necessary to tell that earlier (up to the 20th years of the XX century) organic additive was received, nevertheless, mainly, from lemons. However such way is rather expensive pleasure: to receive 100 kg of substance, it is necessary to process not less than four tons of a valuable citrus.
Therefore today it is synthesized in the artificial way. For this purpose sugary substances, waste of sugar production, artificially infect with a special mold mushroom of the sort Aspergillius niger (for convenience very often such production is carried out directly at the sugar plants).
In what advantage of additive
Citric acid as nutritional supplement has the mass of useful properties. As well as vitamin C, this substance is the strongest natural antioxidant, and, so promotes strengthening of protection against negative factors of the external environment. In moderate doses it does not affect mucous membranes of digestive system, but perfectly stimulates its work, besides, promotes removal of hazardous substances, free radicals, salts and an other muck (including alcoholic toxins thanks to what it is used at a hungover syndrome), development of atypical cages oppresses and even improves sight.
It is useful to know what vitamins should be accepted at a climax, at problems with sight, at pregnancy, when breastfeeding, at diabetes, for increase in immunity, for increase in growth, for hair, nails, for memory and a brain, for joints and ligaments, for heart and vessels, for a liver.
Getting into a stomach and being soaked up in blood, acid has the stimulating effect on work of all exchange processes for this reason it is often used in various techniques of fast and healthy weight loss.
It will be interesting to men to learn that this nutritional supplement promotes improvement of quality of sperm and, respectively, does approach of pregnancy by more probable. By the way, mother expecting the birth of the kid, on the contrary, should refrain from the use of citric acid, especially if pregnancy is followed by heartburn, nausea, pressure jumps and allergic dermatitis.
Scopes of E330
In the industry citric acid is known as E330 nutritional supplement (officially registered food symbol).
Whether you know? It is interesting that in the 70th years of the last century E330 nutritional supplement was included in the so-called Vilzhyuifsky list as the substance hazardous to health (carcinogen). The undeserved charges managed to be dropped against it finally only in twenty years, and up to this point all civilized Europe and even many states of African and the Middle East considered it poison.
Fortunately, today doubts are finally disseminated, and E330 organic matter with success is applied not only in the food industry and in life, but even in cosmetology and medicine.
In medicine
The ability of E330 nutritional supplement to improve power exchange found practical application in pharmaceutical industry.
Sodium salt of citric acid (sodium citrate, official E331 symbol) is a reliable tool for stabilization of reserves of blood and also for treatment of cystitis. The same medicine is applied when performing laboratory blood tests to determination of the speed of subsidence of erythrocytes (SSE).
Traditional medicine recommends to use 30% solution of citric acid for rinsing of a throat at a tonsillitis. As an alternative method it is possible to use also a usual lemon, it needs to be chewed and swallowed just slowly, having thrown back the head. Antioxidant and bactericidal properties of acid will help to accelerate recovery process.
In cosmetology
E330 organic matter is obligatory ingredient of a huge amount of cosmetics
One of the reasons of such popularity of additive — its ability to regulate level rn in a product. Thus, besides the general improvement of functional effect of cosmetics, also preserving effect is reached.
Important! It agrees to the standards existing in certain countries, E330 additive can not be specified in structure of a product if it is applied in it only as the regulator rn. Thus, when using favourite cosmetics we can not know that at it there is a citric acid.
Nevertheless, in cosmetology this acid performs also a set of other functions. It helps to bleach skin, to expand its time, to peel dead cells of epidermis. Being a natural component, substance at the same time very seldom causes intolerance and other negative reactions. Antioxidant properties allow to provide smoothing of wrinkles and cumulative effect of rejuvenation.
In E330 detergents promotes the best foaming, and in hair-dyes — to increase in saturation of color.
Also various derivatives of citric acid, its salt and air are not less popular in cosmetology (citrates of potassium, aluminum, diammonium, iron, magnesium, zinc, etc.). Air, due to formation of a thin protective film on skin, provides maintaining its humidity thanks to what they are often added to composition of the moisturizing creams. And here, for example, such air as tributiltsitrat is applied even in plastic surgery.
In combination with certain E330 minerals also forms the substances having the knitting effect (treatment of eels, cares for the fat and combined skin), (hairsprays) providing fixing of a cosmetic product at dispersion interfering formation of a scale (additives in toothpastes) regulating acid-base balance and so forth.
In cosmetology often also use oil such plants as rosemary, a sea-buckthorn, unab, hemp, a sandalwood, a linden and also a peach, jojoba, walnut, orange and a lemon.
In house recipes of beauty acid found not less broad application, than in professional cosmetology. With its help cleanings, degreasing and skin lightening, including from various pigmentary spots are carried out. Addition of substance in hand baths promotes strengthening of a nail plate and provides food to skin. In masks for hair the sour crystals are necessary for giving of gloss and silkiness (for this purpose it is possible just to rinse hair with water with addition of lemon juice).
In dietology
Use of citric acid for weight loss, as a rule, is based on its ability to burn fats. Actually it — no more than the myth.
Important! Citric acid does not burn fats but only accelerates exchange processes.
Nevertheless, nutritional supplement after all has nutritional properties. Stimulating metabolism, accelerating a blood-groove and bringing excess salt and liquid out of an organism, substance improves quality of work of digestive system, and increase in viscosity of saliva promotes a loss of appetite.
Nevertheless, it is necessary to approach drawing up diets on the basis of citric acid carefully as at misuse it can:
- to cause irritation of mucous membranes of a throat and digestive system;
- to lead to dehydration and an issushivaniye of an organism;
- to provoke developing of an ulcer and even oncological diseases of digestive tract.
For achievement of desirable effect the nutritionists recommend to provide the healthy and balanced nutrition, having excluded salty, smoked and fried, and at the same time to drink water with the citric acid dissolved in it, gradually increasing concentration of substance in water from a half of a teaspoon by 300 ml of water to a teaspoon on a glass.
Learn what diet is useful to a brain and what to adhere to a diet at pimples.
In life
Sour crystals perfectly help to remove a scum from ware in this connection many hostesses apply this means to cleaning of teapots and pans. On a bottom of capacity a small amount of water (the polluted surface has to be completely covered) is poured, then 30 g of acid are filled up. Ware is put on fire, water is carried to boiling and merges. The bottom remains specularly clean, and all scum leaves together with water.
For strengthening of effect after that it is recommended to fill in completely capacity in the pure new portion and again to boil already without any additives.
It is important! If to add a little substance to a vase with water before putting in it a bouquet, cut flowers will remain fresh much longer: acid will kill microbes, will preserve stalks and will in addition feed them.
This means also is applied to cleaning of washing machines and irons.
Contraindications and harm
As well as any other acid, E330 additive is not absolutely harmless, however the danger is concealed in itself, first of all, by its misuse and overdose.
Initially mucous membranes suffer from excess of substance. Symptoms of overdose lemon (as well as ascorbic) acids are:
- severe pains and spasms in a stomach or in a stomach;
- cough;
- nausea and vomiting, sometimes with blood;
- diarrhea (in hard cases — with bloody impregnations);
- puffiness;
- the increased sweating;
- loss of appetite;
- increased fatigue;
- yellowing of leather and eye proteins;
- the speeded-up urination;
- increase in body temperature;
- headaches;
- increase in arterial blood pressure;
- change of an emotional state from nervousness and concern to weakness and apathy.
Important! Theoretically the overdose by citric acid can lead to a lethal outcome. So, a lethal dose of medicine for rats and mice 6-7 g of substance are considered, and 20 g of additive are capable to kill the adult.
The long uncontrolled use of citric acid can, besides, lead to destruction of tooth enamel.
Even in moderate quantities additive can do harm to the people having digestive tract diseases in an aggravation stage it is especially dangerous at an ulcer.
For treatment of digestive tract use zabrus, a spirulina, a black mountain ash, potato juice, a mushroom of a chag, propolis, a clover meadow, a hyssop medicinal, a thistle
So, citric acid is the excellent assistant in the solution of household problems, is very widely applied in cookery and cosmetology, besides, is used in medicine and dietology. In order that this substance did not do harm, it is enough to observe only usual precautionary measures and not to allow overdose at the additive use.