CLAIM: 

Sugar in lemonade restricts the body's ability to absorb Vitamin C from lemon juice

FACT: 

Indeed! Glucose from sugar is readily absorbed by the body, blocking the absorption of vitamin C

In many cultures a glass of lemonade is the beverage of choice to beat the summer heat. The humble Shikanji or Nimbu Paani, lemonade’s Indian sobriquet, is also valued for its Vitamin C benefits.

However, a reader on Quora recently questioned whether adding sugar to the lemonade reduced its  Vitamin C benefits. 

“Is it true that glucose restricts the ability to absorb Vitamin C, that is, if you don’t consume glucose then you need less vitamin C?” he asked. 

What is Lemonade?

Lemonade is a home-made drink made by diluting lemon juice with water and sweetening it with sugar, honey or jaggery powder or the like, though variations exist across different cultures and regions. In the US, Canada and India, it is a non-carbonated drink made with fresh lemon juice. It is also called cloudy lemonade and could be served hot as a remedy for congestion and sore throat.

The drink’s chemical composition consists largely of sucrose from the added sugars and Vitamin C (or ascorbic acid) from lemon juice. Minerals such as sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium are also present.  

Other variations of lemonade in other regions also exist: In some parts of South Asia, for instance, some salt is also added, providing the body with sodium,  an essential electrolyte. 

In the middle east, Limonana is conventional lemonade served with mint leaves. A North African variant Cherbat, is made from lemon juice, rose water, and mint.

However, sugars and lemon juice are common to the composition of most of the variations.

So, what is the truth?

Vitamin C, also known as. ascorbic acid is present in lemonade by virtue of lemon juice that is the main component of lemonade. Vitamin C is water-soluble and so cannot be stored in the body but needs to be absorbed by the body immediately. 

"There's a competition between Glucose and Ascorbic acid for absorption. Both glucose (a component of sugars) and vitamin C have similar molecular structures, since ascorbic acid is derived from glucose. This similarity in molecular structures leads to a competition between glucose and ascorbic acid molecules to get absorbed in the body. During this process, glucose blocks the absorption of Vitamin C in the body tissues,” Dr Anusha Nadig, Consultant Endocrinologist at Fortis hospital, in Bangalore told Firstcheck. 

This leads us to conclude that  glucose (derived from added sugars)  does blocks the absorption of vitamin C  (derived from lemon juice)  in the body. 

Also read: Explainer: Why moderation is crucial in caffeine consumption - First Check

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