Question

Vitamins C and E are antioxidants that protect against attack by oxidants. The antioxidant vitamin needs to snuggle up to the polyunsaturated fatty acid. Predict which antioxidant vitamin will be better at doing this.

Answer 1

Vitamin E is better at snuggling up to polyunsaturated fatty acids compared to Vitamin C.

Step-by-step explanation:

Both Vitamin C and Vitamin E are antioxidants that protect against attack by oxidants. However, in terms of snuggling up to polyunsaturated fatty acids, Vitamin E is better at doing this.

Free radicals react with lipoproteins and unsaturated fatty acids in cell membranes, removing an electron from those molecules and generating a new free radical. Antioxidants react with free radicals to stop these chain reactions. Vitamin E forms a more stable molecule or a less reactive free radical and thus prevents the oxidative degradation of lipids.

In contrast, Vitamin C primarily works in the aqueous (water) phase of cells and is not as effective in directly interacting with unsaturated fatty acids.

Answer 2

Vitamin E

Step-by-step explanation:

Vitamin E is a fat-soluble nutrient present in many foods. In the body, it acts as an antioxidant, by helping to protect cells against damage caused by free radicals. Vitamin E will have greater antioxidant power than Vitamin C, since it is fat soluble, which will allow it to be combined with fatty acids more easily.