Question

Which vitamin is very labile and is easily destroyed during cooking and storage?

• A. Vitamin A
• B. Vitamin B6
• C. Vitamin C
• D. Vitamin K

Hint:

Vitamin C breaks down quickly with heat, air, and storage because it oxidizes very easily, more than the other vitamins listed.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

Step 1: Understand what "labile" means here.
A labile vitamin is one that breaks down easily when exposed to heat, light, air, or long storage, so its amount in food drops quickly once the food is cut, heated, or stored for a while.

Step 2: Recall the chemistry of vitamin C.
Vitamin C, or ascorbic acid, is a water-soluble vitamin that oxidizes very easily in the presence of air and heat. Boiling vegetables, cutting fruit ahead of time, or storing produce for days all speed up this breakdown, which is why fresh, lightly cooked food keeps far more vitamin C than food that has been cooked for a long time or stored for too long.

Step 3: Compare with the other vitamins.
Vitamin A and vitamin K are fat-soluble vitamins and are noticeably more stable to ordinary cooking heat, since they are not as reactive with air and water as vitamin C.
Vitamin B6 is more heat stable than vitamin C as well, though some loss can happen with prolonged processing, it does not break down anywhere near as fast.

Step 4: Final conclusion.
Of the four choices, vitamin C is by far the most easily destroyed by cooking and storage.
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