The final product of the Reichstein process is Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), this product has many uses especially in the medical field. Historically Vitamin C was used for treating scurvy, more commonly now it is used to help treat the common cold. Vitamin C has many other medical uses such as helping to treat gum disease, acne and other skin infections, bronchitis, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) disease, stomach ulcers caused by bacteria called Helicobacter pylori, tuberculosis, dysentery (an infection of the lower intestine), skin infections that produce boils (furunculosis), and it is also used for infections of the bladder and prostate.
Some people use vitamin C for depression, thinking problems, dementia, Alzheimer's disease, physical and mental stress, fatigue, and attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Vitamin C is so useful because it is required for the proper development and function of many parts of the body. It also plays an important role in maintaining proper immune function.