Vitamin C

Vitamin C

Vitamin C deficiency is rare, especially in developed countries. However, it may result from malnutrition or a diet devoid of fresh fruit and vegetables. Anorexia or an overly restrictive diet can also cause deficiency.

Other potential causes of vitamin C deficiency include underlying health conditions that affect nutrient absorption, such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Smoking can also increase the risk of deficiency, so smokers need to take more vitamin C daily to meet their needs.

What are the Symptoms?

Vitamin C deficiency (scurvy) is not a common condition, as many foods in the daily diet contain vitamin C. However, one’s eating habits play a decisive role.

Inadequate intake of vitamin C in the daily diet can cause some diseases, while some diseases can reduce the absorption of vitamin C (scurvy).

For example, insulin facilitates the uptake of vitamin C into the cell. In patients with diabetes, insulin resistance causes vitamin C not to be easily absorbed into cells. Therefore, the number of vitamins that should be taken daily in patients with diabetes is higher than in a healthy person.

The most common causes of vitamin C deficiency (scurvy) are known; malnutrition, alcoholism, anorexia, smoking addiction and dialysis. Also, excessive use of antibiotics, bacterial infections, liver failure can cause deficiency by adversely affecting the absorption of vitamin C in the body.

Symptoms :

• Dry skin
• The weakness of hair strands (breakage, rupture)
• Bleeding gums
• Nose bleeding
• Late healing of wounds
• The weakening of the immune system
• Muscle-joint pain
• Easily formed bruises on the skin
• Unexplained sudden weight loss
• Fatigue, weakness

How to Prevent?

At this point, you may be wondering how you can increase your vitamin C level. The easiest and most effective treatment for vitamin C deficiency is to start changing your diet.

In terms of vitamin C, especially the content of fruits and vegetables is high and usually, only a few servings are sufficient to meet your daily needs. Some of the best sources of vitamin C are:

• Red pepper
• Kiwi
• Green pepper
• Oranges
• Strawberry
• Papaya
• Broccoli
• Ornamental cabbage
• Black cabbage
• Cauliflower
• Grapefruit
• Tangerines
• Lemon

In some cases, reinforcement may also be recommended to treat a deficiency. Adult men are recommended to take at least 90 milligrams of vitamin C per day and adult women to take at least 75 milligrams of vitamin C per day. However, these needs are increasing in smokers as well as in pregnant or breastfeeding women.

If you suspect a vitamin deficiency, it is best to consult a trusted healthcare professional to determine the best treatment for you.