2024-04-04 16:15:56
Vitamin C is essential for survival. If there is a deficiency, it can be dangerous for the body. How does this happen and what are the symptoms?
Our body needs vitamins – in a variety of forms. An overdose is often only possible through unnatural intake, which is often used to counteract a vitamin deficiency.
The focus of this text is vitamin C. Above all, the questions are how a deficiency of this vitamin can occur and how this is expressed.
What is Vitamin C?
Vitamin C is vital for humans. It is also called ascorbic acid and is good for blood vessels, bones, teeth, connective tissue and the immune system, among other things. For generations, children have learned that they need enough vitamin C to avoid getting sick – even though it has not been scientifically proven that the vitamin protects against colds and other infections. We naturally absorb ascorbic acid through food – for example with black currants, peppers, broccoli, citrus fruits or kiwi.
According to the German Nutrition Society (DGE), vitamin C is also added to many processed foods, for example meat and sausage products, as an additive (antioxidants, E300 to E304, E315 and E316) – to preserve them and retain their original color to obtain. The Federal Ministry of Health also recommends wild local herbs such as sorrel, nettle, wild mallow or dandelion as suppliers of vitamin C.
Preventing deficiency: Why do I need vitamin C?
Vitamin C, or ascorbic acid, is involved in many metabolic processes. It is involved in the construction, growth and repair of connective tissue collagen and bones and teeth. The DGE also explains: “Vitamin C has an antioxidant effect, which means it intercepts harmful compounds such as free radicals and reactive oxygen species and thus protects the cells and molecules in the body from damage.” Ascorbic acid is therefore also important for a normally functioning immune system. During digestion, the vitamin improves the utilization of iron from plant foods.
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How much vitamin C do I need?
How much vitamin C the body needs depends on age and, from adolescence, also on gender. The recommended levels are 20 milligrams per day for infants and children under four years old, rising to 85 milligrams per day for 13 to 15 year olds. The recommended intake for males aged 15 to 19 is 105 milligrams per day and for females it is 90 milligrams per day. Adult men need 110 milligrams, women only 95. Pregnant and breastfeeding women have an increased need. According to the DGE, this recommended intake is exceeded or approximately reached by all age groups in Germany. Anyone who consumes too much vitamin C can suffer from an overdose. This causes physical damage to most vitamins.
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Smokers also need significantly more vitamin C. According to the DGE, they have higher metabolic losses and lower vitamin C concentrations in the blood than non-smokers. “Their turnover of vitamin C is 40 percent higher than that of non-smokers. Based on this, a recommended intake of 135 mg for women and 155 mg for men per day is given for smokers,” writes the DGE.
Vitamin C deficiency: typical symptoms
If these values are not reached, different symptoms can occur depending on the severity of the deficiency:
- fatigue
- weakness
- Imbalance
- weight loss
- Muscle and joint pain
Severe vitamin C deficiency over several months can cause scurvy, formerly known as “seafarers’ disease.” The DGE lists the following symptoms of scurvy:
- poor wound healing
- Joint pain
- Infections
- Tendency to bleeding in the skin, mucous membranes, muscles and internal organs
- Tooth loss
According to that medical lexicon MSD Manual With severe vitamin C deficiency, small children behave unbalanced, have pain when moving and lose their appetite. They do not reach the normal weight for their development. In infants and children, bone growth is restricted and bleeding and anemia occur.
Diagnosis: How is a vitamin C deficiency recognized?
According to that MSD Manual The symptoms mentioned above are used to identify a vitamin C deficiency. For this purpose, the body is examined by a doctor. Similar to other vitamin deficiency symptoms, blood tests can sometimes help to diagnose a deficiency: measuring the vitamin C content in the blood can confirm the suspicion, but according to the medical lexicon, this test is not always feasible. In children, doctors can use X-rays to examine whether bone growth is actually restricted.
What to do? Prevention of vitamin C deficiency
The deficiency can be prevented by consuming the recommended amounts of fresh fruit and vegetables. The DGE gives the following tips for optimal vitamin C intake:
- If possible, consume five portions of vegetables and fruit every day – ideally one portion with each meal (“five a day”).
- Food such as vegetables and fruit should be washed thoroughly, but only briefly. Only steam vegetables briefly to keep vitamin losses to a minimum.
About half a red pepper (75 g) and a small glass of orange juice (125 ml) are enough to get enough vitamin C for a day. In addition, preparations containing vitamin C can supplement your vitamin intake. However, there is a risk of a vitamin C overdose.
Vitamin C: Treatment of deficiency symptoms
If a vitamin C deficiency still occurs, it must be treated. Advice for scurvy MSD Manual to “high doses of vitamin C supplements administered daily followed by a nutrient-rich diet that provides one to two times the daily requirement for vitamin C. The diet should include a higher consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables.”
Most symptoms of vitamin C deficiency disappear after one to two weeks of high vitamin C intake. However, problems with the gums can last longer.
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