Causes of Vitamin C Deficiency | Vitamin C | what are the Symptoms of Vitamin C Deficiency

Causes of Vitamin C Deficiency | Vitamin C | what are the Symptoms of Vitamin C Deficiency | Side Effects of Vitamin C

vitamin C defiVitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin that is necessary for normal growth and development.

Water-soluble vitamins dissolve in water. Leftover amounts of the vitamin leave the body through the urine. That means you need a continuous supply of such vitamins in your diet.

Vitamin C is important to all animals, including humans, because it is vital to the production of collagen. Vitamin C is also important because it helps protect the fat-soluble vitamin A and vitamin E as well as fatty acids from oxidation. Vitamin C prevents and cures the disease scurvy, and can be beneficial in the treatment of iron deficiency anemia.

Collagen is the most ubiquitous substance in the body because it is the most abundant of the fibers contained in connective tissue. Connective tissue gives our body form and supports our organs. To give you an idea of how important collagen is, here is a list of the five types of collagen, and where they are used in the body.

vitamin C defi1What are the Causes of Vitamin C deficiency ?

  • Although scurvy (severe vitamin C deficiency) is uncommon in Western societies, many doctors believe that most people consume less than optimal amounts.
  • Fatigue, easy bruising, and bleeding gums are early signs of vitamin C deficiency that occur long before frank scurvy develops.
  • Smokers have low levels of vitamin C and require a higher daily intake to maintain normal vitamin C levels.
  • Women with preeclampsia have been found to have lower blood levels of vitamin C than women without the condition.
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  • Women who have lower blood levels of vitamin C have an increased risk of gallstones.
  • People with kidney failure have an increased risk of vitamin C deficiency. However, people with kidney failure should take vitamin C only under the supervision of a doctor.
  • What are the Symptoms of Vitamin C Deficiency ?

    1. Unknown sickness began to spread itself amongst us at the strangest sort that was ever heard or seen; inasmuch that some did lose all their strength and could not stand upon their feet; then did their legs sell, their sinews shrunk and became black as coal.

    2. Others also their skins spotted with spots of blood, of a purple color.

    3. It ascended up their ankles, knees, thighs, shoulders, arms and neck. The mouth became stinking; their gums so rotten that the flesh came away to the roots of their teeth, which at last did fall out.

    4. The latter symptom is a result of periodontal disease, which can be caused by vitamin C deficiency as well as other factors.

    vitamin C defi35. Scurvy is the most important disease produced by the deficiency of vitamin C.

    What are the Side Effects of Vitamin C intake ?

  • Vitamin C is generally regarded as safe in amounts obtained from foods. Vitamin C supplements are also generally regarded as safe in most individuals in recommended amounts, although side effects are rarely reported including nausea, vomiting, heartburn, abdominal cramps, and headache.
  • Dental erosion may occur from chronically chewing vitamin C tablets.
  • High doses of vitamin C should be avoided in people with conditions aggravated by acid loading, such as cirrhosis, gout, renal tubular acidosis, or paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria.
  • Parenteral (injected) vitamin C may cause dizziness, faintness, injection site discomfort, and in high doses may lead to renal insufficiency (kidney function problems). In cases of toxicity due to massive ingestions of vitamin C, forced fluids and diuresis may be beneficial.
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  • Healthy adults who take chronic large doses of vitamin C may experience low blood levels of vitamin C when they stop taking the high doses and resume normal intake.
  • To avoid this potential complication, people who are taking high doses who wish to reduce their intake should do so gradually rather than acutely.
  • There are rare reports of scurvy due to tolerance or resistance following cessation after long-term high-dose use, such as in infants born to mothers taking extra vitamin C throughout their pregnancy.

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