Vitamin C Deficiency
August 27th, 2007The reason why a vitamin C deficiency can be such a problem is because vitamin C is an essential vitamin that cannot, like some other vitamins, be produced by the body and therefore has to ingested on a daily basis for healthy living. A regular intake of vitamin C is so important that having a vitamin C deficiency can be a contributing factor either directly or indirectly to numerous forms of illness and disease. A vitamin C deficiency can lead to much more than just the common cold but the good news it is so easy to prevent.
In the 1930’s vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, was found in citrus fruits and discovered to be a cure for scurry which at the time was rampant in malnourished sailors. Scurry symptoms included a severe lack of energy, gum disease as well as tooth decay and other associated bleeding problems which today are classic symptoms of a vitamin C deficiency. Once the link had been made the ships began to carry volumes of limes and lemons for the crew and scurry was no longer the huge problem it once was.
Only humans and apes need to ingest vitamin C since almost all other animals produce adequate amounts of ascorbic acid in the liver from glucose. Although we need vitamin C on a daily basis to remain healthy we can easily take what we need in the form of a sugarless vitamin C supplement. The recommended daily dose for adults is around 75mg-100mg per day but this really is only just enough. Since vitamin C has virtually no side effects even in relatively high doses for most people, it is ideal to take around 500mg per day to avoid a vitamin C deficiency. Most supplements are in the dose range or 250-500-1,000mg in a single chewable tablet. These supplements can be purchased over the counter in any health food store or even supermarket in most countries. Dosages up to 10,000mg per day are taken by some people with incredibly weak immune systems usually with no side effects however, with the ingestion of a high dose of one vitamin it can cause an imbalance within the bodies of some people and cause problems with the ability to absorb or regulate calcium so it is best to consult your doctor before using high dosages of any vitamin.
Of course you can reverse a vitamin C deficiency or simply stay healthy by taking your vitamin C in the form of citrus fruits, kiwi fruit, berries, potatoes, spinach, broccoli, tomatoes and other fruits and vegetables. Animal products contain almost no vitamin C. Since Vitamin C is a water based vitamin and found in the watery parts of fruit and vegetables, by cooking these foods before eating them can cause a severe loss in the overall content of vitamin C, therefore it is ideal to eat these foods raw.
One of the easiest ways to explain how a vitamin C deficiency works in the body is to compare the healing power of a teenager compared to the healing power of an elderly individual. The teenager fights off colds and other illnesses much quicker and heals from injuries and broken bones much sooner than an older person. So, by taking adequate amounts of vitamin C on a daily basis you can literally turn back the biological clock and avoid getting sick as often or recover from injury so much sooner than if you had a vitamin C deficiency as an older person. If you were only going to take one supplement, vitamin C would be the most valuable in terms of the overall health benefit.
Vitamin C is perhaps the most powerful of all antioxidants which help clear the body of dangerous build ups of free radicals which are poisons that enter the body from such sources as bad food or water, alcohol, pollution in the air, prescription drugs, smoking, smoked foods and more. If you have had a history of illness, regularly use prescription drugs or medicines even in the form or creams, suffer from any type of cancer or have had any type of cancer or have even had skin cancers removed from your body in the past, you are at risk of a vitamin C deficiency and should do yourself a favor and take at least a 500mg vitamin C tablet daily for the rest of your life. In fact taking 1,000mg per day would be even better since your quality of life and your longevity could depend on it.
Some of the most common symptoms of vitamin C deficiency to watch out for include depression, fatigue, inability to concentrate, nosebleeds, frequent illnesses, bruise easily, gastrointestinal problems, much higher risk of various cancers and more. Since the chances of overdosing on vitamin C are extremely rare, continue to take the fruits and vegetables you normally would but add a vitamin C supplement as well since it is certainly much better to be safe than sorry.
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