Vitamin C: Effects, deficiency symptoms and natural occurrence

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What is vitamin C?

The chemical term for vitamin C is ascorbic acid . It is an essential nutrient . This means that we cannot produce vitamin C ourselves and therefore must ingest it through food.

Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin and therefore cannot be stored in the body for long. We can only avoid deficiency symptoms by consuming sufficient amounts every day.

What does vitamin C do in the body?

Ascorbic acid is involved in many metabolic processes in the body. It is particularly important for the immune system . It contributes to its normal function and thus protects us from infections .

In addition, ascorbic acid is involved in the formation of collagen - an important protein in connective tissue that is a component of skin , bones , tendons , ligaments , cartilage and blood vessels . Vitamin C also has an antioxidant effect and helps to protect cells from oxidative stress caused by free radicals .

Vitamin C is also important for the usability of other nutrients: it increases iron absorption in the body and is needed for the production of carnitine , which ensures a healthy energy metabolism. [1]

Symptoms of vitamin C deficiency

We all know it from old pirate films, in which sailors fell ill with scurvy after a long time at sea. This is probably the best-known symptom of a vitamin C deficiency. If you don't eat fresh fruit and vegetables for months, you develop mouth rot , which causes severe bleeding of the gums and, after a while, can even cause your teeth to fall out . This acute form of vitamin C deficiency is very extreme and is rare these days.

However, studies show that around 25% of the population is not optimally supplied with vitamin C. [2] This can lead to early symptoms. [3] These symptoms can be very unspecific, meaning that the causes of these complaints are wide-ranging. If you have one or more of the following symptoms, this does not necessarily mean that you have a vitamin C deficiency. Only a blood test at the doctor's can reveal a vitamin C deficiency.

The usual symptoms are:

reduced performance
increased exhaustion
mild irritability
increased susceptibility to infection
poor wound healing
Limb and joint pain
increased need for sleep

Vitamin C deficiency, overtired, vitamin C

Foods with the highest vitamin C content

According to the DGE, the recommended daily requirement of vitamin C is 110 mg for men and 95 mg for women . Pregnant and breastfeeding women have a slightly increased requirement of 105 mg and 125 mg respectively. [4]

Just 100 g of many types of fruit and vegetables contain so much vitamin C that they sometimes even exceed the daily requirement. However, these figures only apply to raw, unprocessed foods, as the vitamin C content decreases when heated .

The table below shows which natural foods are particularly rich in vitamin C. [5] Surprisingly, oranges don't even make it into the top 10 and lemons are by no means the top performer either!

	mg vitamin C per 100g
paprika	183
Acerola cherry	1677
Blackcurrants	181
Parsley	133
Kale	120
kiwi	93
broccoli	93
Cauliflower	88
Brussels sprouts	85
Lemons	77

Causes of vitamin C deficiency

We usually get enough vitamin C from our daily diet. Even people who don't like fruit and vegetables are rarely affected by deficiency symptoms, as you can still get enough vitamin C even with small amounts.

So how can a vitamin C deficiency arise?

A vitamin C deficiency occurs when the body cannot properly absorb or utilize ascorbic acid from food. Certain diseases and living conditions can be responsible for this: [6]

Medicines such as birth control pills, aspirin, antidepressants, antibiotics and diabetes medications
Alcoholism, smoking, drug abuse
Gastrointestinal diseases
chronically elevated blood sugar

Increased blood sugar – the underestimated cause of insufficient vitamin C supply

In particular, chronically elevated blood sugar causes a vitamin C deficiency. This is because the vitamin competes with sugar for absorption into the cells. [7] As long as blood sugar is elevated, the cells cannot absorb vitamin C efficiently from the blood.

If blood sugar rises briefly after eating, which is completely normal, this is not a problem. It only becomes problematic when the body has difficulty regulating blood sugar and it is therefore too high for too long . In addition, high blood sugar causes oxidative stress, which increases the need for vitamin C even further.

In diabetes, blood sugar is not adequately controlled and the disease is therefore a common cause of vitamin C deficiency. [8]

Vitamin C preparations

Vitamin C is available in the form of tablets , capsules and many other forms. Liposomal vitamin C is relatively new and innovative. The liposomes , which you can imagine as fat bubbles , enclose the vitamin C in a protective manner and thus reduce the breakdown during the digestive process. This enables the body to absorb more vitamin C. [9]

Conclusion: Many people are not optimally supplied with vitamin C

Vitamin C is an important antioxidant and contributes to the normal functioning of the immune system . It is found in abundance in fruit and vegetables, so the risk of deficiency in healthy people is rather low. However, illnesses such as diabetes and the use of certain medications can impair the absorption of vitamin C , so supplementary supply can be useful.