Vitamin C, which is also known as ascorbic acid, is a water-soluble essential nutrient. Vitamin C can be found in many foods, and it’s important to many functions in the human body. Learning how to recognize vitamin C deficiency symptoms can help you identify if you have this condition and when it’s time to get help.

Keep reading to learn more about vitamin C deficiency, its causes, symptoms, and health risks.

Vitamin C functions

Vitamin C is well known as an adjuvant to prevent and treat colds, but in reality, this nutrient can do a lot more for your health. According to the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, functions of vitamin C include:

Controlling infections
Healing wounds
Aiding in protein metabolism
Protecting you from free radicals as a powerful antioxidant
Making collagen and connective tissue
Improving the absorption of non heme iron (plant-based iron sources)
Helping in the production of several hormones and neurotransmitters

Research is trying to determine whether vitamin C could help prevent or delay the development of certain types of cancer, thanks to its strong antioxidant function. However, more research is still needed on this topic.

Vitamin C food sources include:

Citrus fruits
Tomatoes
Tomato juice
Potatoes
Red and green peppers
Broccoli
Kiwi fruit
Brussel sprouts
Strawberries
Cantaloupe
Fortified cereals

What is an ascorbate deficiency?

The fact that vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin, as we mentioned above, means that your body can easily get rid of any excess intake. But, on the other hand, you can’t store enough vitamin C inside your cells easily. That means that vitamin C must be consumed regularly in order to maintain healthy levels of this nutrient.

Vitamin C deficiency health risks aren’t common, as long as you’re eating a healthy and balanced diet. Most healthy individuals are able to get their vitamin C daily dose simply from the foods they eat. But according to the MSD Manuals, lack of vitamin C causes include:

A diet with insufficient fresh fruits and vegetables
A diet that contains too many processed foods
Pregnancy
Breastfeeding
Hyperthyroidism
Surgery
Burns
Chronic diarrhea
Smoking

You can get your vitamin C levels tested through a blood test if you’re showing signs of this deficiency. You can also learn more about other at-home vitamin tests at STDWatch.com.

Low vitamin C levels

According to the National Institutes of Health, the total level of vitamin C in the human body can range from approximately 300 mg to around 2 g. However, people who have lower levels of vitamin C still within this range could be at a higher risk of developing scurvy.

According to MedlinePlus, the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) to maintain healthy vitamin C levels is as follows:

Infants:

0 to 6 months: 40* milligrams/day (mg/day)
7 to 12 months: 50* mg/day

Children:

1 to 3 years: 15 mg/day
4 to 8 years: 25 mg/day
9 to 13 years: 45 mg/day

Adolescents

Girls 14 to 18 years: 65 mg/day
Pregnant teens: 80 mg/day
Breastfeeding teens: 115 mg/day
Boys 14 to 18 years: 75 mg/day

Adults

Men age 19 and older: 90 mg/day
Women age 19 year and older: 75 mg/day
Pregnant women: 85 mg/day
Breastfeeding women: 120 mg/day

The good news is that eating plenty of fruits and vegetables is typically more than enough for most people to get all the vitamin C they need everyday. In fact, eating 5 varied servings of fruits and vegetables can provide up to 200 mg of vitamin C per day.

Symptoms of vitamin C deficiency

Vitamin C deficiency can cause a disease called scurvy. This condition is rare in the developed world; however, it can affect people with alcohol use disorder or malnourished seniors more easily.

Symptoms of low vitamin C can include:

Fatigue
Weakness
Irritability
Weight loss
Joint pain
Bleeding under the skin (especially as bruising or around hair follicles)
Bleeding around the gums and the joints
Swollen, purple, spongy gums
Loose teeth
Dry, brittle hair
Dry, scaly, rough skin
Edema or fluid accumulation in the limbs
Anemia
Increased risk of infections
Slow wound healing

Vitamin C toxicity

Since your body can excrete excess vitamin C through your urine, developing vitamin C overdose would require taking extremely large amounts of this nutrient. This is unlikely to happen due to vitamin C food sources; instead, it would require taking excess supplements to reach these levels. According to the NHS, taking over 1 g of vitamin C per day can lead to symptoms such as:

Stomach pain
Diarrhea
Flatulence

These symptoms should typically go away once you stop taking the excess vitamin C. However, remember to seek medical attention if you experience symptoms that persist or worsen over time.