Contents
1 What is vitamin C deficiency and how much vitamin C do you need every day?
2 Vitamin C deficiency symptoms
3 Causes of vitamin C deficiency
4 Vitamin C in food
Vegan vitamin C sources Animal vitamin C sources Drinking meals against vitamin C deficiency

What is vitamin C deficiency and how much vitamin C do you need every day?

A Vitamin C deficiency occurs if your body does not get enough of this essential nutrient. Vitamin C, also known as Ascorbic acid, is a water -soluble vitamin that is essential for many important functions in your body. It plays a crucial role in the formation of collagen, a protein that is of great importance for the health of your skin, bones and blood vessels. In addition, vitamin C is a strong one antioxidant, which protects your cells from harmful free radicals.

The recommended daily supply of vitamin C varies depending on age and gender. Adult men should consume about 90 mg vitamin C every day, while 75 mg are recommended for women. Pregnant and breastfeeding women have an increased need and should consume 85 mg or 120 mg vitamin C every day. Due to the increased oxidative stress, smokers also need a higher supply of around 35 mg per day.

Vitamin C deficiency symptoms

A vitamin C deficiency can be noticeable through various symptoms. The most common signs include:

  • Fatigue and weakness
  • Dry, scaly skin and fragile hair
  • Slowed wound healing
  • Gingivitis and bleeding gums
  • Joint pain

In severe cases, a chronic vitamin C deficiency can lead to scurvy, an illness that is characterized by swollen and bleeding gums, tooth loss, poorly healing wounds and bleeding under the skin. Nowadays, scurvy is rare because most people absorb enough vitamin C through their diet.

Causes of vitamin C deficiency

There are various reasons why a vitamin C deficiency can occur:

  1. Unbalanced nutrition: A diet that is arm of fruit and vegetables can lead to a vitamin C deficiency.
  2. Smoke: Smokers have an increased need for vitamin C, since cigarette smoke causes oxidative stress and use the vitamin C memory faster.
  3. Certain diseases: Some diseases such as cancer, chronic inflammatory bowel diseases and kidney diseases can affect the absorption and storage of vitamin C.
  4. Alcohol abuse: Excessive alcohol consumption can interfere with the absorption and metabolism of vitamin C.
  5. Pregnancy and lactation: Pregnant and breastfeeding women have an increased vitamin C requirement, which you may not always be able to cover through the diet.

Vitamin C in food

Animal foods contain only very small amounts of vitamin C compared to vegetable. Here an overview of the 10 vitamin C-richest foods (vegetable or animal) with their average vitamin C content per 100 g:

Vegan vitamin C sources

Vegan vitamin C sources Vitamin C content per 100 g
1. Acerola 1677 mg
2. Green chili peppers 242 mg
3. Guave 228 mg
4. Yellow peppers (raw) 183 mg
5. Black currant 181 mg
6. Green peppers (fried) 177 mg
7. Red peppers (cooked) 171 mg
8. Red chili peppers 143 mg
9. Kale (raw) 93 mg
10. Kiwi 92 mg

Animal vitamin C sources

Animal vitamin C sources Vitamin C content per 100 g
1. Mussels (cooked) 22 mg
2. Fischrogen (cooked) 16 mg
3. ham (roasted) 14 mg
4. Mussels (cooked) 13 mg
5. Lamb liver (fried) 13 mg
6. Austern (cooked) 12 mg
7. Inkfish (cooked) 8 mg
8. Krabbe (cooked) 7 mg
9. Wellhorn snails (cooked) 6 mg
10. Calamari (fried) 4 mg

Drinking meals against vitamin C deficiency

Special Drinking meals Like that of Saturo Can also help prevent a vitamin C deficiency. This Astronaut food contains an optimal mix of all important nutrients, including vitamin C. The ascorbic acid it contains is easily bioavailable and can be absorbed directly by the body. Especially for people with an increased need, such as smokers, pregnant women or competitive athletes, or for people with recording disorders, vitamin C-containing drinking meals can be a sensible addition to the daily diet. They are a practical option to ensure the supply of this important vitamin on the go or in stressful phases.

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Frequently asked questions

How does a vitamin C deficiency express itself?

Vitamin C deficiency manifests itself through symptoms such as fatigue, weakness, bleeding gums, bleeding gums, slowed wound healing, dry skin, brittle hair and nails as well as increased susceptibility to infect. If there is severe deficiency, scurvy can even occur, with symptoms such as tooth loss, joint and body pain.

Where is there a lot of vitamin C?

You can find a lot of vitamin C in citrus fruits such as oranges, lemons and grapefruits, but also in peppers, broccoli, kiwis, strawberries and black currants. Rose hips even have the highest vitamin C content. Potatoes and parsley also contain a lot of vitamin C.

How long does it take to fix a vitamin C defect?

As a rule, a vitamin C deficiency can be remedied relatively quickly if you specifically consume foods with a high vitamin C content. After about two weeks, with a balanced diet with a lot of fresh fruit and vegetables, the symptoms should significantly let in and your vitamin C level is back in the normal range. In severe cases, taking high-dose vitamin C preparations can also be useful for a few weeks.

Why can't humans make vitamin C?

Man cannot produce vitamin C himself because he lacks a certain enzyme - the gulonolactonoxidase. This enzyme is necessary to convert glucose into vitamin C. Most animals have this enzyme and can therefore produce vitamin C themselves. In humans and some other mammals such as monkeys and guinea pigs, however, the gene is mutated and unable to function for this enzyme. That is why we need to absorb vitamin C through food. Why this mutation has prevailed in the course of evolution has not yet been clarified.

Is vitamin C good for the psyche?

Vitamin C can actually have positive effects on your mental health. It plays an important role in the production of serotonin, the "happiness hormone". A vitamin C deficiency can therefore lead to a serotonin deficiency and as a result of mood swings, drivelessness and depressed moods. In addition, vitamin C as antioxidants is involved in the stress fighting and can make you more resistant to psychological stress.

What happens if you consume too much vitamin C?

Don't worry, overdosing with vitamin C is very unlikely because it is a water -soluble vitamin. Excess vitamin C is simply excreted via the kidneys. However, if you take extremely high doses over a longer period of time, side effects such as diarrhea, abdominal cramps and kidney stones can occur.

How many lemons cover the daily requirement of vitamin C?

In order to cover your daily requirement alone through lemons, you would have to eat about two medium -sized lemons a day.

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Sources

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  2. Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR). (2018). Vitamin C: Need and care in Germany.
  3. Robert Koch Institute (RKI). (2016). Vitamin C deficiency and scurvy.
  4. German Society for Nutritional Medicine (DGem). (2019). Vitamin C and its importance for health.
  5. Swiss Society for Nutrition (SGE). (2018). Vitamin C: need, supply and deficiency.
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