Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that’s found in many foods, but some exotic fruits contain it in exceptionally high amounts. Vitamin C deficiency is rare, but it can have serious health consequences. Read about the top dietary sources of vitamin C and which symptoms might signal deficiency in this post. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Early indications of Vitamin C deficiency are fatigue, malaise, depression, and they may manifest as a reduced desire to be physically active [R<\/a>].<\/p>\n\n\n\n Scurvy (pathological Vitamin C deficiency) leads to blood vessel fragility resulting in hemorrhage, as well as connective tissue damage due to failure in collagen production, often leading to loss of teeth and tendon rupture. At worse, scurvy can lead to death [R<\/a>, R<\/a>].<\/p>\n\n\n\n Other signs and symptoms of severe vitamin C deficiency include [R<\/a>]:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Clinical scurvy can be avoided by intaking as little as 10 mg of Vitamin C per day. Scurvy is extremely rare in developed countries [R<\/a>].<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, mild Vitamin C depletion has been observed in 10-30 % of the presumed healthy population [R<\/a>, R<\/a>].<\/p>\n\n\n\n Causes shown here are commonly associated with vitamin C deficiency. Work with your doctor or other health care professional for an accurate diagnosis.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n One of the major causes of low vitamin C levels is eating a poor diet lacking in fresh fruits and vegetables. This is commonly seen in:<\/p>\n\n\n\n People with malabsorption issues caused by certain gut conditions (i.e., Crohn\u2019s disease, celiac disease) are also at risk for vitamin C deficiency [R<\/a>].<\/p>\n\n\n\n Low vitamin C levels can also be caused by:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Certain drugs can lower vitamin C levels:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Vitamin C levels can be measured with a blood test.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Generally, blood Vitamin C concentration of:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some researchers believe that up to 22% of the U.S. may have below adequate Vitamin C status (blood concentrations < 28 \u00b5mol\/L), and about 6% of the adult population is classified as Vitamin C deficient (<11 \u00b5mol\/L) [R<\/a>].<\/p>\n\n\n\n The following factors can significantly increase the body\u2019s requirements for vitamin C and the risk of vitamin C deficiency [R<\/a>,\u00a0R<\/a>]:<\/p>\n\n\n\n In addition, one study suggested that non-supplementing men aged 20-49 are particularly at risk of poor Vitamin C status [R<\/a>].<\/p>\n\n\n\n Patients receiving kidney dialysis are prone to deficiency of Vitamin C [R<\/a>].<\/p>\n\n\n\n Schizophrenic patients tend to have significantly lower levels of blood Vitamin C, according to limited research [R<\/a>].<\/p>\n\n\n\n Genetics can also play a role. Blood Vitamin C levels differ according to polymorphisms of SVCT2 and SVCT1 [R<\/a>].<\/p>\n\n\n\n Vitamin C is found in high concentrations in the pituitary, adrenals, and the ovaries, but muscle, brain, and liver contain the largest stores of this vitamin. However, being water-soluble, vitamin C is not stored in large amounts in the body [R<\/a>].<\/p>\n\n\n\n Vitamin C is absorbed from the intestinal lumen and kidney tubules and then distributed throughout the organism by the bloodstream [R<\/a>].<\/p>\n\n\n\n The uptake and distribution of Vitamin C in the body is under close control and primarily regulated by tissue-specific, sodium-dependent Vitamin C co-transporters (SVCT) 1 and 2, which transport Vitamin C in exchange of sodium [R<\/a>].<\/p>\n\n\n\nCauses<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Assessing Deficiency (Vitamin C Levels<\/strong>)<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Risk Factors<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Organs With the Highest Vitamin C Requirements<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Absorption<\/h4>\n\n\n\n