Vitamin C Deficiency

Hold on……vitamin C is everywhere…..so can you really be deficient in VITAMIN C ?

Vitamin C deficiency is also known as Scurvy, commonly thought of as a disease of the pirates as they lacked fresh food being out at sea for months on end. Well, not too long ago there were some recent UK cases of scurvy. But what is it?

Scurvy is the disease that occurs when you are deficient in Vitamin C over a long period (1-3months). It includes symptoms of tiredness, swollen or bleeding gums and getting easily bruised. 

GETTING ENOUGH VITAMIN C

We need about 75-90mg of vitamin C per day as adults, and the upper limit is set at 2000mg. As vitamin C is water soluble, any excess vitamin C consumed tends to be excreted in our urine.  

Great sources of Vitamin C include:

• Citrus fruits (orange, lemons, limes)

• Kiwi

• Guava 

• Broccoli

• Cabbage

• Potatoes

• Peppers

• Acerola cherries

• Herbs such as thyme and parsley 

• Kale and spinach

Given vitamin C is in so many foods, especially fruits and veggies, it may be hard to see how you can be deficient in vitamin C. 

SCURVY AND MALNUTRITION

It seems to be most common in picky eaters but it is also to recognise scurvy (and vitamin C deficiency) as a symptom of malnutrition and the fact that it has been highlighted recently as a growing health problem also demonstrates that malnutrition is a growing problem. 

Eating well, not just enough calories is important to maintain health and it is important that we raise awareness of the causes of malnutrition in the world today.