How does vitamin C deficiency harm the body?

Vitamin C deficiency occurs mainly due to a poor diet. There are many causes of deficiency, from unhealthy eating to risk factors such as alcoholism, anorexia, severe mental illness, smoking or kidney dialysis, according to the health website Medical News Today (UK).

Oranges are a fruit rich in vitamin C.

Unusual signs warning that the body is lacking vitamin C include:

Abnormal hair growth

Vitamin C deficiency causes defects in the protein structure of hair as it grows. This results in hair growing in an abnormally curved or twisted shape. Most damaged hair will break or fall out prematurely.

Rough skin

Vitamin C helps the body make collagen, a protein that is important for the structure of skin, hair, joints, bones, and blood vessels. If you are deficient in vitamin C, you may develop a condition called keratosis pilaris. This causes small bumps on the skin, making it dry and rough. Common places for keratosis pilaris to appear are the arms, thighs, buttocks, or cheeks.

Joint pain and swelling

Joint pain and swelling can be a symptom of many diseases, especially arthritis. However, some joints have large amounts of collagen-rich connective tissue. Vitamin C deficiency reduces the amount of collagen in the joints, leading to painful swelling, even severe enough to cause limping.

Mood swings

One of the earliest warning signs of vitamin C deficiency is mood swings, nervousness, depression, and extreme fatigue. These symptoms usually resolve within a few days of taking high doses of vitamin C.

To get enough vitamin C, an adult should consume about 90 mg/day for men and 75 mg/day for women. In addition, experts recommend that smokers should consume an additional 35 mg per day.

This is because smoking reduces the absorption of vitamin C and increases the body's need for the nutrient. Food sources rich in vitamin C include guava, oranges, kiwi, lychees, lemons, strawberries, papaya, broccoli, and parsley, according to Medical News Today .

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/thieu-vitamin-c-gay-hai-the-nao-cho-co-the-185241008182410034.htm