One of the most important vitamins the human body must get daily from a balanced diet is vitamin C. Its deficiency often presents through clear signals and causes fatigue, slow wound healing, dry skin and many other ailments.

Vitamin C, otherwise known as ascorbic acid, is a water-soluble vitamin that is vitally important to the human body.

“It's needed for the synthesis of collagen, the cells' connective tissue. Vitamin C is an important antioxidant that reduces the risk of heart disease and some types of cancer and halts the ageing process.

It also strengthens the walls of blood vessels, promotes the healing of wounds and burns, strengthens the teeth and bones, the walls of capillaries and other blood vessels, and improves iron absorption,” AND klinika family doctor Jūratė Valiukienė explains of vitamin C's benefit to the body.

Vitamin C stores.

According to the family doctor, an adult's daily need for vitamin C is about 40 mg, a sufficient amount of which most people get by eating a varied diet – especially if the diet is dominated by various fruit and vegetables.

“The human body doesn't produce or store vitamin C itself, so a balanced diet is very important, because you need to get it daily. But those whose diet is inadequate, who eat an unvaried diet, follow a diet, suffer from certain kidney diseases requiring dialysis, or abuse alcohol or tobacco are in a risk group for vitamin C insufficiency. In that case, you may need to take this vitamin in addition,” family doctor J. Valiukienė warns.

The main sources of vitamin C are these: citrus fruit and their juices, melons, berries, peppers, broccoli, potatoes.

Symptoms.

Although you must take care of your health, when taking supplements and vitamins you mustn't overdo it. As with other vitamins, vitamin C must be handled carefully. Taking too large a dose can cause unpleasant sensations.

“The symptoms of an overdose are these: diarrhoea, the formation of kidney stones, irritation of the urinary tract, iron accumulation,” the AND klinika family doctor says.

The medical specialist explains that, just like an overdose of vitamin C, a deficiency is also dangerous to health.

A vitamin C deficiency in the body is most often given away by certain symptoms. For example, fatigue, joint pain, bleeding gums, the appearance of bruising on the skin, loss of appetite, dry skin, slow wound healing.

“In severe cases, teeth may start to fall out and scurvy and internal bleeding can develop,” family doctor Jūratė Valiukienė adds.

Moreover, although vitamin C is, according to the doctor, a “popular remedy” for treating a cold, studies done show that it won't help avoid COVID-19. But on the other hand, it can ease the symptoms of illness:

“During COVID-19, especially if the patient's condition isn't critically severe, the benefit of taking vitamin C in increased doses doesn't yet have sufficiently firm evidence.”