6 signs you need more vitamin C in your diet

What are the symptoms of low vitamin C?

My old dad is obsessed with the likes of Das Boot and other vintage maritime films. In the 1970s, these were filled with horrors like scurvy, deprivation and deficiencies. Well before we even saw cinematic nudity, we were allowed unfettered access. An unlimited score of foaming mouths and dying fits. Ragged sailors had stinky, rotten gums and terrible hallucinations. All for the want of a lemon.

Scurvy is the poster boy of nutritional deficiency, perfectly demonstrating vitamin C and its importance. Scurvy, as a condition, is at the extreme end of the deficiency scale. It's more likely that a need will present itself in a much milder way.
It's worth noting just how vital vitamin C is and how many roles it has in the body. How do you know if you are getting enough?

Here are a few clues that may have you reaching for some citrus:

1. Rough or bumpy skin
2. Mood problems
3. Anaemia
4. Immunity issues
5. Pain
6. Allergies

Let's take a close look at these problems and how you can get more vitamin C into your life.

Rough or bumpy skin

Rough or bumpy skin on the bum, thighs and back of the upper arms. If you feel that your skin is ageing fast, or that you suddenly seem to have more wrinkles or sagging than you should have, all these can be indicators that you need more vitamin C.

Vitamin C is necessary for collagen production in the body. Collagen is the stretchy stuff our body uses to give the skin strength and elasticity. Vitamin C is also vital for wound healing and skin repair. It is an antioxidant. We need it to protect the skin from environmental damage like harmful sun exposure. Vitamin C can also help prevent pigmentation: good news for freckle haters¹.

Mood

People who have low levels of vitamin C can feel tired and depressed and they may have increased levels of anxiety. A recent study involving 139 men found that increased levels of vitamin C 'elevated' the mood of participants².

Fatigue and depression are associated with low levels of vitamin C which is not surprising. We need it to produce many neurotransmitters like dopamine and possibly serotonin. Dopamine is a chemical our body produces that can make us feel satisfied whilst serotonin has been called our 'happy hormone'.

Anaemia

Anaemia is when there are not enough red blood cells in your body. We need these little fellas to carry oxygen around the body. Tiredness is one of the big symptoms of anaemia and a lack of iron is the most common cause. Vitamin C plays a role here, though, as iron cannot often be absorbed without it.

This is especially true of those who need to source their iron from plant food sources. Vegans and vegetarians may be more vulnerable. Women can also suffer from anaemia due to heavy blood loss during their periods.

If you think that your iron may be low it is best to ask your GP to do a blood test. It can take many months to correct an iron deficiency.

Immunity

Vitamin C is so actively involved in the immune system that you could call it immunity's stage mom. It supports both the innate and the acquired immune systems³. A deficiency in vitamin C impairs our immunity and makes us more susceptible to illness.

Pain

There is some evidence to show that there is a link between pain and vitamin C. Sub-optimal levels of the vitamin may aggravate chronic pain like backache⁴. Trials on vitamin C have noted a reduction in pain across a range of long-term conditions and injuries.

Often people can also suffer joint pain after a respiratory infection. There is a theory that low vitamin C levels may be contributing to this. This may be due to an infection driving an increased need for vitamin C that may not have been met. We often lose our appetite when we are ill, reducing our intake of many nutrients, including vitamin C.

Allergies

If your vitamin C levels are low, you may find that your allergic symptoms are more severe. Vitamin C acts like a natural anti-histamine. It helps our immune system to function well. It will support any repair work that needs doing, for instance on your chapped nose and bloodshot eyes.

What can cause you to be deficient in vitamin C?

So, why would you be short of vitamin C – after all, you may have had an orange juice recently!

• Vitamin C is a water-soluble nutrient, so the body can't store it in its fatty tissue.
• We don't make it in our bodies so we need to eat it every day.
• It's very fragile and easily damaged. Heat can damage it. Long storage times can deplete it. So, you may eat vegetables, but if you cook them the vitamin C may be vaporised. Your orange may have contained it, but after a few weeks in cold storage, it isn't there anymore. Everything has to be as fresh as possible.
• We are eating a lot of takeaways.
• We may not have access to farmers' markets or other sources of very fresh food.

Vitamin C deficiency is becoming more common. The BBC reported a 27% rise in vitamin C deficiency in 2016⁵. Certain groups of people may also be more vulnerable to a vitamin C deficiency. These include:

• Smokers
• Those on a restricted diet
• Those with a poor appetite
• Those who have drug or alcohol dependency
• Those with a condition that affects their digestion and absorption of nutrients, like ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease.

How to increase your intake of vitamin C

Ideally, we should get our vitamin C from fresh food sources. Both freezing and freeze-drying foods are good preservation methods. Canned and dried foods will not contain much C, if any.

Berries are rich in vitamin C, as are red peppers, broccoli and, of course, citrus fruits. Even potatoes can be a good source, although it is dependent on the time of the year and storage conditions.

My Self-Care Tip: How to tell if your fruit and vegetables are fresh and full of Vitamin C

Fruit and vegetables are a good source of vitamin C, but just how much vitamin C they contain can be dependent on how fresh they are. Watch my video to learn how to choose the best fruit and vegetables with the most amount of vitamin C in them. 

Choosing a vitamin C supplement

Many food supplements are made of ascorbic acid, which is a chemical version of vitamin C. It can mimic it well. It isn't quite as easily absorbed as real vitamin C, so the dose is usually made quite strong. The disadvantage of this is that it can be a bit hard on the digestive system.

A.Vogel's Immune Support is one of my favourite food supplements. Here the vitamin C comes from acerola cherries, which contains up to 100 times the amount of vitamin C found in lemons or oranges! Furthermore, the vitamin C found in acerola is more readily absorbed and used by the body. Immune Support also contains Nasturtium extract, which is also a very rich source of vitamin C.

Article References:

1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6415704/
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6071228/
3. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29099763/
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5391567/
5. https://www.bbc.com/news/health-35380716

Product references:

1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6098779/
2. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0308814608010868