Lack Of Vitamin C In The Body
All of the warning signs and what you can do to help reduce the chances of vitamin C deficiency have been revealed.
It is associated with scurvy, something 18th century sailors who went on long sea voyages used to suffer from as they had little or no vitamin C intake.
While scurvy is rare, a lack of vitamin C in your diet can still have an impact on your health, according to a Daily Express report.
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Vitamin C has also been suggested as a means to help prevent and treat a number of health conditions as it is an antioxidant.
According to the NHS, scurvy can be caused by not having enough vitamin C in your diet for at least three months.
But it has stressed that even people who do not eat very healthily all the time are not usually considered at risk of scurvy.
However, there are factors that could put you at more risk.
No fresh fruits or vegetables in your diet for a while, having anorexia, a long-term dependency on drugs or alcohol that affects your diet are among them.
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Smokers are more at risk, says the NHS, because smoking reduces how much vitamin C your body gets from food. Exposure to second-hand smoke may also decrease vitamin C levels.
"Babies, children and older people who find it hard to have a healthy diet may also be more at risk of scurvy," the NHS adds.
If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, your body needs more vitamin C at these times.
Symptoms of scurvy
There are symptoms of scurvy to beware of, many of which will show up on your skin and around your mouth.
According to the NHS having swollen, bleeding gums can be a sign of vitamin C deficiency, and warns that sometimes teeth can fall out.
People should also keep an eye out on their skin - and any changes to it.
If you see red or blue spots on the skin, usually on your shins, or have skin that bruises easily, these may be symptoms of scurvy.
Several other signs have been listed by the health bod, which says you should see a GP if you are at risk of scurvy and you feel very tired and weak all the time or you feel irritable and sad all the time.
Also, if you are suffering from severe joint or leg pain, go and see your GP for advice.
Vitamin C is an essential part of your diet as humans are unable to synthesize vitamin C from within their bodies.
The National Institutes of Health says that vitamin C has low toxicity and is not believed to cause serious adverse effects at high intakes.
"The most common complaints are diarrhoea, nausea, abdominal cramps, and other gastrointestinal disturbances due to the osmotic effect of unabsorbed vitamin C in the gastrointestinal tract," it says.
It adds that overt deficiency symptoms occur only if vitamin C intake falls below approximately 10 mg a day for many weeks.
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Source: https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/local-news/vitamin-c-deficiency-warning-signs-22050640
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