It is probably the best known of the vitamins. Antioxidant, anti-fatigue, anti-allergy… Vitamin C multiplies the virtues. And a deficiency is not without consequences for our body. Here are the main signs.
It is found in oranges, blackcurrants, red peppers, lemons and even kiwis… vitamin C – or ascorbic acid – plays an essential role for the proper functioning of our body. It is essential in the synthesis of collagen, a protein abundant in our body and essential for the construction and restoration of bone tissue, skin and connective tissue (tendons, ligaments and blood vessels).
It also has an antioxidant role, and fights excess free radicals. If the latter are useful for the proper functioning of the body in small quantities, their excessive production – accentuated by pollution, exposure to ultraviolet rays, stress and an unbalanced diet – damages our cells and accelerates their aging.
Vitamin C also stimulates the production of leukocytes, the white blood cells on the front line against infections and diseases, and also improves theiron absorption through the intestinal membrane.
What daily intake of vitamin C?
For a healthy adult (from 13 years old), the recommended dietary allowances are 100 milligrams of vitamin C per day, the equivalent of an orange and a kiwi. They increase to 120 milligrams per day in people over 60, and up to 170 milligrams if pregnant or breastfeeding.
However, it is possible to increase the daily dose of vitamin C up to 2,000 milligrams without any risk. Be careful, beyond this dose, it is possible to suffer from headaches, insomnia, anemia and weakness or joint pain.
When do you need to supplement?
Even if it is found in most plants, especially fresh, vitamin C frequencies occur frequently, in particular because of our diet low in fruits and vegetables. Nevertheless, certain periods will be more conducive to taking additional vitamin C. A deficiency can indeed occur in case of intense stress (violent emotions, pollution, fatigue, extreme sport), alcoholism or smoking (a cigarette destroys 25 mg of vitamin C), but also when you regularly take aspirin. Indeed, it prevents the absorption of vitamin C by the body.
Watch out one too much vitamin C deficiency can be responsible for a very old disease, scurvy. Even if it is now eradicated because we know the cause, it sometimes makes a comeback in deficient people. Its symptoms range from fatigue to loosening of the teeth, passing through the purulence of the gums, then death in the worst case.
Source:
- Vitamins & trace elements for dummiesAnne-Marie Narboni, Editions First (2022).
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