Vitamin C is an essential nutrient that the human body requires. It is also an antioxidant that can prevent you from many chronic diseases. Vitamin C is also essential for the health of bone and blood vessels and facilitates recovery from burns and wound healing. If you are not consuming foods rich in Vitamin C in enough quantity, you are likely to face some symptoms. While symptoms of severe vitamin C deficiency take months to develop, there are some very subtle signs to watch out for.
Dry Skin: Vitamin C is important for your skin’s health and this is why almost every skin product available in the market contains vitamin C. Deficiency of Vitamin C can lead to dry and damaged skin. One can also notice wrinkles on your skin. In severe cases, some people may develop a skin condition known as keratosis pilaris. In this, bumpy ‘chicken skin’ forms on thighs or buttocks, back of the upper arms due to a build-up of keratin protein inside the pores.
Slowly Healing Wounds: Vitamin C deficiency can result in a slow rate of collagen formation which causes wounds to heal slowly. Its deficiency will increase the spread of infection.
Bleeding Gums: Low level of vitamin C may lead to swollen gums. Its deficiency may cause inflamed gum tissue which may cause blood vessels to bleed more easily.
Painful And Swollen Joints: Joints have a lot of collagen-rich connective tissue and therefore vitamin C deficiency can affect it. In severe cases, it may cause limping or difficulty walking
Poor immunity: Lack of vitamin C can lead to a poor level of immunity. According to studies, it accumulates inside immune cells to help them combat infection.
Fatigue: One of the earliest signs of vitamin C deficiency is fatigue. This symptom can even appear even before a full-blown deficiency develops. However, this can be resolved within a few days of proper intake of Vitamin C.
