{"id":3267,"date":"2025-06-03T08:43:12","date_gmt":"2025-06-03T03:13:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.stsebastianaquem.com\/web\/?p=3267"},"modified":"2025-06-03T08:43:13","modified_gmt":"2025-06-03T03:13:13","slug":"vitamin-c-deficiency","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.stsebastianaquem.com\/web\/vitamin-c-deficiency\/","title":{"rendered":"Vitamin C Deficiency"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Scurvy is a condition that results from vitamin C deficiency. Everyone loves a curvy smile, but a scurvy smile? Probably not. Vitamin C is needed for the growth and repair of tissues in all parts of your body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Vitamin C is used to :-<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Form an important protein called collagen, used to make skin, tendons, ligaments, and blood vessels<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Heal wounds and form scar tissue<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Repair and maintain cartilage, bones, and teeth<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Aid in the absorption of iron<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>The body is not able to make vitamin C on its own. It does not store vitamin C. It is therefore important to include plenty of vitamin C-containing foods in your daily diet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<p>Food Sources:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>All fruits and vegetables contain some amount of vitamin C. Fruits with the highest content of vitamin C include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Citrus fruits and juices, such as orange and grapefruit<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Kiwi fruit<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Mango<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Papaya<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Pineapple<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and cranberries<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Watermelon<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Vegetables with the highest sources of vitamin C include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and cauliflower<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Green and red peppers<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Spinach, cabbage, turnip greens, and other leafy greens<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Sweet and white potatoes<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Tomatoes and tomato juice<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Winter squash<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Some cereals and other foods and beverages are fortified with vitamin C. Fortified means a vitamin or mineral has been added to the food. Check the product labels to see how much vitamin C is in the product.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The best food sources of vitamin C are uncooked or raw fruits and vegetables. Cooking vitamin C-rich foods or storing them for a long period of time can reduce the vitamin C content. Microwaving and steaming vitamin C-rich foods may reduce cooking losses. Exposure to light can also reduce vitamin C content. Choose orange juice that is sold in a carton instead of a clear bottle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Too little vitamin C can lead to signs and symptoms of deficiency i.e<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/medlineplus.gov\/ency\/article\/000560.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Anemia<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Bleeding gums<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Decreased ability to fight infection<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Decreased wound-healing rate<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Dry and splitting hair<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Easy bruising<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/medlineplus.gov\/ency\/article\/001056.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Gingivitis<\/a> (inflammation of the gums)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Nosebleeds<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Possible weight gain because of slowed metabolism<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Rough, dry, scaly skin<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Swollen and painful joints<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Weakened tooth enamel<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>A severe form of vitamin C deficiency is known as <a href=\"https:\/\/medlineplus.gov\/ency\/article\/000355.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">scurvy<\/a>. This mainly affects older, malnourished adults.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Prolonged deficiency of vitamin C may result in scurvy. It is characterised by weakening blood vessels and impair wound healing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Visible symptoms in the mouth for scurvy include:-<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Gum change from red to violet red<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Bad breath<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Bleeding gums<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Swelling of the periodontal tissues followed by loss of bone and loosening of teeth<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Risk Factors for Vitamin C Deficiency<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Several factors can contribute to an increased risk of vitamin C deficiency, some of which are listed below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Alcohol use disorder<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Infant feeding practices: Consumption of cow&#8217;s milk instead of breast milk or fortified formula during infancy can pose a risk for vitamin C deficiency.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Social isolation and dietary habits<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Limited access to fruits and vegetables:<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Smoking<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Eating disorders<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Type 1 diabetes<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Malabsorptive disorders<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Bariatric surgery<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Iron-overload conditions<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Restrictive or low carbohydrate diets<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Food allergies<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Developmental disabilities and mental illness<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Hemodialysis: Individuals undergoing hemodialysis may experience increased renal losses of vitamin C, potentially leading to its deficiency.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><em>&#8211; Dr.Rochelle Sequeira,<\/em> (<em>Ward 16<\/em>)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Scurvy is a condition that results from vitamin C deficiency. Everyone loves a curvy smile, but a scurvy smile? Probably not. Vitamin C is needed for the growth and repair of tissues in all parts of your body. Vitamin C<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3267","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-pormoll"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.stsebastianaquem.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3267","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.stsebastianaquem.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.stsebastianaquem.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.stsebastianaquem.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.stsebastianaquem.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3267"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/www.stsebastianaquem.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3267\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3268,"href":"http:\/\/www.stsebastianaquem.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3267\/revisions\/3268"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.stsebastianaquem.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3267"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.stsebastianaquem.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3267"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.stsebastianaquem.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3267"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}