Vitamin C—RDA and Deficiency

Vitamin C—a.k.a. ascorbic acid—is a water-soluble vitamin that is an integral part of the human diet. It is abundant in many fruits and vegetables, but fish, fresh milk and meats such as liver and kidney have it as well. With the vitamin so commonly and readily available, meeting the recommended daily allowance (RDA) shouldn’t be an issue.

RDA of vitamin C

The RDA of vitamin C for men is 90mg, and for women 75mg. Pregnant women, however, should take an additional 10mg, while breastfeeding women need to consume 45mg more of the vitamin daily. Current RDA guidelines require smokers to take at least 100mg of vitamin C per day.

Deficiency

Severe vitamin C deficiency results in scurvy—an illness characterized by bleeding gums and tiny pinpoint bruises. The disease can worsen to the point wherein it causes poor wound healing and abnormal bone and dentine formation. Since an intake of 10mg of vitamin C a day is enough to prevent scurvy, the disease is rarely seen today.

The adverse effects of mild vitamin C deficiency are yet unknown. Stored vitamin C in the body can be depleted within one to three months. People who are vitamin C-deficient may also have other vitamin deficiencies and malnutrition.