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.
