In the last Vitamin C topic (about 4 months ago ) you learned about the benefits of this necessary nutrient.  This topic will focus on Vitamin C deficiencies.  The negative side effects.  You will also learn some of the many of sources of it.  As you should already know from reading the previous topic of this dual series Vitamin C helps the body maintain healthy tissues and a strong immune system, and it aids in the absorption of iron. Vitamin C is considered a powerful ally if you're trying to avoid or kick a cold or other illness. Together with calcium and iron, it's also an important part of a diet that counteracts lead poisoning.  Most of us get enough Vitamin C depending on our diets- fruits, juices and even fruit snacks and certain sodas.  However, there are those who may not be getting enough, either by eating the wrong foods, or simply not knowing.  This information will help you learn what foods there are that you can get enough of Vitamin C from, as well as how much to take.
This week's topic in taken from various internet sites.


Vitamin C Deficiency

Some Vitamin C deficiency symptoms are:
-tiredness
-bleeding gums
-severe fatigue
-head ache
-back ache and other body pains
-irritability
-poor healing
-high vulnerability to bruises
-discoloration of the skin
-nose bleeding
-dry hair
-rough dry skin
-dry hair with split ends
-and dental caries.

Vitamin C deficiency symptoms in children should be taken care of since this is important for their growth and development. Mothers should be aware of these vitamin C deficiency symptoms for the well-being of their children.

What Causes Vitamin C Deficiency?
Habitually eating a diet of highly processed foods and an insufficient amount of fruits and vegetables may result in a vitamin C deficiency. Since vitamin C is water-soluble, your body doesn't store it well, so it needs to be replenished daily.
Scurvy may need to be treated with high doses of supplemental vitamin C, however a milder deficiency may be corrected by increasing consumption of fruits and vegetables, especially citrus fruits, strawberries, potatoes, broccoli, tomatoes and peppers. Vitamin C is diminished when fresh fruits and vegetables are exposed to air or cooked, so fresh/raw fruits and vegetables have more vitamin C than those that are cooked or canned.

Scurvy
Severe vitamin C deficiency has been known for many centuries as the potentially fatal disease, scurvy. By the late 1700s the British navy was aware that scurvy could be cured by eating oranges or lemons, even though vitamin C would not be isolated until the early 1930s. Symptoms of scurvy include bleeding and bruising easily, hair and tooth loss, and joint pain and swelling. Such symptoms appear to be related to the weakening of blood vessels, connective tissue, and bone, which all contain collagen. Early symptoms of scurvy like fatigue may result from diminished levels of carnitine, which is needed to derive energy from fat, or from decreased synthesis of the neurotransmitter norepinephrine. Scurvy is rare in developed countries because it can be prevented by as little as 10 mg of vitamin C daily. However, cases have occurred in children and the elderly on very restricted diets.
If a patient’s body becomes insufficient in Vitamin C, it can also lead to serious illnesses such as thyroid related problems and early aging. The immune system of the human body will also be weak and as a consequence, different toxic substances will make your body vulnerable to diseases.  Scurvy happens if a person has prolonged deficiency in Vitamin C for such a long time for 2 to 3 months. It is notable that early signs are not distinctive of the disease. However, anyone can always take foods that are rich in vitamin C to mitigate the deficiency.

Can You Get Too Much Vitamin C?
Vitamin C supplements are good if you don't eat enough fruits and vegetables every day, just be sure to follow the label directions. Some people take larger amounts of vitamin C (called mega-doses) because they hope to harness the antioxidant benefits of the vitamin, defy aging, or boost their immune systems.
Currently, research doesn't show any clear benefits from taking mega-doses of vitamin C supplements, with the possible exception of cataract prevention. Supplemental amounts up to 2000 milligrams per day are safe, but larger doses may result in diarrhea. It's always advisable to talk to your doctor before starting supplements.

Vitamin C helps the body maintain healthy tissues and a strong immune system, and it aids in the absorption of iron. Vitamin C is considered a powerful ally if you're trying to avoid or kick a cold or other illness. Together with calcium and iron, it's also an important part of a diet that counteracts lead poisoning.
Rotelle with Ratatouille
Boneless Chicken with Potato-Pepper Hash
Boneless Bruschetta with Roasted Peppers
Bell Peppers with Summer Vegetables
Arugula Salad with Grilled Radicchio
Green Tagliatelle with Red Hot Pepper Sauce
Vegetable Stew Nicoise with Tofu
Turkey Curry
Madras Lentil Curry
Roasted Vegetables and Linguine Salad
Jerk Chicken Kabobs

-Kiwi
Kiwi -- the fruit, not the bird that's the national symbol of New Zealand -- is rich in vitamin C. One medium kiwi contains 70 mg of the nutrient and 46 calories.
The fruit is typically eaten raw, but you could always attempt to make New Zealand's national dessert, the  Pavlova, which is often topped with kiwi.

-Orange
Who doesn't want an injection of acidic orange when in need of a vitamin C boost? You're justified. One medium orange contains 70 mg of vitamin C and 62 calories.
If you prefer it in liquid form, 3/4 cup of orange juice contains 61-93 mg of vitamin C and 79-84 calories.

-Green Sweet Pepper
Green sweet peppers offer 60 mg of vitamin C per half cup, with only 15 calories. When cooked, the vegetable provides 51 mg of vitamin C.

-Grapefruit Juice
Grapefruit juice provides almost the same amount of vitamin C as green peppers: 3/4 cup has 50-70 mg vitamin C and 71-86 calories.

-Vegetable Juice Cocktail
Drinking your vegetables provides plenty of nutrients, including a vitamin C punch (and, if your veggie juice is tomato-based, a healthy dose of lycopene, a disease-fighting phytonutrient). You'll get 50 mg of vitamin C and 34 calories in 3/4 cup of juice.

-Strawberries
Strawberries are full of fiber and antioxidants, including vitamin C. A half cup of strawberries contains 49 mg of the vitamin and 27 calories.


Recommended Daily Intake

In the U.S., the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for vitamin C was revised in 2000 upward from the previous recommendation of 60 mg daily for men and women. The RDA continues to be based primarily on the prevention of deficiency disease, rather than the prevention of chronic disease and the promotion of optimum health. The recommended intake for smokers is 35 mg/day higher than for nonsmokers, because smokers are under increased oxidative stress from the toxins in cigarette smoke and generally have lower blood levels of vitamin C.
You can go to this link and scroll down just a little to see a table of the recommended intake of Vitamin C based on life stage and gender:
http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/vitamins/vitaminC/

For adult men is 90 mg and for adult women it's 75 mg.


Sources Of Vitamin C

For most of us, oranges are the most popular food containing Vitamin C.  But there are actually other foods out there that have more of it than oranges.  Here are the top 10 foods that contain it (descending).

-Guava
Guava is rich in vitamin C -- one half cup of the fruit contains 188 mg of vitamin C and 56 calories. Eat the fruit raw, or try this recipe for a  Hawaiian smoothie.

-Red Sweet Pepper
You probably instantly think citrus when you think of immune system-boosting vitamin C, but red sweet pepper offers a solid dose of the nutrient. One half cup of raw red sweet pepper contains 142 mg of vitamin C and 20 calories. If you cook the veggie, a half cup offers 116 mg of vitamin C.
You can always chop up a red pepper into salads and for crudités, but for a different take on the brightly hued vegetable, try these recipes:

Roasted Red-Pepper and Herb Dip
Bistro Pizza
Roasted Red Pepper and Almond Butter Tapenade
Farm Stand Succotash
Garlicky Spinach with Red Peppers and Golden Raisins
Red Pepper and Potato Home Fries
Grilled Vegetable Tostadas with Fresh Salsa


-Brussels Sprouts
This veggie may not be the most kid-friendly choice, but it is a true superfood -- packed with both 48 mg of Vitamin C, 300 μg of Vitamin K and just 28 calories.

-Cantaloupe
One quarter of a medium cantaloupe has 47 mg of vitamin C and 51 calories.


So there you have it.  You now know the basics of what happens when you don't get enough Vitamin C and also great sources of if.  Use this information to keep yourself well supplied of the nutrient.

Anything to add, questions or comments?  Post them here.

Thank you Cyro for compiling this!

I read through all of it and found it very helpful. I do have one question though, does a deficiency of it hurt your eyesight or an abundance of it help your eyesight?

I have heard that belief for ages, do you whether it is true?

I think that would be cool to include too, if there is an actual relationship.

Sounds like I have a deficiency then.

That's a shame. I rather like being healthy... so what can I do?

I know. I'll take a multitude of vitamins!

Wow that is a lot of information about good ol' Vitamin C! Good job compiling all this information together.

If it helps some of our members be more healthy, I'm all for it! lol

That's some pretty interesting well being update Cyro. Vitamin C is the way to go, am I right? I actually didn't know you could get any symptoms from Vitamin C. That's quite the interesting facts I know now. Thanks!

Is there any interest in continuing this? I love to learn and enjoyed reading it.
Unfortunately though, I suck at internet research.  Could someone do this for iron maybe?

Singelli : I've meaning to get back into this for months, but I either forget or never bring myself to doing. At the moment I'm preoccupied with playing the new Borderlands game and the weekends usually are taken by my girlfriend. Still, I do think about this series. You're not the only one who wants me to continue this, though. I just have to set some time aside to do another one.