Vitamin C deficiency is fairly common. Smoking cigarettes can lower the amount of vitamin C in the body, so smokers are more prone to a deficiency, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Often, doctors will suggest a vitamin C supplement to smokers to prevent or cure a deficiency.
Not getting enough of this vitamin can cause easy bruising, gingivitis and bleeding gums, dry and splitting hair, rough, dry, scaly skin, a decreased wound-healing rate, nosebleeds and a decreased ability to ward off infection, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center.
An extreme lack of vitamin C for long periods of time can cause scurvy. Symptoms of scurvy are skin that bruises easily, bleeding gums, joint pain and poor wound healing.
“An estimated 40 percent of men and 38 percent of women are getting insufficient amounts of vitamin C. If you’re not eating your fruits and veggies, it’s a good idea to supplement,” said Dr. Brian Dixon, an expert in molecular and cellular biology and executive director of Health and Science Education at USANA Health Sciences.
The recommended daily allowance (RDA) for vitamin C varies, depending on age, gender and other factors. Typically, the RDA is 75mg for women and 90mg for men, according to Oregon State University. Pregnant and nursing women should take 80mg to 120 mg, depending on age.
Most of the population can take substantially more than the RDA without any side effects since vitamin C is water soluble. This means that it is not stored by the body. It is filtered out and leaves the body in urine, according to the NIH. “However, some people taking more than 2,000 mg could experience some gastrointestinal upset. And those who are prone to form kidney stones should get clearance from their doctor before taking high doses of Vitamin C,” said Dixon.
Dr. Kristine Arthur, internist at Orange Coast Memorial Medical Center in Fountain Valley, California told Live Science, “You can take too much. (It) may lead to kidney stones, irregular heart beat and diarrhea.”
