Can we help you find something? We're sorry, but we couldn't find the page you tried.One of the links below may help. Or you can visit WebMD's Home Page. To check possible conditions. First Aid & Emergencies Find out what to do in case of an emergency Create a plan, log your food & fitness, and track your way toVitamin C is a nutrient also known as ascorbic acid.Historically, doctors prescribed vitamin C (or vitamin C-rich foods) to treat scurvy, a medical condition caused by extremely low levels of ascorbic acid.Today, doctors may prescribe ascorbic acid to make the urine more acidic or to treat methemoglobinemia, a condition in which the blood can't carry enough oxygen.Vitamin C plays an important role in the growth and repair of tissue in all parts of your body. The nutrient has been shown to:Vitamin C is also an antioxidant, which means it can help block the damaging effects of free radicals, which the body makes as it breaks down food or is exposed to tobacco smoke or radiation.
Free radicals have long been associated with the aging process, and they have been shown to play a role in the development of cancer, heart disease, and arthritis.Some studies suggest that vitamin C may be an effective remedy for the common cold.In general, people who take vitamin C supplements may have slightly shorter periods of cold symptoms, or somewhat milder symptoms.However, taking a vitamin C supplement after a cold starts does not appear to have as positive an effect. Indeed, research indicates that vitamin C supplements or vitamin C-rich foods do nothing to reduce your risk of getting the common cold.Vitamin C is sometimes used as a skin-care product.It may have regenerative effects on skin wrinkles, texture, strength, and evenness of tone, allegedly due to its properties as an antioxidant. Available vitamin C products on the skin care market vary by their pH (acidity) and formulation, ranging from serums and creams to powders.Some suntan lotions or oils also include vitamin C as an ingredient, in part due to its benefits for skin health.
Various anecdotal reports have linked vitamin C use with miscarriage as well as self-induced abortion (termination of pregnancy).These reports, however, have not been substantiated by medical research, and attempts to use vitamin C to intentionally terminate a pregnancy may be dangerous.As the body can not make or store vitamin C, it’s important to have a diet of foods rich in vitamin C, such as:• Cantaloupe • Citrus fruits and juices • Kiwi • Mango • Papaya • Pineapple • Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, cranberries • Watermelon • Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower • Green/red peppers • Spinach, cabbage, turnip greens, and other leafy greens • Sweet/white potatoes • Tomatoes/tomato juice • Winter squashAll fruits and vegetables contain some vitamin C, but those listed contain the most. Cereals and other foods and beverages are often fortified with vitamin C, meaning vitamin C has been added to the ingredients.
Uncooked or raw fruits and vegetables provide the best food sources of vitamin C.Cooking vitamin C-rich foods or storing them for a long period of time can reduce their vitamin C content. Microwaving and steaming vitamin C-rich foods may reduce some of these losses. Vitamin C deficiency can cause symptoms such as:• Anemia • Bleeding gums/nosebleeds • Decreased ability to fight infection and wound-healing • Dry, splitting hair • Rough, dry, scaly skin • Bruising • Inflammation of the gums • Weakened tooth enamel • Weight gain • Swollen and painful jointsA severe form of vitamin C deficiency known as scurvy mainly affects older, malnourished adults.You should not take vitamin C if:High doses of vitamin C increase the risk of a rare condition known as hyperoxaluria.Hyperoxaluria is a serious health problem in which too much oxalic acid is excreted in the urine, increasing your risk of kidney stones.If you're taking vitamin C in the amount recommended as a dietary supplement, then the vitamin is highly unlikely to cause birth defects, so it's safe for a pregnant woman to take.
However, in high doses the vitamin may have harmful effects on a fetus, even though the effects of high doses in pregnant women have not been well studied.Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant before taking vitamin C supplements.Vitamin C is considered safe to take while breastfeeding, but you should tell your doctor if you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed before taking it.Vitamin C is a water-soluble substance, and therefore does not accumulate in the body. This accounts for the absence of any data on vitamin C toxicity per se. Vitamin C in itself is of low toxicity, and has only minor adverse effects, such as diarrhea, nausea and other digestive disturbances. These upsets are due to the osmotic withdrawal of water from the intestinal contents by the unabsorbed vitamin C in the gastrointestinal tract. Other physiologic disruptions due to high vitamin C levels include metabolic acidosis and altered levels of some coagulation factors such as prothrombin.
Vitamin C metabolism produces oxalate as a product. Some research suggests that vitamin C supplements may increase urinary oxalate concentrations, and double the risk of calcium oxalate kidney stones. Several drugs reduce vitamin C levels, such as the contraceptive pills that contain estrogen, barbiturates and tetracyclines. Vitamin C also raises estrogen levels. Regular aspirin intake above a certain frequency, such as 1000 mg every 6 hours, increases the urinary excretion of vitamin C and reduces its blood levels. Vitamin C causes higher serum levels of aspirin and other NSAIDs. Vitamin C can inhibit the action of warfarin, and thus the dosage of warfarin requires to be monitored by the prothrombin time. It may also reduce the cardioprotective action of cholesterol-lowering drugs such as simvastatin and niacin, though the evidence is far from clear. Some large trials indicate that it does not affect the positive effects of these drugs. It has been suggested that vitamin C use during cancer cell chemotherapy could diminish the efficacy of treatment by protecting tumor cells from destruction.
Other studies, though, indicate that vitamin C exerts a possible protective effect on normal cells against the damage induced by radiotherapy or chemotherapy. It has also been suggested that high doses of vitamin C could lead to oxidative damage by contributing to free radical production, but this has not been experimentally shown. Tests such as serum bilirubin, serum creatinine and the guaiac test for the presence of occult blood depend upon the presence of reducing substances, and thus high levels of vitamin C can interfere with their interpretation. A single study showed that vitamin C supplementation appeared to increase the cardiovascular disease mortality in post-menopausal diabetic women, but this has never been confirmed. Vitamin C may theoretically cause excessive iron absorption, but this is likely to be of significance only in those who have hereditary hemochromatosis and consume high doses of vitamin C. When taken along with aluminium-containing antacids, vitamin C boosts aluminium absorption and therefore the risks of side-effects.