While most people know that scurvy is the most severe and rare form of vitamin C deficiency, not having enough can cause everyday symptoms, some that can differ in the fairer sex. Our bodies simply don't make vitamin C on their own, and we have to get what we need from our diets and vitamin supplements. Dietary changes, after recognition of symptoms of vitamin c deficiency in women, are the best way to combat this nutrient absence. However, reasonable supplement amounts of vitamin C 500 mg or more should be strongly considered if diet alone is not providing enough, which is often the case.
Many women wonder what does vitamin c do in the first place? It's not just something that helps stave off the common cold – it's responsible for growth and repair within the body. Because it's been so over associated with cold prevention, identifying the symptoms of vitamin C deficiency in women may be difficult, especially in those who may write off many of the symptoms of vitamin C deficiency as hormonal changes or environmental effects. You may be surprised to learn that unless you make your vitamin C intake a daily regimen (via food or vitamin supplements), the over hyped emergency dose of vitamin C may not be as helpful as you expected in getting you out of bed sooner if you have a winter cold. Vitamin C acts as an immune system booster in your body and has an accumulative effect on your health improvement, in contrast to the overly-advertised toxic chemical drugs that have a short-term symptom suppressing effect with harmful long-terms effects.
Anemia, for instance, is common in many women, especially those while pregnant or post pregnancy. However, it is also one of the symptoms of vitamin C deficiency. Do you get tired quickly, even after having slept for over 8 hours? Try vitamin C 500 mg or 1000 mg supplements twice a day for a few months and observe how your energy levels start improving. However, don't be fooled into thinking that popping a few C pills alone will cure your energy loss. Chances are, your body is lacking other vital nutrients, too (since all nutrients work together in our body), so women who don't eat a lot of healthy foods should also educate themselves about other potential related vitamin deficiencies.
Got frequent headaches? While there are numerous possible reasons for them, headaches are on the list of vitamin C deficiency symptoms in women. While magnesium has proven to be more effective for the treatment of painful migraine attacks, don't dismiss the benefits of vitamin c in this case.
Another common complaint in women is skin conditions, such as dry red skin. Skin changes like dry or scaly skin are also common symptoms of vitamin C deficiency in women. This is why vitamin c for skin is so important.
Getting enough vitamin C is easy to do if you know what to eat, but most importantly, what not to eat. Fruits like mango and papaya along with the traditional citrus choices may sound like delicious natural sources of vitamin C, but when weighted against their high amount of natural sugars/fructose that are not as healthy as we were all made to believe, you may be better off sticking to the less sweet options. Green vegetables and peppers are always great additions to a healthy diet that is rich in this lettered and much needed vitamin.
If you are concerned that you may be experiencing symptoms of vitamin C deficiency, talk to your nutritionist and check out our other articles on this topic. Your nutritionist will either recommend dietary changes or the addition of a supplement in order to ensure that you are getting the correct balance of nutrients that your body needs to function normally. Your recommended daily intake will vary depending on several factors such as whether you are pregnant or nursing or are a smoker. Knowing how much you need is the first step in ensuring that you will not experience a dearth of this important essential.
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