Vitamin C (ascorbic acid)

and Eva Rudolf-Müller, doctor

Eva Rudolf-Müller is a freelance writer in the medical team. She studied human medicine and newspaper sciences and has repeatedly worked in both areas - as a doctor in the clinic, as a reviewer, and as a medical journalist for various specialist journals. She is currently working in online journalism, where a wide range of medicine is offered to everyone.

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A sufficient supply of vitamin C is important for a healthy and efficient body. Read here in which cases the doctor measures the vitamin C level in the blood, how meaningful the result is and when there is an increased need for vitamin C!

What is Vitamin C

Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is a water-soluble vitamin. It is found primarily in citrus fruits and fresh vegetables. The body's own reserves are sufficient for two to six weeks.

Vitamin C is involved in many processes in the human body. Among other things, ascorbic acid promotes the absorption and utilization of iron from plant-based foods, is involved in the formation of bile acids and catecholamines such as noradrenaline and adrenaline and intercepts toxic substances in the body (free radicals).

The best-known deficiency symptom is called scurvy, but it hardly ever occurs in industrialized countries.

When is the vitamin C value determined?

It is not clear whether measuring the vitamin C value actually brings anything. The normal values are not clearly defined and it is therefore difficult to correctly assess the level of the vitamin C value.

Vitamin C: normal value

The concentration of vitamin C is determined from the blood. It is usually 5 to 15 milligrams per liter.

When is the vitamin C level too low?

A vitamin C deficiency can occur, for example, in a one-sided, vitamin-poor diet, for example in people with alcoholic beverages. In the case of gastrointestinal diseases, the vitamin C level can also be too low because the absorption of the vitamin in the intestine is impaired.

In certain situations, the vitamin C requirement is increased, so that an undersupply can more easily occur. This applies, for example, to pregnancy and breastfeeding, physical work, infections, stress and smoking.