Vitamin C Deficiency in India: Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, & Treatment

Quick Summary

• Vitamin C deficiency can silently affect immunity, skin health, wound healing, and energy levels if ignored.
• Early symptoms like fatigue, bleeding gums, and frequent infections are often mistaken for general weakness.
• A diet rich in fruits like amla, guava, oranges, and lemons can prevent most deficiencies.
• Severe or prolonged deficiency may increase medical complications and treatment costs.
• When health expenses rise unexpectedly, medical crowdfunding can help families manage care without financial stress.

Introduction

Vitamin C deficiency in India is far more common than most people realise, even in an age dominated by “superfoods” and wellness trends. Often dismissed as a problem of the past associated with scurvy, this form of nutrient deficiency in India continues to affect a significant portion of the population today. Dietary surveys and public health data suggest that a large share of Indians do not meet the recommended daily intake of vitamin C, with deficiency rates particularly high among the elderly and economically vulnerable groups.

Vitamin C is not just an immunity booster; it plays an important role in collagen formation, wound healing, iron absorption, and the maintenance of healthy skin, gums, blood vessels, and connective tissues. 

In this blog, you’ll learn what causes vitamin C deficiency in adults and children, the early symptoms and warning signs to watch for, how doctors diagnose vitamin C deficiency or scurvy, and the most effective treatment and prevention strategies. 

Understanding Vitamin C and Its Importance

Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, is an essential water-soluble vitamin required for the growth, repair, and protection of tissues throughout the body. Since the human body cannot produce or store vitamin C, a regular daily intake through food is necessary to maintain adequate levels, making deficiency a common concern in India.

Vitamin C supports several critical functions that affect overall health, immunity, and recovery.

Key Roles of Vitamin C in the Body

• Collagen Production: Vitamin C is essential for making collagen, a structural protein that keeps skin, gums, blood vessels, bones, and connective tissues strong and healthy.
• Antioxidant Protection: It helps protect cells from damage caused by free radicals, which contribute to ageing and chronic diseases.
• Immune System Support: Vitamin C supports the production and function of white blood cells, helping the body fight infections more effectively.
• Iron Absorption: It improves the absorption of non-heme iron from plant-based foods, reducing the risk of iron-deficiency anaemia, especially important for vegetarians.
• Brain and Mood Health: Vitamin C plays a role in producing neurotransmitters that influence mood, focus, and cognitive function.

Recommended Intake and Safety

Daily vitamin C needs vary by age, gender, and lifestyle:

• Adults: Approximately 75–90 mg per day
• Pregnant or breastfeeding women: Higher intake may be required
• Smokers: Often need additional vitamin C due to increased oxidative stress

Excessive intake from supplements may cause digestive discomfort in some individuals, so supplementation should be used responsibly and preferably under medical guidance.

Quick Answer: Vitamin C is an essential nutrient needed for immunity, collagen formation, iron absorption, and tissue repair. Since the body cannot make or store it, regular intake from fruits and vegetables is necessary to prevent vitamin C deficiency and related health problems.

Common Warning Signs of Vitamin C Deficiency You Shouldn’t Ignore

If vitamin C levels remain low for 2–3 months or longer, the body begins to show visible signs of tissue and collagen breakdown. These symptoms may appear gradually and are often mistaken for routine fatigue or aging.

Look out for these 8 common warning signs of vitamin C deficiency:

• Rough, Bumpy Skin (Keratosis Pilaris): Small, rough “chicken skin” bumps may appear on the upper arms, thighs, or buttocks due to abnormal keratin buildup around hair follicles.
• Slow Wound Healing: Cuts, bruises, or surgical wounds may take weeks to heal because vitamin C is essential for collagen production and tissue repair.
• Bleeding Gums and Loose Teeth: Swollen, red, or bleeding gums are classic signs of vitamin C deficiency and early scurvy. In severe cases, teeth may become loose.
• Easy Bruising: Frequent or unexplained bruising occurs when weakened blood vessels rupture easily due to poor collagen support.
• Painful or Swollen Joints: Low vitamin C levels can lead to joint pain, stiffness, and swelling as collagen breakdown affects connective tissues.
• Brittle Bones or Bone Pain: Vitamin C contributes to bone formation and strength. Chronic deficiency may increase the risk of fractures, especially in older adults.
• Chronic Fatigue and Mood Changes: Persistent tiredness, weakness, low mood, or irritability are often early neurological signs of deficiency.
• Iron-Deficiency Anemia: Vitamin C is required to absorb non-heme iron from plant-based foods. Low vitamin C levels can lead to or worsen iron deficiency, even with an iron-rich diet.

Quick Answer: Common warning signs of vitamin C deficiency include bleeding gums, easy bruising, slow wound healing, rough or bumpy skin, joint pain, chronic fatigue, mood changes, brittle bones, and iron-deficiency anemia. These symptoms usually appear after several months of low vitamin C intake.

Who Is at Risk of Vitamin C Deficiency?

Despite vitamin C being present in many Indian fruits and vegetables, vitamin C deficiency in India remains widespread due to dietary habits, lifestyle factors, and health conditions that reduce intake or increase depletion.

You may be at higher risk if you fall into any of the following groups:

1. Traditional Indian Cooking Practices

• Overcooking and High Heat: Vitamin C is extremely heat-sensitive. Common practices such as prolonged boiling (dal, sambhar), pressure cooking, or deep frying can destroy 30% to 95% of the vitamin C content.
• Washing Vegetables After Chopping: Since vitamin C is water-soluble, washing chopped vegetables causes the nutrient to leach into the water and get discarded before cooking even begins.

This makes dietary vitamin C intake lower than expected, even in homes that consume vegetables daily.

2. Smokers and Passive Smoke Exposure

• Active Smoking: Cigarette smoke increases oxidative stress, forcing the body to use up vitamin C more rapidly. Smokers typically require 35 mg more vitamin C per day than non-smokers.
• Passive Smoking & Biomass Fuels: In many Indian households, exposure to smoke from wood, coal, or cow-dung cooking fuels (biomass fuels) produces similar oxidative stress, increasing deficiency risk.

3. Older Adults (Elderly Population)

Ageing significantly increases vulnerability due to:

• Reduced appetite and limited food variety
• Dental problems that make chewing raw fruits difficult
• Social isolation and inadequate nutrition
  

Indian studies report vitamin C deficiency in up to 74% of elderly adults in North India and 46% in South India, highlighting a serious nutrient deficiency in India’s ageing population.

4. People with Chronic Health Conditions

• Diabetes (especially Type 1): High blood glucose levels interfere with vitamin C uptake into cells, increasing daily requirements.
• Malabsorption Disorders: Conditions such as Celiac disease, Crohn’s disease, or recovery after bariatric surgery reduce intestinal absorption of vitamin C.

5. Excessive Alcohol Consumption

Alcohol:

• Reduces vitamin C absorption in the stomach
• Increases urinary excretion via the kidneys

Over time, this leads to chronic depletion even if dietary intake appears adequate.

Quick Answer: People at higher risk of vitamin C deficiency in India include older adults, smokers, those exposed to cooking smoke or air pollution, individuals with poor dietary habits, chronic digestive disorders, diabetes, and people who consume excess alcohol. Traditional cooking methods that destroy vitamin C further increase the risk.

The Role of Collagen: Why Vitamin C Deficiency Breaks the Body Down

Vitamin C is not just an “immunity vitamin.” It is essential for collagen synthesis, the structural protein that holds the body together.

Without adequate vitamin C, collagen production becomes faulty—leading to progressive tissue breakdown.

Skin Health

Vitamin C maintains the skin’s protective barrier. Deficiency causes:

• Dry, fragile skin
• Rough, bumpy “chicken skin” (keratosis pilaris)
• Poor wound healing

Joint and Bone Strength

Collagen forms the framework of joints, ligaments, and bones.
Low vitamin C levels can lead to:

• Painful joint swelling
• Stiffness and reduced mobility
• “Woody edema” (hard swelling) in the legs in severe cases

Blood Vessel Integrity

Vitamin C strengthens blood vessel walls.
When deficient:

• Capillaries become fragile
• Bleeding gums and frequent bruising occur
• Small internal hemorrhages may develop in advanced deficiency

This explains why scurvy is fundamentally a collagen-collapse disorder, not just a vitamin shortage.

Quick Answer: Vitamin C is not just an immunity-boosting nutrient; it is essential for collagen synthesis, the structural protein that supports skin, bones, joints, blood vessels, and connective tissues throughout the body.

What Causes Vitamin C Deficiency in India? 

Even if you believe you are eating a healthy diet, nutrient deficiency in India is still prevalent. Vitamin C deficiency often develops due to everyday habits, environmental exposure, and absorption issues. The following factors quietly drain vitamin C levels over time:

1. The “Heat” Factor: Cooking Losses

Vitamin C is one of the most unstable vitamins and breaks down easily when exposed to heat, light, and air.

• Prolonged Boiling: Traditional Indian cooking methods, such as slow-cooked vegetables, can destroy 50–80% of vitamin C.
• Repeated Reheating: Reheating leftovers multiple times further depletes whatever vitamin C remains after initial cooking.
• Pressure Cooking: While faster, the high temperature and pressure still reduce vitamin C levels compared to gentler methods like steaming or sautéing.

This means vegetables may look healthy on the plate but offer far less nutrition than expected.

2. Poor Storage and Transport of Produce

Vitamin C begins to degrade the moment fruits and vegetables are harvested.

• Loss of Freshness: Produce stored at room temperature for several days loses a significant portion of its vitamin C content.
• The “Mandi” Supply Chain: In many parts of India, fruits and vegetables travel long distances in open trucks under extreme heat, leading to nutrient loss even before purchase.

3. Malabsorption and Gut Health Issues

Sometimes the issue isn’t intake, it’s absorption.

• Low Stomach Acid: Vitamin C requires an acidic environment for proper absorption. Long-term use of antacids or PPIs (commonly used for acidity in India) can impair absorption.
• Digestive Disorders: Conditions such as Celiac disease, Crohn’s disease, or chronic diarrhea prevent efficient nutrient uptake, causing vitamin C to pass through the body unused.

4. Environmental Stress and Toxin Exposure

Vitamin C acts as the body’s primary antioxidant defense.

• Air Pollution: High pollution levels in Indian cities increase oxidative stress, causing the body to use up vitamin C more rapidly.
• Chronic Physical or Emotional Stress: Stress triggers adrenal hormone production, which consumes large amounts of vitamin C, leaving less available for immunity, skin, and tissue repair.

Quick Answer: Vitamin C deficiency in India is mainly caused by overcooking vegetables, poor storage and transport of produce, digestive absorption issues, air pollution, and chronic stress. These factors reduce vitamin C intake or increase the body’s demand, even in people who eat fruits and vegetables regularly.

Natural Ways to Increase Vitamin C: Top Indian Food Sources

Vitamin C is best absorbed when consumed from whole foods, as they contain natural bioflavonoids that improve absorption and utilisation. In India, many affordable and culturally familiar foods are excellent sources of vitamin C, often outperforming imported “superfoods.”

Below are the best vitamin C–rich foods for Indian diets.

1. Vegetarian Powerhouses (Top Natural Sources)

• Amla (Indian Gooseberry): One of the richest natural sources of vitamin C. A single amla provides 600–700 mg, nearly 20 times more than an orange. Even dried amla or murabba retains much of its potency.
• Guava (Amrud): A highly underrated fruit. One medium guava delivers over 200 mg of vitamin C, more than double the daily requirement.
• Drumstick Leaves (Moringa): Common in South Indian cooking, moringa leaves contain up to seven times more vitamin C than oranges. Add them at the end of cooking to preserve nutrients.
• Bell Peppers (Capsicum): Red and yellow capsicums are exceptionally high in vitamin C, especially when eaten raw or lightly sautéed.
• Citrus Fruits: Lemon (nimbu), mosambi (sweet lime), and oranges are excellent sources—freshly squeezed juice is far superior to packaged versions.

2. Non-Vegetarian Sources (Limited but Useful)

Although animal foods are generally low in vitamin C, a few exceptions exist:

• Organ Meats (Chicken or Goat Liver): Contain small amounts of vitamin C that can contribute to daily intake.
• Seafood: Certain shellfish and fish roe provide trace amounts but should not be relied on as primary sources.

Nutrient Synergy Pro-Tip: Vitamin C + Iron

Vitamin C plays a crucial role in iron absorption, especially non-heme iron found in plant foods.

• The body absorbs heme iron (from meat) easily, but struggles with plant-based iron from foods like spinach, lentils, and beans.
• Vitamin C acts as a biological “key,” converting iron into a form the body can absorb.

The Indian Fix:
Always squeeze fresh lemon (nimbu) over palak paneer, dal tadka, poha, or chana. This simple habit can increase iron absorption by up to 300%, helping prevent both vitamin C deficiency and iron deficiency, two common forms of nutrient deficiency in India.

Quick Answer: Amla, guava, drumstick leaves (moringa), bell peppers, and citrus fruits are the best natural sources of vitamin C in India. Eating these foods raw or lightly cooked improves absorption and helps prevent vitamin C deficiency naturally.

Conclusion

Vitamin C deficiency is common, preventable, and highly treatable, but only if recognised early. Ignoring persistent symptoms can lead to complications that impact immunity, recovery, and overall quality of life. While dietary changes and supplements can reverse the deficiency, delayed diagnosis may result in additional medical tests, treatments, and costs.

For families already struggling with healthcare expenses, managing nutritional deficiencies alongside larger medical conditions can become overwhelming. This is where trusted crowdfunding platforms like ImpactGuru step in, helping patients raise funds for treatments, supplements, and long-term care. With the right nutritional awareness and financial support, recovery becomes faster, easier, and far less stressful.