Vitamin C: 7 Signs That You're Not Getting Enough And What To Do About It

glamour.com:

C is touted as one of the best immune-boosting supplements on the market, which explains why search around “vitamin C deficiency” have spiked by 1,025% over the past month.Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, is an essential vitamin that our bodies need to function properly—from supporting our immune systems to keeping our , bones, blood vessels and cartilage healthy."Every single cell and tissue within our body requires this nutrient for healthy function and repair,” , pharmacist and co-founder of , tells Glamour UK.The trouble is, vitamin C is water soluble, “so it's excreted out of the body within a very short space of time after ingesting it through food or by way of supplements,” she notes.“Some vitamin C is retained within our organs and blood but, based on current research, we simply don't have sufficient vitamin C intake in the first instance, which exposes us to illness,” says Daya.And a depleted supply of the vitamin can be bad news.

Decreased levels of vitamins and minerals, “can affect various functions in the body, impacting our energy levels, mood and overall health,” adds , nutritional therapist and founder of Artah.That said, it's also important to not just start chugging a carton of orange juice or downing as a cure-all once you're laid up in bed with a runny nose and scratchy throat.“Having a consistent and proactive approach is really the only way to help prevent the frequency and severity of illness," says Stephenson.