Vitamin C Deficiency. What It’s Doing To You And How You Can Fix It.
Before you get into this article, if at anytime you want to speak to one of our Toronto Naturopathic Doctors about Vitamin C deficiency or Vitamin C IV Drip, we have a free consultation call available. Click here to book one.
What are some of the symptoms of Vitamin C deficiency?
Unfortunately, Vitamin C deficiency is quite common. On the flip side, severe forms of Vitamin C deficiency, like Scurvy, is quite rare.
Risk factors that can lead to vitamin C deficiency are a lack of fresh fruits & vegetables in your diet, excessive alcohol intake, smoking, individuals with eating disorders, restrictive diets, food allergies, type I diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease, and patients on hemodialysis.
You can see why it’s so common with the typical North American lifestyle!
Vitamin C deficiency is usually diagnosed based on clinical signs and symptoms as well as assessing any contributing risk factors.
If you are concerned about your vitamin C levels, make sure to book an appointment with a Toronto Naturopathic Doctor for a thorough assessment.
Here Are Your Top 5 Initial Signs Of Vitamin C Deficiency
- Fatigue
- Weakness
- Irritability
- Joint pain
- Muscle pain
When you don’t address a Vitamin C Deficiency, you can start having some serious problems that can result in:
- Poor wound healing
- Problems fighting infections
- Easy bruising
- Dry splitting hair
- Dry/rough skin
- Bleeding gums and/or tooth loss
Why is Vitamin C so crucial for our bodies?
Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, is a water-soluble vitamin that is essential for optimal health and wellness. Humans are unable to synthesize vitamin C endogenously, meaning we have to get our vitamin C through diet and supplementation.
Since vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin, very little can be stored in the body, therefore daily intake is very important to avoid deficiency. Vitamin C also tends to be depleted in instances of intense stress, trauma, burns, surgery, fever, inflammation, diarrhea, iron deficiency, and chronic infections so the need is even further increased during these times.
Our body also needs vitamin C to form and maintain blood vessels, cartilage, collagen, and bones.
Vitamin C acts as a highly effective antioxidant, plays an essential role in maintaining proper immune function, and facilitates the absorption of iron.
It’s probably one of the most important vitamins you need to keep on top of for overall health and wellbeing.
You can do this through diet, supplementation and when you’re really depleted or want to experience the benefits of high dose Vitamin C, you can try a Vitamin C Intravenous Vitamin Therapy, or IV drip.
What is IV Drip Therapy for Vitamin C Deficiency?
Intravenous (IV) therapy also know as an IV Drip, is the practice of infusing fluids directly into the bloodstream. Vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and other natural substances are administered directly into the veins allowing them to bypass the digestive system and go directly into the bloodstream where they are immediately available to the cells, muscles, and tissues that require them.
Since IV therapy skips the digestive process, it allows us to use much higher doses of natural substances than we can ingest orally. For instance, high dose IV Therapy for Vitamin C can be delivered in significantly greater amounts intravenously than can be taken orally and has a stronger therapeutic effect. IV vitamin C is only about 15 percent bioavailable (actively used by the body) when taken orally in high doses, but it is 100 percent bioavailable when administered intravenously, providing significantly higher peak plasma concentrations.
As IV vitamin C is one of the most popular and effective nutrients used in intravenous therapy, this next part is going to specifically focus on the many therapeutic uses of IV vitamin C and how it can potentially benefit you!
What are the benefits of IV Drip Vitamin C Therapy?
Intravenous vitamin therapy , or IV Drip , is an efficient and bioavailable way to replenish your body when you’re vitamin C deficient.
Vitamin C acts as a strong antioxidant, accelerates collagen production, aids in the development of a robust, healthy immune system, can provide patients with more energy, and guards against chronic diseases.
Since oral high doses of vitamin C are not well absorbed and can also result in gastrointestinal discomfort, the best way to administer high doses of vitamin C is through IV therapy.
IV vitamin C is commonly used to treat many conditions including:
- Chronic infections
- Fatigue and low energy
- Joint pain
- Mononucleosis
- Fibromyalgia and Chronic fatigue syndrome
- Shingles
- Side effects of chemotherapy and radiation
- Hypertension
- Allergies
- Asthma
- Common cold and flu
- Sinusitis
- Migraines
- Inflammatory bowel disease
IV vitamin C Antioxidant properties
Stress, alcohol consumption, and smoking can all cause oxidative stress. Oxidative stress results in the formation of damaging molecules called free radicals that can build up and harm our bodies.
Many diseases are caused by, or at least linked to, oxidative damage. Vitamin C is a physiological antioxidant that protects the body against oxidative stress and has been demonstrated to replenish other antioxidants in the body.
According to population studies, those who consume high doses of vitamin C have a lower risk of developing a variety of chronic diseases, such as heart disease, cancer, eye diseases, and neurodegenerative conditions.
Due to poor intestinal absorption and ready excretion from the body, high doses of vitamin C are needed to effectively act as an antioxidant, and IV vitamin C is the most optimal route for administration.
IV vitamin C for Collagen production
Collagen is the primary structural protein found in connective tissue and vitamin C is essential for collagen formation. Collagen is vital for healthy skin, teeth, bones, tendons, cartilage, blood vessels, and cardiovascular health. A lack of collagen can result in weakened blood vessels, ligaments, tendons, and bones and therefore, IV vitamin C is an excellent way to support our bodies’ need for collagen formation.
IV vitamin C for Immune Support
Infections have a major impact on decreasing vitamin C levels due to the increased inflammation and metabolic demands. A deficiency in vitamin C also lowers immunity and makes us more susceptible to infections. Vitamin C supplementation has been used in both the prevention and treatment of respiratory and systemic infections. High doses of IV vitamin C have been shown in research to be effective in managing difficult infections, such as Epstein Bar Virus, by reducing disease duration and amount of viral antibody levels. If you tend to get sick often or start to feel under the weather, an IV vitamin C treatment may be the boost your immune system needs.
IV vitamin C to help with Antihistamine effects
Histamine is known to play an important role in the development of atopic diseases, such as allergies and asthma. Vitamin C acts as a natural antihistamine and can decrease inflammation and swelling related to allergic conditions. Research has shown that IV vitamin C can reduce histamine levels in patients and reduce allergy symptoms such as sneezing, runny nose, and itchiness. Do you suffer from seasonal allergies? IV vitamin C may be a great option for you.
IV vitamin C for Energy
Fatigue is one of the most common symptoms individuals experience in day-to-day life. A lack of vitamin C can result in feelings of fatigue or depression as vitamin C is one of the many important nutrients required for proper energy production. Research has shown that high doses of IV vitamin C can reduce symptoms of fatigue so it may be just what you need for that energy boost!
How can a Toronto Naturopathic Clinic help?
Our Toronto Naturopaths at Higher Health are certified for IV drips that include IV vitamin C. Your naturopathic doctor will run all the required blood work to ensure proper screening takes place before beginning any IV therapy treatments. In Ontario, Naturopathic Doctors receive additional training to become licensed in intravenous therapy.
IV vitamin C can also be combined with a variety of other vitamins and nutrients tailored to meet your specific health concerns. A naturopathic doctor will individualize each IV treatment with the nutrients you require, the proper dosages, and number of IV sessions necessary to reach your health goals.
If you are interested in discussing how IV Therapy for Vitamin C can help you, book a free consultation with on of our Naturopathic Doctors.
References:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29864039
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17884994/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK493187/
https://dermnetnz.org/topics/scurvy/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2898816/
https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminC-HealthProfessional/#en1
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4015650/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29099763/https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/1475-2891-11-7