Fast Five Quiz: Vitamin C

Those at risk for vitamin C deficiency include babies who are fed only cow's milk or plant-based beverages (almond milk) during the first year of life, and pregnant and lactating women. Individuals with disease of the small intestine such as Crohn, Whipple, and celiac disease, as well those who undergo gastric bypass surgery, also are at risk.

Other contributors to vitamin C deficiency include:

• Alcoholism

• Certain restrictive diets

• Smoking cigarettes

• Thyrotoxicosis

• Anorexia nervosa or anorexia due to other diseases such as AIDS or cancer

• Type 1 diabetes

Although asthma has not been associated with increased rates of vitamin C deficiency, vitamin C supplementation may be beneficial in patients with asthma. Similarly, although hypertension has not been identified as a significant risk factor for the development of vitamin C deficiency, high doses of the vitamin have been linked to modest blood pressure improvement.

Read more about the etiology of vitamin C deficiency.

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Any views expressed above are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the views of WebMD or Medscape.

Cite this: Romesh Khardori. Fast Five Quiz: Vitamin C - Medscape - Jun 24, 2021.