Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, is a water-soluble vitamin. Your body cannot make or store vitamin C, so we obtain it through food. Alongside being a powerful antioxidant, vitamin C helps your body form and maintain connective tissue, including bones, blood vessels, and the skin (for the biosynthesis of collagen). Vitamin C also helps to strengthen the immune system and aid iron absorption.

Vitamin C deficiency causes a range of symptoms in the body, including inflammation and bleeding of the gums, dry hair and skin, and slow wound healing. People with gastrointestinal conditions and some types of cancer may be more susceptible to developing a vitamin C deficiency. A lack of vitamin C in your diet over a long period can lead to a condition called scurvy, a disease resulting from the breakdown of collagen. This condition is rare, as most people get enough vitamin C through their diet. Scurvy affects muscle and bone strength but is easily treated by eating foods rich in vitamin C and taking vitamin C supplements.

Taking an excess of vitamin C supplements, such as 1000 mg daily, may irritate the digestive tract. However, the body excretes what it does not use, so instances of overdosing on vitamin C are rare.

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