Do You Need Extra Vitamin C if You Smoke Cigarettes?

Many people take vitamins, ranging from multivitamin tablets to specific supplements to address deficiencies. One group prone to a vitamin C deficiency is cigarette smokers, as heavy smoking can deplete up to 40 percent of the body's vitamin C reserves.

Vitamin C Functions

• Vitamin C has several jobs within the human body. It is responsible for absorbing the iron from vegetables, keeping the gums healthy and protecting many of the body's systems from injury. Vitamin C is an important antioxidant that helps to prevent bruising and heal cuts, and helps form and repair blood.

  Another important function of vitamin C is within the immune system. Contrary to popular belief, vitamin C will neither stop you from getting ill nor shorten the length of time that you are ill. It will, however, enhance the immune system's ability to ward off a number of diseases and may assist smokers in avoiding certain cancers.

Effects of Smoking

• Smoking cigarettes breaks down vitamin C in the body and causes it to excrete faster than it normally would. This faster breakdown, combined with the body's natural use of vitamin C, results in vitamin C levels dropping much more quickly than they would in a nonsmoker. Over time, this can lead to a deficiency, even if the smoker's vitamin C intake would be otherwise sufficient.

Symptoms of Deficiency

• Symptoms of vitamin C deficiency include fatigue and depression, as well as infections and defects in connective tissue. As deficiency becomes worse, internal bleeding may result as well. Severe deficiencies can cause scurvy, a disease that results in a number of symptoms such as pale skin, bleeding capillaries and kidney problems. If left untreated, scurvy is potentially fatal.

Supplements

• While a nonsmoker may need less than 1,000mg of vitamin C per day, it is recommended that cigarette smokers have an average intake of between 2,000mg and 3,000mg per day in order to counteract the loss in the body. It can be difficult to get this amount from food, so vitamin supplements are recommended. Even individuals who are regularly exposed to secondhand smoke are sometimes advised to take a vitamin C supplement. These supplements should be taken throughout the day, no more than 500mg at a time, in order to ensure maximum absorption.

Diet

• Some people are able to get the vitamin C they need from their diets, though this can be difficult for smokers. Natural food sources are one of the best ways to get vitamin C, especially since foods that are high in this vitamin are also likely to contain other essential vitamins and minerals. Vitamin C can be found in citrus fruits, strawberries and watermelon, as well as vegetables such as broccoli, kale, cauliflower and zucchini. Vitamin C can even be found in some herbs such as peppermint and parsley.