Vitamin C deficiency
Key facts
- Vitamin C deficiency happens when your body doesn't get enough vitamin C.
- The best way to prevent vitamin C deficiency is to include foods that contain vitamin C in your diet.
- Signs of vitamin C deficiency include a tendency to bruise or bleed easily, bleeding gums, wobbly teeth, poor wound healing, tiredness, anaemia, and small red spots on the skin.
- Severe vitamin C deficiency is called scurvy.
- If you meet your recommended daily intake (RDI) for vitamin C, you are unlikely to need a vitamin C supplement.
What is vitamin C deficiency?
Vitamin C deficiency happens when your body doesn't get enough vitamin C. This may happen if you don't eat enough fruits and vegetables.
Vitamin C is an essential vitamin. It helps to keep you healthy and your body functioning well.
Chronic (ongoing) severe vitamin C deficiency can lead to an illness known as scurvy.
Read about vitamin C and your health to better understand how it affects your body.
What are the symptoms of vitamin C deficiency?
The most common symptoms of vitamin C deficiency are:
- fatigue (exhaustion)
- weakness
- irritability
- reduced appetite
Symptoms of severe vitamin C deficiency are:
- bruising or bleeding easily
- bleeding gums and wobbly teeth
- poor wound healing
- joint pain and swelling
- skin spots — due to bleeding and bruising from broken blood vessels
- hair loss or dry, tightly curled 'corkscrew' hair
CHECK YOUR SYMPTOMS — Use the Symptom Checker and find out if you need to seek medical help.
What causes vitamin C deficiency?
Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin, which means it dissolves in water. It's absorbed from your gastrointestinal tract (gut) directly into your blood.
Vitamin C is not stored in your body, so deficiency can happen quickly.
Adults who get less than 7 to 8mg of vitamin C from their diet each day are at risk of vitamin C deficiency.
The Australian Government publishes recommended dietary intake (RDI) guidelines for all vitamins. These list the amount of each vitamin you should try to eat as part of a healthy diet.
Am I at risk of vitamin C deficiency?
You may be more at risk of vitamin C deficiency if you:
- don't eat enough fruits and vegetables
- smoke
- use drugs or drink alcohol heavily
- have a poor diet while pregnant or breastfeeding — your body needs more vitamin C at these times
You are also at higher risk of vitamin C deficiency after having an illness or surgery.
People who find it hard to eat healthily are also more likely to have vitamin C deficiency, for example:
- babies
- children
- older adults
When should I see my doctor?
If you think you are getting too little vitamin C in your diet, speak with your doctor or dietitian.
FIND A HEALTH SERVICE — The Service Finder can help you find doctors, pharmacies, hospitals and other health services.
How is vitamin C deficiency diagnosed?
Your doctor will ask you about your symptoms and examine you. They may also want to know about your diet, whether you drink alcohol and if you smoke.
They may arrange for you to have some blood tests.
Your doctor may give you nutrition advice or refer you to an accredited dietitian.
How is vitamin C deficiency treated?
Mild cases of vitamin C deficiency are easily treated by adding some vitamin C to your diet. This may be in the form of fresh fruits and vegetables.
Your doctor may suggest taking a vitamin C supplement (ascorbic acid) until you feel better. You do not need large doses. Your body removes extra vitamin C in your urine (wee), and taking too much can increase your risk of kidney stones.
The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) does not recommend vitamin C infusions. This is due to a lack of good evidence.
Your doctor may want to see you again after 3 months to see if the treatment has worked.
What are the complications of vitamin C deficiency?
Vitamin C deficiency can lead to scurvy (severe deficiency). Scurvy can be life-threatening if it's not treated.
Scurvy
Scurvy is a serious complication of long-standing, severe vitamin C deficiency. It can develop after 1 month of very low (less than about 10mg/day) vitamin C intake.
Vitamin C is needed to produce collagen, a protein that helps keep skin, blood vessels, bones and other tissues strong. Without enough vitamin C, these tissues become fragile and do not repair properly.
In children, scurvy can interfere with normal bone growth and cause bone pain or difficulty walking.
If not treated, it can lead to anaemia, infections and severe bleeding. In advanced cases, scurvy can cause death.
Scurvy is preventable and treatable. Increasing vitamin C intake through food or supplements usually leads to noticeable improvement within days to weeks.
Can vitamin C deficiency be prevented?
Eating a healthy, balanced diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables is the best way to prevent vitamin C deficiency.
Boiling your vegetables can lower the amount of vitamin C available for your body. This is because vitamin C dissolves in water.
Instead, try:
- eating more fresh fruit and vegetables
- lightly steaming your vegetables
- roasting your vegetables
Resources and support
See the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating.
The Dietitians Australia website allows you to search for an Accredited Practising Dietitian.
You can also call the healthdirect helpline on 1800 022 222 (known as NURSE-ON-CALL in Victoria). A registered nurse is available to speak with you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Languages other than English
NSW Health has information about eating healthy in languages other than English.
Information for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples
Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet has many resources about healthy eating for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Learn more here about the development and quality assurance of healthdirect content.
Last reviewed: February 2026
