Dr. Berg Table of Contents
In our bustling modern cities, pollution is more than just an eyesore—it’s a silent health menace. While we often discuss its effects on our lungs and skin, did you know that pollution can also rob your body of essential nutrients? Vitamin C, a powerhouse antioxidant and immune system defender, is particularly vulnerable. This article uncovers the surprising connection between pollution and vitamin C depletion, revealing how environmental toxins can drain this crucial nutrient from your body. Learn how to safeguard your health and boost your vitamin C levels amidst the urban smog.
So today I’m gonna talk about another reason why people are deficient in vitamin c that is quite interesting . I’ve done a lot of Topics on the diet connection to vitamin c .
Common causes of a vitamin C deficiency
Sauerkraut , it has the most vitamin c , like 700 milligrams per cup .
Then you have bell peppers and chili peppers and leafy greens and berries , lemons and limes .
And then we have sugar .
If you’re consuming sugar and vitamin c at the same time , even if you’re eating food with vitamin c , the body’s gonna absorb sugar and not vitamin c , thereby creating a deficiency .
And so the chemistry of sugar and vitamin c is very very similar , and the body will always take the sugar first .
So that would be one cause of the deficiency .
Another cause would be insulin resistance .
This is very very common .
Most people have this condition and if you have it , you’re not gonna be able to pull vitamin c in the body .
And one of the first signs of a vitamin c deficiency is fatigue too .
So that’s a it’s a real big one .
Pollution and vitamin C deficiency
But this last cause of a vitamin c deficiency is very interesting , pollution .
If you’re living in a city that’s polluted , that’s going to majorly decrease the amount of vitamin c in your body .
There’s a significant correlation between people living in polluted cities and very low vitamin C in their blood .
Now vitamin C is a very powerful antioxidant especially for your lungs , the lower respiratory organ .
There’s higher risk of respiratory effects and increased mortality from respiratory disease in polluted areas , not just from the pollution but from the pollution creating an efficiency of vitamin C .
Now that also correlates with other studies on smokers .
Smokers require a lot more vitamin C because smoke in general going through the lungs depletes your vitamin C reserves .
Signs and symptoms of a vitamin C deficiency
And because vitamin C is so necessary for the immune system , especially in the lungs , you’re gonna have , if you have a vitamin C deficiency , deficiency of antibodies that actually help protect you against pathogens , decrease the amount of neutrophils.
which are like your front line of defense against microbes , decrease B cells , which help make antibodies , decrease t cells , decrease interferon , which is the weapon against viruses , and there’s many other immune effects as well .
The city with the worst air pollution in the United States is San Joaquin Valley .
It just so happens that they have one of the highest death rates of lower respiratory disease , top polluted cities in the world , India ranks number 1 , and then we have Pakistan , and then China .
Now if you smoke or you live in a city that's very polluted , I would highly recommend you start consuming a lot more vitamin C so you can offset this deficiency that the smoke from pollution or smoking has created .
Key takeaways
four main reasons why you might be deficient in vitamin C.
- Diet – Not getting enough healthy foods packed full of vitamin C.
- Sugar – consuming too much sugar will block your ability to absorb vitamin C.
- Insulin resistance – Many people have insulin resistance, which doesn’t allow your body to pull in vitamin C.
- Pollution – Living in a city with a lot of pollution will decrease the amount of vitamin C in your body. This has to do with vitamin C’s antioxidant powers. Vitamin C works as an antioxidant for your lungs. A large amount of it is used when you expose your lungs to oxidants, such as pollution.
Smokers also deal with low vitamin C due to exposing their lungs to harsh smoke throughout the day. Smokers require a lot more vitamin C to stay healthy.
A vitamin C deficiency can cause decreased…
- Antibodies
- Neutrophils
- B cells
- T cells
- Interferon
