Vitamin C

Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is needed for healing, skin, gums, blood vessels, and immunity. It also helps the body absorb iron from plant foods — important in a country where most people rely on plant iron.

Indian food sources

• Amla (Indian gooseberry) — one of the richest sources in the world.
• Guava, lemon, orange, mosambi, tamarind.
• Capsicum (green/red/yellow), tomato, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, methi, drumstick leaves.

Practical tips

• Add vitamin C with iron-rich meals — a squeeze of lemon on dal, amla with meals, tomato in sabzi — doubles iron absorption from plant foods.
• Vitamin C is destroyed by heat and long storage — eat fruits and salads fresh and raw.
• Deficiency severe enough to cause scurvy (bleeding gums, loose teeth, wound problems) is rare but still seen in alcohol dependence, older adults living alone, and very restricted diets.

Who may need more

• Smokers (cigarettes and bidis deplete vitamin C).
• Pregnant and breastfeeding women.
• Anyone recovering from major surgery or burns.
• People with malabsorption or on dialysis.

About "immunity" mega-doses

• High-dose vitamin C does not prevent the common cold, though it may shorten it slightly.
• Doses over 1,000 mg/day can cause diarrhoea and kidney stones — stick to normal dietary amounts unless a doctor advises otherwise.