Plaque buildup, gingivitis, or bushing too hard? If you’re wondering why your gums are bleeding, you might be missing something; something like Vitamin C — a recent study suggests.
Indeed, our history with extreme Vitamin C deficiency or Scurvy goes a long way; from the oldest known case in 3,800–3,600 BCE.
Still, more recently, between the 15th and 18th centuries, sailors regularly had troubles with scurvy due to a lack of fresh fruits and vegetables aboard ships.
Today, statistics show that as much as 20% of poor people, older single adults, and alcohol abusers in the US have some form of Vitamin C deficiency.
Although cases of full-blown scurvy are rare, they still occur in institutionalized, confined, or bedridden people.
In fact, the World Health Organization (WHO) set the minimum daily requirements of ascorbic acid (AA) at 65mg–90mg per day — quantities based on scurvy prevention.
Yet, according to the study published in February in the Nutrition Reviews Researches, the bar is set too low.
Namely, researchers examined an extensive medical database of 15 different studies involving over 9,300 people. And what they found was that people who took the WHO daily minimum of vitamin C still showed signs of tiny blood vessels, like those in their gums.
In other words, people that took the WHO-recommended dose of Vitamin C were prone to bleeding gums. This poses the question of whether or not the 2,000mg per day bar WHO set is also incorrect? And, how much Vitamin C is too much?
It would seem that throwing an orange or two in a high-quality juicer might do the trick when it comes to this essential vitamin. Indeed its role goes way beyond keeping our blood vessels strong. It’s also beneficial post-exercise, fighting off infections, as well as different types of allergies.
