Vitamin C is not just a vitamin dietary supplement you take when you feel a cold coming on. It’s essential for your body to function properly every single day. Without enough of it, your body starts sending out warning signs—and they’re louder than you think. Ignore them, and you could end up with serious health problems like scurvy.

Warning Signs That You Are Lacking Vitamin C

1. You Bruise Easily

Ever notice random bruises on your arms or legs and can’t remember bumping into anything? That could be your first clue. Vitamin C plays a tremendous role in making collagen, a protein that helps keep your blood vessels strong. Without enough of it, those vessels get weak and break easily—even from the tiniest bumps. That leads to bruising.

A clinical review in the American Journal of Emergency Medicine confirms that inadequate vitamin C intake impairs collagen synthesis, contributing to easy bruising and vascular fragility.

Bottom line: If you’re seeing unexplained bruises more often than usual, your body might be begging for more vitamin C.

2. Your Gums Are Swollen or Bleeding

Bleeding gums aren’t always about flossing too hard. Vitamin C helps keep gum tissue healthy. If your gums look red, feel tender, or bleed when you brush, it might not be your toothbrush—it could be a deficiency.

In extreme cases, a lack of vitamin C can lead to scurvy. Yes, scurvy—the same disease sailors got centuries ago. It starts with gum problems and can lead to tooth loss if ignored. That’s how real this is.

Clinical studies have linked low vitamin C levels with increased gum bleeding and periodontal disease, particularly in adults with poor oral health.

3. Your Skin Looks Dry, Rough, or Bumpy

Your skin is like a mirror—it reflects what’s going on inside. Vitamin C helps your body produce collagen, which keeps your skin firm and smooth. When levels drop, your skin can turn dry, flaky, or even feel rough and bumpy, especially on the back of your arms or thighs.

Those tiny, hard bumps? They’re called keratosis pilaris. And they could be a sign your skin isn’t getting the support it needs.

American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that individuals with higher vitamin C intake had fewer wrinkles, better skin hydration, and improved skin texture.

Fact check: Expensive lotions won’t fix this if it’s coming from the inside. Your skin needs vitamin C to heal and glow.

4. You’re Always Tired—No Matter How Much You Sleep

If you’re dragging through your day, barely making it to lunchtime without wanting a nap, low vitamin C could be part of the problem. This vitamin helps your body absorb iron—another nutrient your body needs to make energy.

Without enough vitamin C, iron absorption will reduce, and you can start feeling weak, tired, and drained all the time. Research from BMC Psychiatry found that low vitamin C status was associated with fatigue and low mood in otherwise healthy individuals.

Real talk: If coffee doesn’t fix your fatigue, your body may be screaming for nutrients instead.

5. Your Wounds Take Forever to Heal

Got a cut that won’t close? Or a scrape that stays red and raw for days? That’s not normal. Vitamin C speeds up your body’s natural healing process. It does this by helping build new tissue and keeping your immune system sharp.

When you don’t have enough vitamin C, healing slows way down. Even small wounds can take longer to close, raising your risk for infection.

Research demonstrated that vitamin C supplementation significantly accelerated healing in patients with pressure ulcers.

6. You’re Getting Sick More Often

Vitamin C doesn’t prevent you from catching viruses, but it does help your immune system fight them off faster and harder. Low vitamin C makes your body slower to react to infections, making colds feel worse—and last longer.

If you’re getting sick often or taking forever to bounce back, your immune defenses may be compromised.

Interestingly, a study in the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine found that regular vitamin C supplementation reduced the duration and severity of colds by 8% in adults and up to 14% in children.

Don’t brush it off: Frequent colds, lingering sniffles, and recurring infections could be more than “bad luck.” They’re a sign your immune system needs backup.

How to Increase Your Vitamin C Intake

Your body can’t make or store vitamin C. That means you need a constant supply from your diet. Good sources include:

Citrus fruits (oranges, lemons, grapefruits)
Strawberries
Bell peppers
Broccoli
Kiwi
Kale

Most people can get enough from food, but if you’re dealing with any of the signs above, talk to your doctor. A blood test can check your vitamin C levels. In some cases, a supplement may be needed—especially if your diet lacks variety.

The Bottom Line

Vitamin C deficiency doesn’t show up overnight. It creeps in slowly and shows itself in ways many people ignore. That’s why you need to listen when your body starts whispering—before it starts shouting.

If any of these six signs sound familiar, don’t wait. Make changes now. Add more vitamin C-rich foods to your meals. Keep your body supported before small problems become big ones.