What happens if children eat too much vitamin C?

Vitamins are essential nutrients for the human body. They are related to various human activities and are elements that must be absorbed from food to maintain human health. Many parents believe that as long as their children are supplemented with a large amount of vitamins, any method is fine. This approach is actually a misunderstanding, because no matter which nutrient it is, you should not take it blindly. So, what happens if children take too much vitamin C?

If you take too much vitamin C, the side effects are quite serious. Studies have shown that when the daily dose of vitamin C is 1 to 4 grams, it will cause various adverse reactions: if the dose exceeds 5 grams, hemolysis will occur, and it may even be life-threatening. If pregnant women take large amounts, they may experience miscarriage or stillbirth. Excessive intake of vitamin C can also cause the following side effects:

1. Vitamin C is an acidic substance. Taking it in large quantities can cause the pH value of urine to decrease, and the oxalate and urate in urine to increase significantly, which can easily lead to the formation of kidney stones.

2. Vitamin C can promote intestinal motility. Taking large doses can cause diarrhea, excessive stomach acid, gastric reflux, etc.

3. Intravenous injection of large doses of vitamin C can cause venous thrombosis, resulting in hemolysis or coagulation in blood vessels, which can be life-threatening in severe cases. Injection may also cause allergies, local pain or tissue necrosis.

Vitamin C is an important nutrient in our body, but bad eating habits and improper eating habits can cause us to have symptoms of vitamin C deficiency, and long-term vitamin C deficiency has many adverse reactions. Here we will give you the main symptoms of common vitamin C deficiency:

1. General symptoms

There are no specific symptoms in the early stages of vitamin C deficiency, and it generally manifests as drowsiness, fatigue, easy bleeding gums, poor wound healing, transient pain in joints and muscles, etc.

2. Bleeding symptoms

Skin petechiae are its most prominent manifestations. Scattered bleeding spots may appear when the patient's skin is slightly squeezed, and purple spots and ecchymosis are prone to appear after the skin is hit. The tooth legs are often swollen and bleeding, which can easily lead to secondary infection. The teeth may become loose and fall off due to alveolar necrosis. Subperiosteal hemorrhage in the orbit can cause protrusion of the eyeball; intracranial hemorrhage can cause sudden convulsions, shock, and even death.

3. Anemia

Vitamin C is the strongest reducing agent in the body. It can promote the absorption and utilization of iron and folic acid and increase the formation of hemoglobin. When vitamin C is deficient, the absorption and utilization of iron and folic acid are reduced, and iron deficiency anemia or megaloblastic anemia may also occur.

4. Bone path changes

Vitamin C deficiency leads to impaired bone matrix formation, accumulation of calcium deposits, inability to form bone tissue, and easy fractures. It can also lead to bone atrophy, loosening of the periosteum, and formation of subperiosteal hemorrhage.

5. Reduced immune function

Vitamin C deficiency can lead to reduced chemotaxis and bactericidal function of leukocytes, reduced synthesis of immune antibodies, weakened antiviral ability to interfere with the transcription of viral mRNA and inhibit viral synthesis, making people more susceptible to colds and various infectious diseases.