Physician warns against indiscriminate consumption of Vitamin C

Dr. Joy Kabir, an Abuja-based physician, on Tuesday warned against the indiscriminate consumption of Vitamin C, saying it could lead to other health problems.
Kabir gave the warning in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja.
She said: “Vitamin C is an essential vitamin that we need in our body.
“It is an anti-oxidant and helps in many enzymatic processes in the body.
“People have the notion that you can just take it any how, that it does not have any side effect.
“But we should take into consideration the fact that Vitamin C is an acid.
“Another name for Vitamin C is ascorbic acid.
“It can cause peptic ulcer or exacerbate an already existing one.
“Our advice to people is that in as much as they want to take Vitamin C, it is preferable to take it in dietary form.
“You can get them from so many fruits such as oranges, pineapples, some vegetables and also in animal sources such as the liver.”
Kabir urged the public to take Vitamin C based on doctor’s prescription even when the drug could be obtained over the counter in any drugstore.
She, however, said that deficiency in Vitamin C could cause scurvy.
She added: “Deficiency of Vitamin C can cause what is called scurvy.
“We advice people not to just go out there and take Vitamin C indiscriminately.
“It is just unfortunate that in our country, because some drugs could be bought over the counter, people misuse the opportunity and just go out there and buy them for indiscriminate use.
“I will advice that you take the normal fruits and vegetables, which contain Vitamin C rather than take Vitamin C drugs even when they are not prescribed.
“You will even get other essential vitamins from the fruits and vegetables apart from Vitamin C.”