Vitamin C is a water-soluble, essential vitamin and is otherwise known as L-ascorbic acid or ascorbate. Your body cannot produce vitamin C on its own, and because of this, your body requires you to get enough vitamin C through your food or through supplementation. However, various factors can prevent you from getting enough vitamin C: poor intake of fruits and vegetables, gastrointestinal issues, recent illness or stress, or other risk factors like smoking which can decrease your body’s ability to absorb vitamin C.
