Vitamin Deficiency Identified in Smokers

Smoking negatively affects the level of vitamin C in the human body. According to Dr. Ruslan Isayev, a psychiatrist and narcologist, head of the Dr. Isayev Clinic and president of the Independent Narcologists Guild, smokers have significantly lower levels of ascorbic acid in their blood compared to non-smokers—even when both groups consume the same amount of vitamin C through food.

This is because tobacco smoke causes strong oxidative stress, and vitamin C—being one of the body’s key antioxidants—is quickly used up to neutralize free radicals. Additionally, smokers metabolize vitamin C faster and excrete it more quickly.

For this reason, Dr. Isayev recommends that smokers consume more vitamin C than non-smokers. In particular, the daily vitamin C requirement for smoking men and women increases by approximately 35 mg compared to general population recommendations.

However, the doctor emphasizes:

“The vitamin C deficiency caused by smoking cannot be fully compensated just by food or supplements. While vitamin C is essential for supporting the immune system, blood vessels, skin health, and antioxidant protection, it does not eliminate the damage caused by tobacco smoke. In other words, extra vitamin C only helps to replenish what smoking depletes—it does not cancel out the harm.”