Outcome
    Moderate Evidence

    Vitamin C for Wound Healing

    Vitamin C is essential for collagen formation; adequacy matters, megadoses do not.

    Overview

    Vitamin C is not optional for wound healing - it is chemically required, and without it wounds simply do not close properly.
    Collagen synthesis depends on prolyl and lysyl hydroxylase enzymes that use ascorbate as a cofactor. Without it, procollagen cannot form a stable triple helix, and the consequence is scurvy: poor wound healing, reopening of old scars, bleeding gums and fragile vessels. Historical and clinical evidence for correcting deficiency is unambiguous. The supplementation question is different. In people who are already replete, trials of vitamin C for surgical or pressure wound healing have shown little consistent benefit. Requirements do rise with major trauma, burns and surgery, and deficiency is more common than expected in older, hospitalised and malnourished patients - which is where supplementation earns its place.

    No studies are currently linked to this pairing

    This page reflects published clinical literature and conventional dosing rather than trial data attached to this outcome in our library.

    How It Works

    Wound healing proceeds through haemostasis, inflammation, proliferation and remodelling, and vitamin C participates in each. Its central role is as cofactor for prolyl-4-hydroxylase and lysyl hydroxylase, which hydroxylate proline and lysine residues in procollagen.
    Hydroxyproline is what allows the collagen triple helix to remain stable at body temperature. Unhydroxylated procollagen is degraded intracellularly, so deficiency produces not weak collagen but very little collagen at all. Lysyl hydroxylation additionally enables the cross-links that give mature collagen tensile strength. Vitamin C also supports neutrophil function and phagocytosis during the inflammatory phase, protects the wound bed from oxidative damage, and promotes fibroblast proliferation and angiogenesis. Tissue concentrations fall sharply after major injury, reflecting genuine consumption.

    Dosing & Protocol

    Doses scale with the size of the insult; plasma saturates around 200 mg daily.
    ContextDoseFormTiming
    Recommended intake75-90 mg dailyFood or supplementDaily baseline
    Minor wounds and surgery500 mg dailyAscorbic acidDivided doses with food
    Major wounds, burns, pressure ulcers1-2 g dailyAscorbic acidDivided doses; often with zinc and protein
    Treating scurvy300-1000 mg dailyAscorbic acidUntil symptoms resolve, usually 1-2 weeks

    Protein matters more than any vitamin

    Collagen is protein. Inadequate protein intake limits healing far more than vitamin C status in most people; aim for generous protein alongside adequate zinc.

    Evidence

    There are currently no studies linked to this pairing in our library, so no study list is shown.
    The biochemistry is definitive and the clinical consequence of deficiency is one of the oldest documented findings in nutritional medicine. Wound healing failure in scurvy resolves rapidly with replacement, and deficiency is under-recognised in elderly, hospitalised, alcohol-dependent and severely malnourished patients. Supplementation trials in replete people are the weak point. Randomised studies in pressure ulcers and surgical wounds have produced mixed and largely negative results, most trials are small, combination products make attribution difficult, and there is no evidence that intakes above saturation accelerate healing in anyone with adequate status.

    Essential, but not a booster

    Certain benefit in deficiency or high-demand states. Little evidence of added benefit once status is adequate.

    Safety

    Vitamin C is water-soluble and well tolerated. Doses above 1-2 g daily commonly cause osmotic diarrhoea, nausea and abdominal cramping, and the tolerable upper intake level is set at 2 g daily.

    Wounds that will not heal need assessment

    Non-healing wounds often signal diabetes, arterial insufficiency, venous disease, infection or malignancy. Persistent ulceration requires medical evaluation, not more vitamins.

    High doses increase urinary oxalate and raise kidney stone risk in susceptible people, and should be avoided in significant renal impairment. Vitamin C also enhances iron absorption, which is a hazard in haemochromatosis or iron overload, and very high intravenous doses can cause haemolysis in G6PD deficiency.

    Interactions & Conflicts

    Iron, oxalate and renal function drive most of the practical conflicts.
    Interacts withSeverityMechanismAction
    Haemochromatosis or iron overload
    high
    		Markedly enhances non-haem iron absorptionAvoid high doses
    Kidney stones or renal impairment
    moderate
    		Increases urinary oxalate excretionKeep below 1 g daily
    G6PD deficiency
    high
    		Very high doses can cause haemolysisAvoid high-dose and intravenous vitamin C
    Zinc and protein
    low
    		Both independently required for healingEnsure adequate intake alongside
    Warfarin
    low
    		Rare reports of altered anticoagulant effect at very high dosesMonitor INR if taking grams daily

    References

    No studies are currently linked to this pairing, so no reference list is available. This section will populate as evidence is added to the library.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Medical Disclaimer

    The information provided on this website is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or before starting any supplement regimen.

    Individual results may vary. The statements on this website have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Products and information are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.