Older men are among the groups being urged to pay closer attention to their vitamin C intake, with new research suggesting that a daily glass of fruit juice could help reduce the risk of falling short. The study indicates that encouraging more people in the UK to drink 100% fruit juice each day may be a simple way to boost vitamin C consumption.
The UK-wide research, led by Ulster University academics, found that almost one in five people are not reaching the optimal daily intake of vitamin C. Nearly 10% of the population — around 6.99 million people — are consuming less than 25mg a day, an amount considered too low and roughly equivalent to just a third of an orange.
More worryingly, almost one in 100 people — close to 700,000 — may be at risk of deficiency, with intakes lower than the equivalent of an eighth of an orange a day, or less than one orange over an entire week. The researchers identified older men and teenage girls as the groups most likely to have low vitamin C intake, pointing to a need for more focused dietary advice.
Dr Maeve Kerr and Dr Alyson Hill, who led the study, said: “Achieving the recommended five-a-day is difficult for many people; this research has shown that 100% fruit juice is a convenient and accessible source of vitamin C.”
Vitamin C plays a key role in normal immune function and is also important for healthy skin, collagen production and wound healing. Although uncommon, severe deficiency can cause scurvy, which may lead to symptoms such as joint and muscle pain, tiredness, swollen or bleeding gums, and red or blue spots appearing on the skin.
In 2024, doctors writing in the BMJ Case Reports journal warned that scurvy — a condition often linked with sailors from the 16th and 17th centuries — could be “re-emerging” as people face cost-of-living pressures and as weight-loss, or bariatric, surgery becomes more common.
The latest research examined the potential impact of fruit juice on vitamin C intake and concluded that increasing the number of people who drink a daily 150ml glass of 100% fruit juice would make the biggest difference.
At present, 100% fruit juice accounts for about a quarter of vitamin C intake in the diets of UK adults, a contribution similar to that of whole fruit and cooked vegetables. Average daily intake among juice drinkers is around 100ml to 130ml, meaning relatively small changes could help more people reach healthier vitamin C levels.
The research also highlights that reducing fruit juice consumption has a minimal effect on overall sugar intake, as most sugar in the UK diet comes from other sources such as soft drinks, biscuits, cakes and sweets, according to the National Diet and Nutrition Survey.
