What vitamin deficiency causes bruising?
By Margaret Hale, Reunoa EditorialLast updated
The short answer
The vitamin deficiencies most linked to easy bruising are vitamin C (severe deficiency is scurvy, which causes bruising, bleeding gums and slow wound healing) and vitamin K (needed for clotting). Both are uncommon with a varied diet but more likely in older adults who eat poorly, drink heavily or have gut problems. Ask your doctor for a blood test before supplementing.
If you bruise easily, it's natural to wonder whether you're missing a vitamin. Sometimes you are — but much more often, easy bruising after 60 comes from thin skin, sun damage and medicines. Here's how to tell.
Vitamin C: the collagen vitamin
Vitamin C is essential for making collagen, the protein that supports skin and blood vessel walls. MedlinePlus lists easy bruising, bleeding gums, nosebleeds and slow wound healing among signs of vitamin C deficiency [1]. Severe deficiency is called scurvy, which causes weakness, anemia, gum disease, poor wound healing and skin bleeding; MedlinePlus notes it mostly affects older adults who aren't getting proper nutrition [5].
In a clinic case series, bruising was among the most common symptoms and signs of scurvy, and common contributing factors were gut disease, poor teeth, restrictive diets and alcohol use [3].
How common is low vitamin C? In the 2003–2004 US national survey, about 7% of people had vitamin C deficiency; smokers had markedly lower levels [4].
Who is at risk: people who eat few fruits and vegetables, live alone and cook little, have dental problems, drink heavily, smoke, or have gut conditions.
Vitamin K: the clotting vitamin
Vitamin K helps make several clotting factors. MedlinePlus says vitamin K deficiency is very rare; it happens when the gut can't absorb it properly or after long-term antibiotics, and people with it are more likely to bruise and bleed [2].
Who is at risk: people with gut or liver disease, long courses of antibiotics, very poor diets, or conditions that impair fat absorption.
B12 and folate: indirect links
Severe deficiency of vitamin B12 or folate can lower blood cell production, including platelets, which can contribute to bruising. This is uncommon and usually comes with tiredness, pale skin or numbness. A blood count will show it.
Is it a vitamin — or something else?
| Clue | Points to |
|---|---|
| Bruises plus bleeding gums, poor diet, slow-healing cuts | Low vitamin C |
| Bruising with gut disease, long antibiotics | Low vitamin K |
| Flat purple patches on sun-aged forearms only | Senile purpura, not a vitamin |
| Bruising since starting a blood thinner or steroid | Medicine effect |
| Pinpoint red dots, fever, tiredness | See a doctor — check platelets |
The most common causes of easy bruising after 60 are covered in why do I bruise so easily?
Testing before supplementing
A doctor can check a blood count, clotting tests and, if suspected, vitamin levels [6]. Testing first matters because:
- Vitamin K supplements interfere with warfarin. Never start them without your anticoagulation clinic [7].
- Extra vitamins don't help if you aren't deficient.
- Very high vitamin C doses (over 2,000 mg/day) can upset the stomach [1].
Food first
- Vitamin C: citrus, kiwi, berries, peppers, broccoli, tomatoes, potatoes
- Vitamin K: leafy greens (spinach, kale), broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage
- On warfarin, keep vitamin K intake consistent rather than suddenly increasing it [7].
Frequently asked questions
What vitamin are you lacking if you bruise easily?
Most often vitamin C, sometimes vitamin K. But in older adults, easy bruising is more commonly caused by thin skin, sun damage and medicines.
Does vitamin C help with bruising?
If you're deficient, correcting it helps. If your levels are normal, extra vitamin C is unlikely to make a big difference to bruising.
Can low iron cause bruising?
Iron deficiency itself is not a typical cause of bruising, but the conditions that cause it — such as bleeding from the gut — may be linked. Unexplained iron deficiency should be investigated.
Should I take vitamin K for bruising?
Not without asking your doctor — especially if you take warfarin, because vitamin K reduces its effect.
Sources
- Vitamin C — MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia.
- Vitamin K — MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia.
- Olmedo JM, et al. Scurvy: a disease almost forgotten. International Journal of Dermatology, 2006. PubMed 16911372
- Schleicher RL, et al. Serum vitamin C and the prevalence of vitamin C deficiency in the United States: 2003-2004 NHANES. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2009. PubMed 19675106
- Scurvy — MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia.
- Ballas M, Kraut EH Bleeding and bruising: a diagnostic work-up. American Family Physician, 2008. PubMed 18481559
- Warfarin — Drug Information — MedlinePlus.
- Bleeding into the skin — MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia (U.S. National Library of Medicine).
General information, not medical advice. Written by the Reunoa editorial team; Reunoa makes Bruise Defense & Repair Serum. See our editorial policy for how we pick sources and keep product mentions fair.