When you bump into something, sometimes the capillaries underneath your skin break and leak blood into your skin and surrounding tissues, which causes bruises to appear on the affected area. If you bruise easily, the culprit may be a variety of factors, from increasing age to prescription medications, MayoClinic.com mentions. But sometimes easy bruising is a symptom of not getting enough vitamins in your diet.
Vitamin B12
If you lack enough vitamin B12 in your body, you can become anemic, the Linus Pauling Institute cautions. Anemia, a condition in which you don't have enough red blood cells to carry oxygen to your tissues, can cause you to bruise easily. The recommended daily amount of vitamin B12 that adults should consume is 2.4 micrograms, the Linus Pauling Institute states. Indeed, most Americans consume sufficient vitamin B12 in their diets. Seafood is especially rich in vitamin B12. A 3-oz. serving of steamed clams contains a whopping 84 micrograms of vitamin B12, a 3-oz. serving of steamed mussels provides 20.4 micrograms of vitamin B12, a 3-oz. serving of steamed crabs contains 8.8 micrograms of vitamin B12, and a 3-oz. serving of baked salmon provides 2.4 micrograms of vitamin B12, according to the Linus Pauling Institute. Milk is another good source of vitamin B12. The Linus Pauling Institute states that an 8-oz. serving of skim milk contains 0.9 micrograms of vitamin B12.
Vitamin C
A vitamin C deficiency can cause you to bruise easily, the Linus Pauling Institute warns, because vitamin C helps your body synthesize collagen , which your body needs to maintain strong blood vessels. Without that help, your blood vessels can break easily, causing bruises. The recommended daily amount of vitamin C that adults should consume is at least 90 mg for men and 75 mg for women, ,the Linus Pauling Institute states. Many fruits and vegetables are rich in vitamin C. One cup of whole strawberries contains 85 mg of vitamin C, one medium-size orange provides 70 mg of vitamin C, half a cup of raw and chopped sweet red pepper contains 95 mg of vitamin C, and half a cup of cooked broccoli contains 51 mg of vitamin C.
Vitamin K
Since vitamin K helps your blood clot properly, you can bruise easily if you lack enough vitamin K in your body. The Linus Pauling Institute states that bruising easily is a common symptom of a vitamin K deficiency. The recommended daily amount of vitamin K that adults should consume is 120 micrograms for men and 90 micrograms for women. Green, leafy vegetables are especially good sources of vitamin K. The Linus Pauling Institute states that a cup of raw and chopped kale contains 547 micrograms of vitamin K, while a cup of chopped and cooked broccoli contains 220 micrograms of vitamin K.
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