Which vitamin is most directly associated with wound healing?

• A. Vitamin A
• B. Vitamin C
• C. Vitamin D
• D. Vitamin K

Answer: (B)

Vitamin C is essential for wound healing because it directly enables collagen synthesis, the main structural backbone of new tissue. It acts as a cofactor for the enzymes that hydroxylate proline and lysine in collagen, allowing the collagen triple helix to form and cross-link properly. Without this process, the newly formed tissue is weak and healing is delayed, which is why scurvy—marked by poor wound healing and easy bruising—occurs with vitamin C deficiency. In addition to supporting collagen, vitamin C functions as an antioxidant and aids immune defenses, helping manage inflammation and infection during repair. Other vitamins play important roles—such as vitamin A in epithelialization and immune support, vitamin D in immune function and bone health, and vitamin K in coagulation—but none have as direct a effect on the formation and strength of new tissue as vitamin C.