When the cold, flu and winter blues settle in, many people reach for a bottle of vitamin C supplements. These are believed to boost immunity and help fight infection. Specifically, it’s the ascorbic acid in these supplements that is vitamin C. Ascorbic acid has many different names, including Vitamin C and L-ascorbic acid. It’s an antioxidant that helps neutralize harmful free radicals — those unstable molecules that have been linked to accelerated aging and a variety of diseases. Vitamin C is found in many fruits and vegetables. So should you take a supplement? And how much do you need? Let’s find out...
How Much is Too Much?
If you take too much vitamin C, it’ll be excreted in your urine. There is no established upper limit for vitamin C intake. However, if you are taking vitamin C supplements for general health, there’s no need to exceed the upper tolerable intake level (UL) of 2,000 milligrams per day. Taking more than the UL has been linked to gastrointestinal issues (including bloating and diarrhea), kidney stones, and increased iron and copper levels in the blood. This doesn’t mean you can’t take vitamin C if you are healthy. Instead, it means that you should take the recommended daily intake, which is different for everyone. Let’s find out how much is recommended for different age groups...
What's the Recommended Daily Intake?
The recommended daily intake of vitamin C for adults is 90 milligrams per day. The daily intake for pregnant women is 75 mg, and 97 mg for breastfeeding mothers. For children aged between 1-3 years, the recommended daily intake is 40 mg, increasing to 45 mg for children aged 4-8 years. For children aged 9-13, the daily intake is 65 mg, and for adolescents aged 14-18 years, 85 mg. The daily recommended intake for children aged 9-13 years, and adolescents aged 14-18 years is 65 mg and 85 mg respectively. For pregnant women, the recommended intake is 75 mg and 97 mg for breastfeeding mothers.
What Are The Best Food Sources
The best food sources of Vitamin C include citrus fruits, strawberries, broccoli, kiwi, papaya, sweet potatoes, bell peppers and tomatoes. But note that when you eat a fruit or vegetable, you’re also getting a wide range of other nutrients along with it. That’s not the case when you take a vitamin C supplement, which is vitamin C only. A recent study also showed that people taking vitamin C supplements had higher blood levels of the vitamin than those who ate foods rich in it. That’s because eating foods with vitamin C triggers the release of stomach acid, which also gets absorbed into the blood.
What Are The Benefits?
Boosts Immunity
Vitamin C is essential for boosting your immunity and helping you fight infections. It also helps repair tissue, promotes healthy collagen and blood vessel walls, and acts as an anti-aging agent.
Healthy Skin
Vitamin C is important for skin health. It helps keep your skin hydrated, promotes collagen production, and prevents wrinkles, pigmentation and sun damage.
Healthy Eyes
Vitamin C has been shown to help prevent age-related eye diseases and macular degeneration.
Growing Healthy Bones
Vitamin C helps your body absorb calcium, which is crucial for bone health.
Helps Fight Oxidation
Vitamin C is an excellent antioxidant that helps fight oxidation and may reduce the risk of heart disease.
Protects Your Heart
Some studies have shown that taking high doses of vitamin C supplements may be helpful for people who have had a heart attack.
Reduces Risk of Stroke
Research suggests that high doses of vitamin C may reduce your risk of stroke.
Supplement Timing
You may want to take vitamin C supplements when you know you’ll be exposed to viruses, such as during the winter months or if you travel frequently. However, you should note that vitamin C supplements should not be taken as soon as you get infected with a virus. Vitamin C has been shown to be effective against infections only when the immune system is already activated. This implies that you’ll need to take vitamin C before you get sick, not once you’re already sick with a respiratory infection. If you do get sick, wait at least seven days before starting to take vitamin C supplements.
Bottom Line
Vitamin C is an important nutrient that is essential for good health. You can get a good amount of vitamin C from food, and many of the best sources are also some of the tastiest. Supplementing with vitamin C is also an option and can be helpful, especially when you know you’ll be exposed to a lot of viruses. However, you should be careful not to exceed the upper tolerable intake level of 2000 mg per day, and you should also wait a week after getting sick before taking supplements again.
