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How Many Milligrams Of Vitamin C

Common Nutrient Deficiencies: Know The Signs

30000 mg of Vitamin C Daily

Severe vitamin C deficiency may bring about scurvy, a condition that includes symptoms ranging from fatigue to depression, joint pain, poor wound healing, and bleeding gums. Though serious, scurvy and even vitamin C deficiency are rare in developed countries. Theres one exception: Smokers have a more-than-threefold-greater risk of vitamin C deficiency, according to research published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. This is likely because smoking causes greater vitamin C turnover in the body. Cigarette smoking increases free radicals in the body, which damages our cells antioxidants such as vitamin C counteract this damage but are depleted more quickly in people who smoke.

Vitamin C Can Act As A Pro

What is a pro-oxidant? Its the opposite of an antioxidant. Instead of neutralizing reactive oxygen species it creates them by generating oxidative stress. This is a drawback that antioxidants can have to varying degrees, dependent on their concentration and the environment they are in.

In short, a pro-oxidant effect is the opposite of what you want!

Fully describing the Fenton and Haber-Weiss reactions will have to be a topic for another time!

In the case of vitamin C, the concerning reason it can act as a pro-oxidant is because it has been found to reduce metal ions through whats called the Fenton reaction. A symptom of overdose that you cant even detect!

Describing the Fenton reaction in full will make your eyes glaze. The important thing to know about is that its considered one of the most powerful methods of oxidation. This effect has been theorized to be a contributor to Parkinsons, Huntingtons, and Alzheimers diseases, among others.

Its inconclusive whether the thousands of different polyphenol antioxidants, which are non-vitamin micronutrients found in plants, also have the tendency to spur the Fenton reaction. Not to say they dont, but at least to date, theres not evidence to support that and research strongly suggests their antioxidant activity to be quite beneficial for your health.

What makes ascorbic acid unique is that it can recycle ferrous iron ions to continue to generate ROS, with more Fenton cycles. This is why vitamin C and iron is a bad combo.

What Is The Side Effect Of Vitamin C 1000mg

There may be problems such as diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain/impounding, or heartburn. It is important to report any of these effects to your doctor or pharmacists as soon as possible if they continue. Your doctor has concluded that you may be better off using this medication if the benefit you are seeing outweighs the potential for side effects.

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Is Vitamin C Bad For You

The most concerning pro-oxidant effect happens in the presence of free transition metals. Now these metals are something all of us have in our bodies, so its impossible to avoid 100%. Ascorbic acid is one of the most researched nutrients and to date, the overwhelming consensus is that its good for you even when this is factored in.

Plus unlike dogs and cats, human are unique mammals in that we dont internally create this vitamin. We literally dont have a choice we need to get it from dietary sources.

What we do have a choice on though is how much we consume. We know how much is needed to avoid scurvy and deficiency symptoms and its the amount beyond that where the question mark remains is more necessarily better?

A recent scientific review of its antioxidant and pro-oxidant activity in oral health sums up the current mindset quite well:

The data validates the role of Vitamin C as an antioxidant under physiologic conditions exhibiting a cross over role as a pro-oxidant in pathological conditions. Further studies are required to substantiate its pro-oxidant activity to draw concrete conclusions.

While that review was specific to oral health, the scientists factored in generalized pro-oxidant vs. antioxidant research, too.

Is Lemon Juice High In Vitamin C

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Certainly, lemon juice is rich in vitamin C, as well. 100g of lemon juice contains 38 mg of vitamin C. Thats 50% DV.

If you want to boost your vitamin C intake, drink lemon water in the morning. Add the juice of a lemon. It contains 18 mg of vitamin C! Lemon water is great for losing weight, as well.

We can drink warm water with lemon juice in the morning, as well as right before bed. Lemon juice can help burn fat, and keep the skin elastic, without wrinkles!

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Why Do Vitamin C Tablets Give Me Diarrhea

The use of Vitamin C with excess amounts of 2,000 mg may cause side effects in adults. You might experience mild digestive troubles when you take more than the recommended amount of vitamin C. The bodys Vitamin C without the bodys absorption may irritate the gastrointestinal tract if such a reaction is observed.

What Is An International Unit

IU stands for International units and is a unit commonly used in the measurement of medications, vaccines and vitamins.

The volume or mass that makes up one International unit is dependent on the concentration or potency of the substance and therefore varies from substance to substance depending on what is being measured.

This means that converting between international units and micrograms or milligrams is not a simple calculation and we can’t provide a converter to do this calculation for you . The exact measure of one IU of a substance is in fact established by international agreement for each substance 1.

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How Much Vitamin C Is Enough

Most of the studies Moyad and his colleagues examined used 500 daily milligrams of vitamin C to achieve health results. That’s much higher than the RDA of 75-90 milligrams a day for adults. So unless you can eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, you may need to take a dietary supplement of vitamin C to gain all the benefits, Moyad says. He suggests taking 500 milligrams a day, in addition to eating five servings of fruits and vegetables.

“It is just not practical for most people to consume the required servings of fruits and vegetables needed on a consistent basis, whereas taking a once-daily supplement is safe, effective, and easy to do,” Moyad says. He also notes that only 10% to 20% of adults get the recommended nine servings of fruits and vegetables daily.

Moyad says there is no real downside to taking a 500-milligram supplement, except that some types may irritate the stomach. That’s why he recommends taking a non-acidic, buffered form of the vitamin. “The safe upper limit for vitamin C is 2,000 milligrams a day, and there is a great track record with strong evidence that taking 500 milligrams daily is safe,” he says.

Continued

Still, American Dietetic Association spokeswoman Dee Sandquist, RD, suggests doing your best to work more fruits and vegetables into your diet before taking supplements.

How Much Vitamin C Do I Need

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This amount ranges by gender and age. Here are daily guidelines, although some research suggests that certain populations such as athletes may benefit from higher intake.

  • Children : 15 mg
  • Children : 25 mg
  • Children : 45 mg
  • Female teenagers : 65 mg
  • Male teenagers : 75 mg
  • Women: 75 mg

How Much Vitamin C Is Too Much?

Depending on age, different caps for intake exist. Here are the ULs:

  • Children : 400 mg
  • Children : 650 mg
  • Children : 1,200 mg
  • Children : 1,800 mg
  • Adults: 2,000 mg
  • Pregnant or lactating adult women: 2,000 mg

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Can You Take Too Much Vitamin C

The tolerable upper intake for adults is 2 grams of Vitamin C consuming more than that can result in diarrhea and other unpleasant GI disturbances, says Greaves. She admits that severe side effects from too much ascorbic acid are very rare, but you may experience some discomfort if you take too much. Its pretty much impossible to have a vitamin C overdose, but lets not test that out.

The real problem with taking more vitamin C than you need is that it all goes to waste. Up to 100 mg a day of vitamin C will get almost completely absorbed, says Francesco-Maria Serino, MD, PhD. Above 100 mg a day and the fraction of vitamin C absorbed is progressively smaller. If you take more than 1 gram of vitamin C per day, less than 50% is actually absorbed and its eliminated by the kidneys.

That literally means that a 500 mg vitamin C supplement mostly gets peed down the drain.

Effects Of Mega Doses Of Vitamin C

According to a study, researchers have treated cancer patients with high dosages of vitamin C, through IVC therapy . Scientists gave cancer patients up to 100g of vitamin C a day! Thats 100,000 mg. 100 times more vitamin C than a dosage of 1,000 mg or 100,000 times the recommended daily intake of vitamin C Thats a huge dose. So, what happened to these patients?

Regarding cancer, researchers observed:

  • improvement in the quality of life,
  • improved tolerance of conventional therapy,
  • deterioration in clinical condition, in the absence of vitamin C dosage.

The side effects of mega dosages of vitamin C seem to be minimal, though. Patients experienced symptoms of Jarisch-Herxheimer reaction. This is a reaction of the body to endotoxins produced by the necrosis of harmful cells. Fever, chills, strong body odor, and pimples may be other side effects.

Dont forget that these side effects happened to cancer patients, after megadoses of vitamin C. Symptoms resolved after 2 to 3 hours, after injection with vitamin C.

On the other hand, therapy with high dosages of vitamin C may:

  • stabilize cancer,
  • have anti tumor activity in some cases,
  • help patients regain strength, even walking again

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How Much Is Too Much

According to the dietary guidelines, the max amount of vitamin C that is safe to take each day is 1800 milligrams. Taking in more can cause stomach upset, nausea and diarrhea, which typically resolves quickly once the usage is discontinued. Some data suggests excessive intakes for long periods of time may be linked to kidney stones in people with existing kidney issues.

This may seem like an unattainable amount , but whether its a fizzy drink mix or chewable tablet, the average cold prevention supplement contains 1000 milligrams per serving. Many of these products recommend taking a dose multiple times a day, quickly exceeding the 1800 milligrams recommendation and this is before you eat any vitamin C rich foods. It is also important to point out many of these products also include other vitamins and minerals, some of which may carry their own separate risks for toxicity or interactions with medications, so check labels carefully so you know what you are taking.

How Much Vitamin C Do I Need Daily

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When it comes to people, the recommended daily quantity of vitamin C is 65 to 90 milligrams per day, with a maximum daily intake of 2,000 mg per day. Although excessive dietary vitamin C is unlikely to be hazardous, megadoses of vitamin C supplements may result in the following side effects: Diarrhea. Nausea.

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How Does Vitamin C Boost Your Immunity

Vitamin C is an antioxidant that helps to decrease the activity of harmful substances called free radicals. Free radicals have been associated with some diseases and negative health effects. Vitamin C also helps to stimulate cells in the body involved with our immune system. Some evidence suggests that taking vitamin C supplements regularly may help to make colds shorter and make the symptoms of a cold less severe. More research is needed to determine other possible ways that vitamin C boosts immunity in the body.

How Many Mgs Of Vitamin C Are In Medium Oranges

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Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant essential for everyday health. You need vitamin C to ward off damaging free radicals that destroy healthy cells throughout your body. Vitamin C also keeps your immune system strong, helps wounds heal properly and aids the absorption of a certain type of iron. Because of vitamin C’s many roles throughout your system, meeting your daily intake is important. Fortunately, vitamin C is found in an array of vegetables and fruits, particularly citrus fruits such as oranges.

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Should I Take More Vitamin C When Im Sick

Many people pop vitamin C pills when they feel a cold coming on. Though vitamin C helps the immune system, it does very little for a cold.

A study from the Australian National University found that vitamin C supplements did not prevent colds at all. Supplementation, in a few cases, helped people get over the cold a little bit faster since about 8 percent of participants had one less day of sickness due to vitamin C.

If you want to play it safe and add more vitamin C when youre sick, its still best to do it through food. Add more citrus or greens. Even if the vitamin C doesnt make a difference, the healthy food will help you feel better.

Does A Lot Of Vitamin C Make You Poop

How Many Milligrams Of Vitamin C Do I Need To Take For A Cold? Ask Eric Bakker

The total amount for a Vitamin C flush is recorded in individual increments. These will take up a few hours to take during the process of making them. Youll notice that your bowels tend to produce a flushing that leads to watery, loose stools when the Vitamin C receptors in your body reach their saturation point.

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Converting From Mg Or Mcg To Iu For Vitamins A C D And E

We’ve included mass equivalents of 1 IU for selected vitamins below. This information is from the Office of Dietary Supplements and the Ultimate Pharmacy Calculations Guide.

  • Vitamin A: 1 IU is the biological equivalent of 0.3 mcg retinol, or of 0.6 mcg beta-carotene
  • Vitamin C: 1 IU is 50 mcg L-ascorbic acid
  • Vitamin D: 1 IU is the biological equivalent of 0.025 mcg cholecalciferol or ergocalciferol
  • Vitamin E: 1 IU is the biological equivalent of about 0.67 mg d-alpha-tocopherol, or 0.9 mg of dl-alpha-tocopherol.

Are Vitamin C Supplements Necessary

It is always best to get your nutrients from food rather than supplements.

Fruits and vegetables, especially citrus fruits, are good sources. Foods naturally rich in vitamin C include:

  • Raw red peppers: 95 mg per 1/2-cup serving
  • Orange juice: 90 mg per 3/4-cup serving
  • Orange: 70 mg per one medium fruit
  • Kiwi: 64 mg per one medium fruit
  • Raw green peppers: 60 mg per 1/2-cup serving
  • Cooked broccoli: 51 mg per 1/2-cup serving
  • Strawberries: 49 mg per 1/2-cup serving
  • Cooked Brussels sprouts: 48 mg per 1/2-cup serving
  • Tomato juice: 33 mg per 1/2-cup serving
  • Cantaloupe: 29 mg per 1/2-cup serving

If you don’t get enough vitamin C from what you eat, a supplement can help get you to the right levels.

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How Many Lemons Should I Eat A Day For Vitamin C

Lemons are a solid source of vitamin C, even if they arent at the top of the list of citrus fruits that are high in the vitamin. Approximately 18.6 mg of vitamin C are included in the juice of one lemon, according to the United States Department of Agriculture . Adults should consume 65 to 90 mg of vitamin C per day on average.

Why Do People Take Vitamin C

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Studies have shown that vitamin C may reduce the odds of getting a cold, but only in specific groups in extreme circumstances, such as soldiers in subarctic environments, skiers, and marathon runners. Studies have not found solid evidence that vitamin C helps prevent or treat colds in average situations.

Vitamin C’s antioxidant benefits are also unclear. While some studies of vitamin C supplements have been promising, they have not found solid evidence that vitamin C supplements help with cancer, stroke, asthma, and many other diseases. Some evidence suggests that vitamin C may be helpful in people who have high cholesterol and in preventing cataracts, but more studies are needed to prove these effects.

Data on vitamin C and heart disease are mixed. Some studies show an association between low levels of vitamin C and heart disease risk, yet many studies have linked the use of vitamin C supplements with an increased risk of heart disease.

Studies have shown that dietary rather than supplemental sources of vitamin C are more effective in keeping blood pressure in check.

A substantial number of Americans may have low intake levels of vitamin C due to the inadequate intake of fruits and vegetables. The proven and effective use of vitamin C is for treating vitamin C deficiency and conditions that result from it, like scurvy.

Vitamin C also seems to help the body absorb the mineral iron.

Continued

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Why Its Significant

As you age, your immune system gradually slows down. Getting just the right amount of vitamin C keeps your immune system working at its best and protects each cell throughout your body. Vitamin C is an antioxidant, meaning it neutralizes free radicals that destroy healthy cells. When free radicals scavenge through your blood, they can wreak havoc on all systems, elevating your risk of chronic diseases. Vitamin C also creates collagen a component of skin and connective tissue that is vital for wound healing metabolizes protein and supports brain cell functions.

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