How Much Vitamin C Should I Take + Forms & Health Benefits*
How Much Vitamin C Should I Take? + Forms & amp Health Benefits* How Much Vitamin C Should I Take? + Forms & amp Health Benefits*
Vitamin C is an essential nutrient, which means your body can’t make any on its own, so you have to consume it regularly . Many foods are rich in vitamin C, so in theory, getting enough shouldn’t be an issue.
Yet, 42% of the U.S. adult population is living with vitamin C insufficiency, almost half are failing to get enough vitamin C from their food each day, and even with supplementation, 33% of American adults are still falling short of their needs.
This is a good indication that you may need to take more vitamin Cadditionally, it’s concrete evidence that your supplement of choice might need an upgrade . If you’re wondering how much daily vitamin C you need to live your best life, you’ve come to the right place.
How Much Vitamin C Do I Need Per Day
How much vitamin C you need per day changes according to your age, sex and life-stage.
The dietary reference value for healthy adults is between 95-110 mg of vitamin C per day. During pregnancy and lactation, needs can go up to 105 mg and 155 mg of vitamin C per day, respectively.
We can get enough vitamin C from our diets by eating a variety of foods. Following your countrys dietary guidelines on a healthy and balanced diet will help you meet your needs for vitamin C.
* These values are based on the population reference intake estimates from European Food Safety Authority . They should not be interpreted as nutrient goals. To know more about DRVs in Europe .
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What Is The Recommended Dose Of Vitamin C
The Australian Government publishes a Recommended Dietary Intake for each vitamin, allowing you to check that you are getting the right amount.
Adults need around 45mg of vitamin C daily this equates to around half an orange or a cup of strawberries.
Breastfeeding women need more around 85mg daily while children need a little less, at around 35mg to 40mg daily.
There is some evidence to suggest that people who smoke cigarettes may need larger amounts of vitamin C than non-smokers to prevent deficiency one of many reasons to consider quitting smoking.
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What’s The Best Way To Take Vitamin C
Experts stress that the best way to take vitamin C is through food or supplements. Whole foods include a vitamin and micronutrient complex. If youre not sure you’re getting enough from foods, just try a vitamin C supplement. Vitamin C supplements deliver the exact and premium amount you need daily. Besides, they may actually help prevent illness, whereas a vitamin C deficit appears to make you more susceptible to infection. If you don’t know any reliable products, Ultimate Sup recommends California Gold Nutrition Gold Vitamin C.
California Gold Nutrition Gold Vitamin C contains Gold Standard USP Grade Sodium Ascorbate. That makes it a non-acidic form of Vitamin C.
This buffered Vitamin C is encapsulated in TapiOcaps vegetarian tapioca capsules to preserve quality and efficacy. These ingredients help to safeguard oxygen-sensitive components like Vitamin C.
Not to mention its ultimate vitamin C, the product is gluten-free, sugar-free, starch-free, and GMO-free. So, if you need to supplement vitamin C, don’t hesitate to grab this amazing item at Ultimate Sup Singapore. There are many attractive promotions waiting for you, as well.
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What Are The Best Sources Of Vitamin C
The good news is that its super easy to get enough Vitamin C in your diet. In fact, its estimated that the average intake of Vitamin C is 85mg per day for women, and over 100mg per day for men!
Fruit and veggies, in particular citrus fruit and chilli, are some of the richest sources of Vitamin C that you can get your hands on. To give you some perspective, heres their Vitamin C content per 100 grams:
- Lime 347mg
- Orange 55mg
- Strawberries 45mg
Fruit juice contributes a significant amount of Vitamin C as well, but it is a concentrated source of energy and sugar, so its best to stick to whole fruits instead.
And heres another fun fact: Vitamin C is added to food as a preservative. Youll see it on the label of packaged products listed as ascorbic acid or the numbers 300 to 304.
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How Does Vitamin C Help People With Diabetes
Some studies suggest that vitamin C could be helpful to people with diabetes in terms of blood sugar and even blood pressure control. A meta-analysis published in the February 2021 journal Diabetes Care concluded that vitamin C supplementation significantly lowers HbA1c, fasting and postprandial glucose, triglycerides, total cholesterol, SBP , DBP and MDA in people with type 2 diabetes. However, the authors added that more studies with a larger sample size and longer supplementation periods are needed.
Another, smaller study, published in the journal Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism in 2019 of just 31 people with diabetes showed that the group given two 500 mg doses of vitamin C daily had a significant 36% drop in blood sugar spike after meals. They also had lower blood pressure.
Higher intakes of vitamin C may protect against heart disease, which is common in people with diabetes, although there is no recommended dose to aim for. But there is evidence that supports eating vegetables and fruit can lower the risk of heart disease, as well as some types of cancers.
If you have a wound that is healing, such as a foot ulcer or other type of cut or sore, talk with your provider or registered dietitian about increasing your vitamin C intake, including taking a supplement. Vitamin C is necessary for collagen formation , as well as overall skin health.
What’s The Best Form Of Vitamin C To Take
Vitamin C supplements are available in many forms, the most common being ascorbic acid , followed by mineral ascorbates like sodium ascorbate, calcium ascorbate, potassium ascorbate, and magnesium ascorbate. And although less common, “you’ll also find unique vitamin C complexes with lipid or other bioactive components to elevate the absorption profile, as well as food-derived vitamin C sources in supplements ,” shares Ferira.
Depending on the dose, the bioavailability of vitamin C supplements can differ, which means some forms are able to enter your gut and circulation more easily, then get to work, traveling to cells around the body to scavenge free radicals *
“Free radicals can cause wear and tear to all parts of the body, including the brain and mind,” says dietitian Joanna Foley, R.D., CLT. But the right type of vitamin C can combat oxidative compounds head-on.*
While ascorbic acid and mineral ascorbates certainly have their merits and definite efficacy in lower doses , research shows that at more potent doses , a scientifically advanced vitamin C complex that includes lipid and citrus bioflavonoid componentsspecifically, a vitamin C compound called PureWay-Chas superior absorption and free-radical-scavenging abilities and can raise vitamin C blood levels and support anti-inflammatory actions more efficiently than other forms of vitamin C like ascorbic acid, calcium ascorbate, and calcium ascorbate-calcium threonate-dehydroascorbate .*
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Warnings And Contraindications For Vitamin C
Vitamin C is considered a safe supplement for most people. If you are or could become pregnant, it is best not to exceed 6,000 mg vitamin C daily. Levels above this could interfere with pregnancy. Some people may develop kidney stones on high doses of vitamin C. Consult your doctor before taking this or any supplement. Finally, constipation can be a sign of a serious illness and should be evaluated by a doctor before treatment.
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How To Take It
The best way to take vitamin C supplements is 2 – 3 times per day, with meals, depending on the dosage. Some studies suggest that adults should take 250 – 500 mg twice a day for any benefit. Talk to your doctor before taking more than 1,000 mg of vitamin C on a daily basis and before giving vitamin C to a child.
Daily intake of dietary vitamin C is listed below.
Pediatric
- Men over 18 years: 90 mg
- Women over 18 years: 75 mg
- Pregnant women 14 – 18 years: 80 mg
- Pregnant women over 18 years: 85 mg
- Breastfeeding women 14 – 18 years: 115 mg
- Breastfeeding women over 18 years: 120 mg
Because smoking depletes vitamin C, people who smoke may need an additional 35 mg per day.
The dose recommended to prevent or treat many of the conditions mentioned in the Uses section is often 500 – 1,000 mg per day.
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What Does The Department Of Health And Social Care Advise
You should be able to get all the vitamin C you need by eating a varied and balanced diet.
If you take vitamin C supplements, do not take too much as this could be harmful.
Taking less than 1,000mg of vitamin C supplements a day is unlikely to cause any harm.
Page last reviewed: 03 August 2020 Next review due: 03 August 2023
Vitamins And Minerals For Older Adults
Vitamins help your body grow and work the way it should. There are 13 essential vitamins vitamins A, C, D, E, K, and the B vitamins .
Vitamins have different jobs to help keep the body working properly. Some vitamins help you resist infections and keep your nerves healthy, while others may help your body get energy from food or help your blood clot properly. By following the Dietary Guidelines, you will get enough of most of these vitamins from food.
Like vitamins, minerals also help your body function. Minerals are elements that our bodies need to function that can be found on the earth and in foods. Some minerals, like iodine and fluoride, are only needed in very small quantities. Others, such as calcium, magnesium, and potassium, are needed in larger amounts. As with vitamins, if you eat a varied diet, you will probably get enough of most minerals.
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Whats In This Vitamin C Bomb Smoothie
For starters, everything in this recipe comes from the earth. Theres nothing artificial or unpronounceable in this smoothie. What does all of that mean? It means its naturally healthy. Ive chosen fruits that are packed with vitamin C, anti-inflammatory properties, and/or potassium.
Fresh pineapple, mango, naval oranges, banana, and ginger are all youll need to drink your way to more vitamin C. Youll blend everything in a blender along with some ice to chill things out a bit. Thats all.
How Much Vitamin C Can Your Body Absorb At Once
If you stay within a reasonable amount of the RDA, your body will absorb most of the vitamin C you consume. However, once you start taking more than 180mg per day, the rate of absorption begins to drop. If you take a megadose of 1 gram or more, your body may only absorb around 50 percent.
Since vitamin C is water soluble, consuming more than the recommended amount each day isnt necessarily dangerous. Any excess that your body doesnt absorb is excreted in your urine.
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Vitamin C Increases Gastric Motility
When given as a supplement at high doses, vitamin C has a laxative effect. This is because the vitamin increases gastric motility, which is to say that it speeds up the digestive process. Most people think of this as a negative side effect, and the vitamin is dosed to bowel tolerance a discreet way of saying you should reduce your dose if you develop diarrhea.
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Why Does Urine Turn Yellow After Vitamins
High-dose vitamins can turn your pee a bright, almost neon yellow color. The most common culprit is vitamin B2, also known as riboflavin, which is found in most multivitamins. The neon color in pee is just a harmless sign that youre taking more than your body needs, and the excess is mixing with your pee.
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Almost All Ascorbic Acid Is Made In China
To be clear, we are not inferring or implying that products using vitamin C made in China are less safe. With proper manufacturing processes and quality control, the molecule of ascorbic acid will be identical regardless of where it was made.
Still though, many consumers ourselves included simply prefer to buy foods and supplements made in America, UK, and other countries which have a better reputation for both quality control and human rights.
How much is made in China? The New York Times reports 80% and that was years ago.
That percentage is likely even higher today.
Now heres the real disgusting part. A dirty secret in the supplement world is that when a product says made in the USA, that doesnt mean the active ingredient are from America.
A company can legally claim to be US-made if the actual product capsule, tablet, etc. is manufactured in this country. As far as where the active ingredients come from, that can be anywhere in the world and theres no legal requirement to disclose it to you.
In fact, many supplement brands refuse to cite the country of origin, claiming its a trade secret. Yeah right, one can guess what their real motive is for not telling you they dont want to tell you its coming from China!
What Foods Contain Vitamin C
In general, fruits contain more vitamin C than vegetables. Examples of foods that are high in vitamin C and the amount of vitamin C they contain include:
- Red capsicum: 240mg per capsicum
- Grapefruit: 94mg per grapefruit
- Cantaloupe: 29mg per ½ cup
- Cauliflower: 26 per ½ cup
- Silverbeet: 27mg per cup .
In general, raw fruits and vegetables contain higher quantities of vitamin C than boiled, although steaming and microwaving may reduce vitamin C losses. Prolonged storage can also reduce vitamin C levels.
Experts consider a diet that supplies 100200 mg/day of vitamin C provides enough vitamin C to cover a healthy individuals general requirements. People with medical conditions, such as cancer, diabetes, lung disease, or who smoke or exercise a lot should consider increasing their dietary intake of vitamin C.
Consuming five varied servings of fruits and vegetables a day can provide more than 200mg of vitamin C. Breastmilk is considered an adequate source of vitamin C in breastfeeding infants. Infant formula is already fortified with vitamin C.
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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.
Impair The Effectiveness Of Niacin
Evidence suggests that taking vitamin C supplements may impair the bodys ability to increase high density lipoprotein cholesterol in people taking the combination drug niacin-simvastatin. This drug combines the vitamin niacin with the statin simvastatin , and people take it to treat high cholesterol.
Doctors consider HDL cholesterol the good cholesterol because it reduces the amount of harmful cholesterol in the blood.
If a person takes vitamin C supplements and niacin-simvastatin, they should talk to their doctor about ways to make each more effective. Doctors do not know whether vitamin C also affects the ability of other medicines similar to Zocor.
A persons body cannot make vitamin C, so people need to eat enough foods that contain vitamin C to meet their daily needs. If someone is at risk of a vitamin C deficiency, they can take vitamin C supplements.
The advise aiming for the following RDA of vitamin C each day:
| Age | |
| 90 mg | 75 mg |
People who smoke should take 35 mg more vitamin C per day than those who do not smoke.
During pregnancy or when breastfeeding, women should get the following levels of vitamin C per day:
- 1418 years: 80 mg during pregnancy and 115 mg when breastfeeding
- 19 years and older: 85 mg during pregnancy and 120 mg when breastfeeding
There is not enough research to suggest an RDA for vitamin C in those younger than 1 year of age. As a result, the ODS provide an adequate intake, which is the amount that is likely to be sufficient:
- broccoli
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