What Happens If You Get Too Much Vitamin C

Too Much Folic Acid Can Lead To Serious Health Issues

As stated by OASH , folic acid is an essential nutrient that everyone needs to maintain a healthy body. Folic acid, as well as folate, assists the body with making new red blood cells. Likewise, this nutrient is extremely important for those looking to get pregnant or are already pregnant. Thats because folic acid protects fetuses against potential serious birth defects. Those worried about their intake of this B vitamin should know that folic acid is found in food sources such as bread, pasta, and cereal folate is also derived from leafy green vegetables, oranges, and beans.

On the other hand, OASH stated that too much folic acid isnt good for our bodies. You shouldnt consume more than 1,000 micrograms of folic acid a day unless directed otherwise by a medical professional. Additionally, its noted that too much of this nutrient can hide signs that youre deficient in vitamin B12, which could potentially lead to nerve damage. Similarly, Healthline declared that there are three other possible side effects that can result from too much folic acid. These include an accelerated age-related mental decline, a slowdown of brain development in children, and an increased chance of cancer recurring in those with cancerous cells.

Eating Too Many Citrus Fruits

Speaking of foods and beverages, some people consume lots of citrus fruits either out of habit or because of the aforementioned desire to avoid or fight off a common cold. While citrus fruits certainly taste great, eating too much of them is never a good thing.

For one thing, its almost impossible to eat so many citrus fruits that you overdose on vitamin C. Just be aware if taking a high dose vitamin c supplement you will not need to overdue the citrus fruit.

Honestly, its a lot easier to just take a vitamin with plenty of antioxidants and vitamins found in fruits instead of trying to eat berries and citrus fruits all day . Check out Livingood Dailys Greens Berry Supplement as a perfect example.

How Much Vitamin D Is Too Much

Since relatively little is known about how vitamin D toxicity works, its hard to define an exact threshold for safe or toxic vitamin D intake .

According to the National Academy of Medicine, formerly known as the Institute of Medicine, 4,000 IU is the safe upper level of daily vitamin D intake. However, doses up to 10,000 IU have not been shown to cause toxicity in healthy individuals (

Hypercalcemia caused by regularly taking high amounts of vitamin D supplements may take a few months to resolve. This is because vitamin D accumulates in body fat and is released into the blood slowly .

Treating vitamin D intoxication includes avoiding sun exposure and eliminating all dietary and supplemental vitamin D.

A doctor may also correct your calcium levels with increased salt and fluids, often by intravenous saline.

Summary

The main consequence of vitamin D toxicity is hypercalcemia, with symptoms including nausea, vomiting, weakness, and kidney failure. Treatment involves limiting all vitamin D intake and sun exposure.

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Food Sources Of Vitamin C

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 bell peppers: 95 milligrams per 1/2-cup serving
• Orange juice: 93 milligrams per 3/4-cup serving
• Orange: 70 milligrams per one medium fruit
• Kiwi: 64 milligrams per one medium fruit
• Raw green peppers: 60 milligrams per 1/2-cup serving
• Cooked broccoli: 51 milligrams per 1/2-cup serving
• Strawberries: 49 milligrams per 1/2-cup serving
• Cooked Brussels sprouts: 48 milligrams per 1/2-cup serving
• Tomato juice: 33 milligrams per 3/4-cup serving
• Cantaloupe: 29 milligrams 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.

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:

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:

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What Are The Side Effects Of Vitamin C

Vitamin C is generally considered safe, but high doses can cause side effects. These may include:

Higher doses are more likely to lead to side effects. Doses over 2,000 milligrams a day may increase the risk of diarrhea and kidney stones. If you have a history of kidney stones, taking more than 1,000 milligrams a day may increase your chances of having more.

Whats The Best Way To Take Vitamin C

Both experts stress that the best way to take vitamin C is through food. Whole foods contain a vitamin and micronutrient complex which cannot be fully replicated in vitamin supplements, says Dr. Serino. Also, your body absorbs more of the vitamin through food than through a supplement.

In my experience, most people do not need to supplement with vitamin C since it is abundant in food, says Greaves. The best sources of vitamin C are foods like bell pepper, brussels sprouts, strawberries, and citrus fruit. For example: A half cup of raw red pepper has about 95 mg of vitamin C.

If you dont like any of that stuff, you can eat a medium potato and a cup of red cabbage to get your daily dose. If youve got guava around, youll get 206 mg from eating just one!

Make sure to eat a few servings of fruits and vegetables each day, and youll likely have more than enough vitamin C to make your body happy. Its important to know that research doesnt show any benefit of supplementing with vitamin C beyond the recommended daily intake, says Greaves. So more is definitely not better!

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Cancer Treatment And Prevention

A lot of research has investigated the role of antioxidants, including vitamin C, in cancer care and prevention. However, the results have yielded inconsistent results.

Most studies have found that vitamin C supplementation, either on its own or in combination with other supplements, cannot prevent or treat cancer.

Some studies have shown that when used in supportive care, high-dose intravenous vitamin C can improve quality of life and reduce the side effects of standard cancer treatments.

When it comes to cancer, it’s become clear that antioxidants aren’t all good or all bad. Studies have also shown that antioxidants may:

• Help cancerous or pre-cancerous cells survive
• Possibly make some cancer treatments less effective

Some healthcare providers recommend eating more antioxidant-containing fruits and vegetables, as people with diets rich in vitamin C may have a lower risk of getting certain types of cancer. However, it’s important to remember that no one food will prevent cancer. Moreover, vitamin C supplements themselves do not appear to prevent cancer. Eating a well-balanced diet in general, including antioxidants, is beneficial for your overall health.

Future studies are needed to establish the role of antioxidants like vitamin C in cancer. Talk to your oncologist before starting any supplements during cancer treatment.

What Are Some Long

Vitamin C is water-soluble, so it’s difficult to keep it in your system.

According to the National Institutes of Health, consuming vitamin C in large doses overtime could cause a reduced amount of vitamin B12 and copper, an accelerated metabolism, allergic responses, and the erosion of dental enamel. In addition, Vitamin C may negatively interact with other medications, including, but not limited to, chemotherapy drugs and cholesterol-reducing medications .

For people with hemochromatosis, for example, too much vitamin C could be harmful and even life-threatening. Hemochromatosis is a condition in which the body produces too much iron, which can be toxic and cause damage to the heart, liver, and pancreas.

“Vitamin C is not likely to cause hemochromatosis in healthy people, but those who have a higher risk of iron build up should avoid supplementation,” says Marinov.

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What Are The Side Effects Of Ascorbic Acid

Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives difficult breathing swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Stop using ascorbic acid and call your doctor at once if you have:

• joint pain, weakness or tired feeling, weight loss, stomach pain
• chills, fever, increased urge to urinate, painful or difficult urination or
• severe pain in your side or lower back, blood in your urine.

Common side effects may include:

• heartburn, upset stomach or
• nausea, diarrhea, stomach cramps.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

What Are Some Good Natural Sources Of Vitamin C

Vitamin C is found in many fruits and vegetables. Fruits include citrus fruits such as oranges, grapefruit and lemon, kiwi fruit, blackcurrants, strawberries and guava. Vegetables, including broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, cooked kale, Brussels sprouts and Chinese cabbage. The amount of vitamin C in fruits and vegetables varies, and can be influenced by season, transportation, shelf life and storage time.

Eating fresh fruit and vegetables is ideal because cutting, bruising, cooking, heating or exposing food to certain materials can destroy the vitamin C. To boost your intake, try adding in a fruit or vegetable thats high in vitamin C to some of your meals, or having an orange as a snack.

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Does Vitamin C Make You Gain Weight

Weight Gain Early research has found a link between low levels of vitamin C and higher amounts of body fat, especially belly fat.

Should you take vitamin C daily?

The recommended daily intake for vitamin C is 75 mg for women and 90 mg for men . While its commonly advised to get your vitamin C intake from foods, many people turn to supplements to meet their needs.

Is vitamin C bad for your liver?

The serum ALT elevations that occur with extremely high doses of vitamin C are likely due to a direct but minimal toxic effect on the liver. The injury is, however, short lived and has not been linked to cases of acute or chronic hepatitis, acute liver failure or cirrhosis.

You Could Suffer From Digestive Problems

Another likely symptom youâll experience if you consume too much vitamin C is digestive distress. While you wonât get this issue from eating too many vitamin Cârich foods, overdosing on the supplement is likely to cause diarrhea, nausea, and sometimes acid reflux.

To avoid an upset stomach, you shouldnât take more than 2,000 milligrams of vitamin C supplements at once, as thatâs been identified as the tolerable upper limit per day.

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Why Is Vitamin C Important For My Health

Vitamin C has many important functions in the body, including keeping your skin, bones and connective tissue healthy as well as help your body absorb iron. Some people incorrectly believe vitamin C will help prevent you from catching the common cold. While there have been many attempts to support this idea with research-based evidence, there is still no convincing proof of a significant benefit. A high dose of vitamin C taken as soon as you get symptoms may, however, lessen the duration of a cold.

A major vitamin C deficiency can lead to scurvy. This condition can involve bone and blood vessel disease, bleeding, pain in the hands and feet, and in extreme cases, death.

How Much Is Too Much Vitamin C

We all know we need to take Vitamin C in some form every single day to stay as healthy as possible. Thats partly because our bodies cant produce or store this vitamin on its own.

But that doesnt mean we should go overboard taking Vitamin C. Generally speaking, any male 19 years or older should take 90 mg of Vitamin C per day. For females, its 75 mg.

Those who smoke or are pregnant are advised to take slightly higher doses of Vitamin C.

For the most part, if you are getting your Vitamin C from produce, you shouldnt have to worry about taking excess amounts. The side effects typically occur in those people taking the vitamin in supplement form.

If youre taking Vitamin C supplements and you consume more than 2,000 mg at once, you may begin to experience Vitamin C toxicity. At that point, youll notice certain side effects.

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Negative Side Effects Of A Vitamin C Overdose

Vitamin C is an essential nutrient that supports your immune system, helps your body absorb iron and promotes growth and development. But while conventional wisdom may suggest that its good to load up on the nutrient, thats not always the case. So, can you overdose on vitamin C?

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First things first, heres how much vitamin C adults should eat per day, according to the Mayo Clinic:

• âPeople assigned female at birth:â 75 mg
• âPeople assigned male at birth:â 90 mg
• âPregnant people:â 120 mg

But overdosing on vitamin C is possible, per the Mayo Clinic. Though the nutrient is water-soluble , you may not be able to process megadoses fast enough to avoid side effects. As a result, you can experience temporary symptoms of vitamin C overdose.

Its best to get vitamin C from plant sources rather than supplements, according to the Mayo Clinic. This will help you avoid vitamin C overdose symptoms while still ensuring you get enough of the nutrient.

Still, to help you determine if too much vitamin C is the source of your discomfort, here are the vitamin C side effects to be aware of.

How Many Milligrams of Vitamin C Is Too Much?

According to the Mayo Clinic, adults shouldnât take more than 2,000 milligrams of vitamin C per day.

But if you check the label of vitamin C supplements, you may notice that some contain more than the recommended daily dose. And indeed, taking megadoses like 3,000 or 6,000 milligrams of vitamin C is too much.

Is Taking A Huge Dose Of Vitamin C Bad For Me

Vitamin C is an important nutrient, but as the old saying goes too much of a good thing can be a bad thing.

After taking too much vitamin C, you may experience symptoms such as:

So how much vitamin C is too much?

For adults, the daily upper limit of vitamin C is 2,000 mg. For teens, its 1,800 mg. For children, the upper limit depends on age, and it ranges from 400 to 1,200 mg per day.

In addition, vitamin C is water-soluble, making it hard for your body to store it with excess being secreted in your urine. So even if youre adult and can handle the 1,000 mg in each vitamin C packet or pill, just know that your body cant absorb more than about 400 mg. This means that most of the vitamin C in that supplement youre taking just goes down your toilet .

All this to say, however, that getting the recommended amount of vitamin C is still a critical step in staying healthy, as this vitamin plays many important roles in your body. But, you dont need to take a supplement to make that happen.

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Possibility Of Genetic Damage

While vitamin C is well-known for its antioxidant properties, some evidence point to its pro-oxidant tendencies in certain circumstances one of them being higher dosages. In one study where healthy subjects were administered supplemental vitamin C every day for 6 weeks, oxidative damage was reported at a dosage of 500 mg per day. Researchers speculate that as a pro-oxidant, vitamin C supplements can alter and damage DNA and even lead to diseases like cancer. This effect was not seen in dosages less than 500 mg and may be restricted to excessive supplemental use rather than intake via natural foods. However, these claims have been disputed in other studies and will need further extensive study before it can be confirmed.111213

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This Is What Happens When You Have Too Much Vitamin C

Taking vitamin C is an essential part of many of our wellness routines. And why shouldn’t it be? Experts say vitamin C not only helps boost your immune system to avoid sickness during cold and flu season, but may reduce your risk of chronic disease, lower your risk for heart disease and high blood pressure, prevent gout attacks and iron deficiency, and protect your memory as you age . Researcher Mark Moyad, MD, MPH, of the University of Michigan says that “Higher blood levels of vitamin C may be the ideal nutrition marker for overall health…The more we study vitamin C, the better our understanding of how diverse it is in protecting our health, from cardiovascular, cancer, stroke, eye health immunity to living longer” .

It’s a veritable holy grail of antioxidant vitamins, so it’s no surprise people are loading up on it. But it’s important to note that more isn’t always necessarily better. In fact, there are some negative side effects associated with overdosing on vitamin C.

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