What’s The Recommended Dose Of Vitamin C

Cope With Stress By Upping Your Vitamin C Intake

By Heather

Certain sources of Vitamin C can help prevent and treat high levels of stress, along with the common cold. Vitamin C is an antioxidant that helps fight off foreign invaders throughout the body to keep our immune systems in shape. It’s also helpful for repairing physical and emotional levels of stress due to the way it lowers inflammation in the body. Inflammation can both cause and worsen stress, therefore it’s crucial to get enough Vitamin C in your diet so you manage stress easier. Many athletes also take Vitamin C supplements due to the way it helps repair muscles after harsh workouts that lead to inflammation. If you’re suffering physical or mental stress, try adding some of these sources of Vitamin C to your diet. Because life’s too short to be a ball of stress all the time, girls!

Whats The Recommended Intake

The Institute of Medicine has developed a set of reference values for specific nutrient intake levels, including for vitamin C.

One set of guidelines is known as the Recommended Dietary Allowance and considers average daily nutrient intake from both foods and supplements.

RDA recommendations for specific gender and age groups should meet the nutrient needs of 9798% of healthy individuals (

Here are the RDAs for vitamin C :

In addition to the RDA recommendations for vitamin C, the Food and Drug Administration has issued a recommended Daily Value .

The DV was developed for food and supplement labels. It helps you determine the percentage of nutrients in a single serving of food, compared with the daily requirements. On food labels, this is displayed as %DV .

Currently, the recommended DV for vitamin C for adults and children aged 4 and above is 60 mg regardless of gender. However, in January 2020, this will increase to 90 mg .

Summary

The RDA for Vitamin C ranges from 1575 mg for children, 75 mg for adult women, 90 mg for adult men, and 85120 mg for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.

Vitamin C is essential for overall health and wellness, and the nutrient may particularly benefit certain conditions.

The vitamin is especially helpful for immune health, as it supports your immune systems cellular function .

Why Do People Take Vitamin C

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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What Drugs Interact With High

A drug interaction is a change in the way a drug acts in the body when taken with certain other drugs. High-dose vitamin C, when combined with some anticancer drugs, may cause them to be less effective. So far, these effects have been seen only in some laboratory and animal studies. No clinical trials have been done to further research these drug interactions in humans.

• Combining vitamin C with an anticancer drug called bortezomib has been studied in cell cultures and in animal models. Bortezomib is a targeted therapy that blocks several molecular pathways in a cell, causing cancer cells to die. Several studies showed that vitamin C given by mouth made bortezomib less effective, including in multiple myeloma cells. A study in mice transplanted with human prostate cancer cells, however, did not show that giving the mice different doses of vitamin C by mouth made bortezomib therapy less effective.
• An oxidized form of vitamin C called dehydroascorbic acid has been studied in cell cultures and in animals with tumors. Several studies have found that high doses of dehydroascorbic acid can interfere with the anticancer effects of several chemotherapy drugs. Dehydroascorbic acid is found in only small amounts in dietary supplements and in fresh foods.

What Is Vitamin C Used For

The one condition vitamin C can definitely treat is vitamin C deficiency. According to research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , an estimated 7.1% of the U.S. population can be classified as being vitamin C deficient. Those with a severe dietary deficiency of vitamin C can develop scurvy, characterized by bruising, bleeding gums, weakness, fatigue, and rash.

Outside of a known deficiency, vitamin C is believed by some to aid in the treatment or prevention of numerous diseases, including colds, asthma, bronchitis, cancer, chronic pain, cataracts, gastritis, glaucoma, heart disease, high blood pressure, osteoarthritis, and Parkinson’s disease.

Although the evidence supporting these claims is generally weak, there have been several promising findings in recent years.

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How Much Vitamin C Should Seniors Take In Addition To Multivitamins

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What Are The Preferred Sources Of Vitamin C

There is no reason to take vitamin supplements if you eat a healthy whole food plant-based diet. Vegetables and fruits are good sources of vitamin C. You can see analytically the list with the richest foods in vitamin C here. For instance, kale, broccoli, or peppers are particularly high in vitamin C.

Vitamin C Dosage For Kids

The amount of vitamin C your child needs has been determined by the Food and Nutrition Board at the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies and is based on the recommended dietary allowance .

The vitamin C dosage for a child is based on age, not gender as in adults:

• The daily requirement of vitamin C for infants 0 to 6 months: 40 milligrams
• The daily requirement of vitamin C for infants 7 to 12 months: 50 milligrams
• The daily requirement of vitamin C for kids 1 to 3 years: 15 milligrams
• The daily requirement of vitamin C for kids 4 to 8 years: 25 milligrams
• The daily requirement of vitamin C for kids 9 to 13 years: 45 milligrams

Tips

The daily requirement of vitamin C for infants is based on the mean intake of the vitamin in healthy breastfed babies.

Once the teenage years hit, your childs vitamin C needs differ based on gender. Teen girls need 65 milligrams a day, while teen boys need 75 milligrams a day. The recommendations are similar for adults, with men requiring 90 milligrams a day and women 75 milligrams.

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What Research Has Shown The Benefits Of High

Have any clinical trials of high-dose intravenous vitamin C been conducted?

Several studies of high-dose vitamin C in patients with cancer have been done in recent years, including the following:

Studies of vitamin C alone

• Intravenous vitamin C was studied in patients with breast cancer who were treated with adjuvant chemotherapy and radiation therapy. The study found that patients who received IV vitamin C had better quality of life and fewer side effects than those who did not.
• A study of IV vitamin C and high doses of vitamin C taken by mouth was done in patients with cancer that could not be cured. Vitamin C was shown to be a safe and effective therapy to improve quality of life in these patients, including physical, mental, and emotional functions, symptoms of fatigue, nausea and vomiting, pain, and appetite loss.
• Vitamin C has been shown to be safe when given to healthy volunteers and cancer patients at doses up to 1.5 g/kg, while screening out patients with certain risk factors who should avoid vitamin C. Studies have also shown that Vitamin C levels in the blood are higher when taken by IV than when taken by mouth, and last for more than 4 hours.

Studies of vitamin C combined with other drugs

Studies of vitamin C combined with other drugs have shown mixed results:

More studies of combining high-dose IV vitamin C with other drugs are in progress.

How Much Do I Need

Vitamin C dissolves in water and is not stored in the body, so we do need a consistent supply to maintain adequate levels, says registered dietitian Jillian Greaves. The recommended daily intake is about 75 mg per day for women and 90 mg per day for men. For women, you could get more than your daily requirement by eating one kiwi and men could have half a papaya and call it a day.

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Benefits Of Vitamin C

Vitamin C is essential for improved body functions, it is a natural antihistamine which prevents histamine release and increases the histamine detoxification. According to a study conducted in 1992, healthy adults taking 2 grams of vitamin C everyday noticed reduction in the blood histamine levels by 38% in just a week. Low concentrations of vitamin C serum have been associated with increased serum histamine levels.

Because Vitamin C is an antioxidant, it helps to prevent cataracts. To deal with all the free radicals, the eye lens requires plenty of vitamin C, it remains concentrated in the lens, so it is important to have lot of this vitamin inside your body to make it easier for your body to pull this vitamin out from your blood and take it into the lens to protect it from damage.

Vitamin C As An Antioxidant

Vitamin C has been recognized and accepted by the US Food and Drug Administration as one of 4 dietary antioxidants, the other 3 being vitamin E, the vitamin A precursor -carotene, and selenium, an essential component of the antioxidant enzymes glutathione peroxidase and thioredoxin reductase. The Panel on Dietary Antioxidants and Related Compounds of the Food and Nutrition Board has, in principle, concurred with this definition, and in addition will consider other carotenoids. New regulations were recently published in which the FDA stated that vitamin C serves as an effective free radical scavenger to protect cells from damage by reactive oxygen molecules . Statements of the antioxidant properties of vitamin C are also appearing on food labels and in nutrient content claims throughout the United States.

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Signs Of A Deficiency

Signs that may indicate a deficiency of vitamin C include:

• Fatigue
• Poor wound healing and bruising
• Thick patchy skin
• Changes in mood

Although very rare in developed countries like the United States, a chronic deficiency of vitamin C leads to scurvy, which can be fatal.

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Do I Need A Vitamin C Supplement

As a general rule, it is always best to get your nutrients from food rather than pills. With that being said, taking a daily vitamin C supplement won’t cause you any harm and can bolster your RDA if you happen to fall short.

If you don’t think you’re getting enough vitamin C in your diet, don’t hesitate to supplement at the recommended dosages. At the same time, increase your intake of the following foods rich in vitamin C:

• Red pepper : 95 milligrams per 1/2-cup serving
• Orange juice: 90 milligrams per 3/4-cup serving
• Orange: 70 milligrams per one medium fruit
• Kiwi: 64 milligrams per one medium fruit
• Green pepper : 60 milligrams per 1/2-cup serving
• Broccoli : 51 milligrams per 1/2-cup serving
• Strawberries : 49 milligrams per 1/2-cup serving
• Brussel sprouts : 48 milligrams per 1/2-cup serving
• Tomato juice: 33 milligrams per 1/2-cup serving
• Cantaloupe: 29 milligrams per 1/2-cup serving

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Bone And Muscle Health

Because it plays a crucial role in the production of the structural protein collagen, vitamin C is an important nutrient for your bones.

What’s more, an August 2020 study in The Journal of Nutrition looked at data from over 13,000 older adults and found a link between low vitamin C levels and lower skeletal muscle mass as we age, suggesting that C can help preserve muscle mass.

Does Taking Vitamin C Help Treat A Cold Once I Am Sick

Several studies have answered this question over the years. For the most part, taking even high doses of vitamin C after you get symptoms has not been shown to consistently reduce symptom duration or severity.

However, a 2013 meta-analysis of over 11,000 people did conclude that taking vitamin C supplements regularly slightly reduced the duration of cold symptoms and severity. The problem here was this was only an 8% reduction in the duration of cold symptoms, and most people didnt notice that difference.

A more recent analysis from 2018 of nine randomized controlled trials suggested that some people who regularly take vitamin C may benefit from adding extra doses when they start to feel the symptoms of a cold coming on. The analysis found that the extra doses made the difference, and that they reduced the duration of a cold by about half a day. But while duration of cold symptoms was reduced, the only symptoms to reach statistical significance were fever, chills, and chest pain.

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Never Take Vitamin C And Zinc Together Public Health Expert Explains Why

If you take vitamin C and zinc mineral supplements together, stop this practice! Here is why you should not take them together.

Vitamin C and zinc are two very important nutrients that one needs to take during this pandemic situation. Doctors recommend that you must consume foods rich in vitamin C and zinc to boost your immune system. If you are unable to get it through your diet, take supplements. But do you know that some supplements shouldnt be taken together? A lot of you might be taking zinc and vitamin C supplements together but in this article, we will tell you why this is a deadly combination.

How Is The % Dv For Vitamin C Calculated

The Daily Value used in nutrition labelling is based on 60 mg of vitamin C for a reference diet.

For example, if a food product has 20 mg of vitamin C, the product would have a % Daily Value for vitamin C of 33%. × 100 = 33%.

Remember: 5% DV or less is a little and 15% DV or more is a lot for all nutrients.

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The Right Dose Of Vitamin C Helps Fight Colds And Flu

Vitamin C can help prevent infections and shorten their duration, but only if taken in the correct dose.

A large amount of research has been conducted on the ability of vitamin C to affect the common cold. Most of the studies used a daily dose of one gram, which is quite a small dose of vitamin C. Dr. Harri Hemilä from the University of Helsinki, Finland, analyzed the findings of a number of trials which investigated the effects of vitamin C doses on the duration of the common cold. The studies showed a significant dose-dependent relationship between the vitamin C and illness duration. Best results were seen in trials that used 6-8 grams per day.

Dr. Hemilä concluded the study by stating, “given the consistent effect of vitamin C on the duration of colds, and its safety and low cost, it would be worthwhile for individual common cold patients to test whether therapeutic 8 g/day vitamin C is beneficial for them. Self-dosing of vitamin C must be started as soon as possible after the onset of common cold symptoms to be most effective.