Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, has several important functions. These include: helping to protect cells and keeping them healthy
maintaining healthy skin, blood vessels, bones and cartilage
helping with wound healing Lack of vitamin C can lead to scurvy. Good sources of vitamin C Vitamin C is found in a wide variety of fruit and vegetables.
Adults aged 19 to 64 need 40mg of vitamin C a day. You should be able to get all the vitamin C you need from your daily diet.
What does the Department of Health and Social Care advise?
Contents
These include: helping to protect cells and keeping them healthy
maintaining healthy skin, blood vessels, bones and cartilage
helping with wound healing Lack of vitamin C can lead to scurvy. Good sources of vitamin C Vitamin C is found in a wide variety of fruit and vegetables. Good sources include: citrus fruit, such as oranges and orange juice
Peppers
Strawberries
Blackcurrants
Broccoli
Brussels Sprouts
Potatoes
How Much Vitamin C Do I Need?
You should be able to get all the vitamin C you need by eating a varied and balanced diet. Taking less than 1,000mg of vitamin C supplements a day is unlikely to cause any har.
How Much Vitamin C Is Enough?
It is the first nutrient to be depleted in alcoholics, smokers, and obese individuals.
And because vitamin C is one of the nutrients sensitive to stress, Moyad says naintaining levels of vitamin C can be an ideal marker for overall health. “There is good evidence taking vitamin C for colds and flu can reduce the risk of developing further complications, such as pneumonia and lung infections,” says Moyad. But what is clear is that people who eat plenty of fruits and vegetables have higher blood levels of vitamin C.
“People who consume more fruit and vegetables will not only have higher [blood] levels of vitamin C, but higher intake of other nutrients potentially beneficial to health, such as fiber and other vitamins and minerals,” study researcher Phyo K. Myint said in an email interview.
A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition examined links between nutrient intakes and skin aging in 4,025 women aged 40-74.
Function
An RDA is an intake level based on scientific research evidence. Dietary reference intakes for vitamin C:
Infants (AI)
0 to 6 months: 40* milligrams/day (mg/day)
7 to 12 months: 50* mg/day
Children (RDA)
1 to 3 years: 15 mg/day
4 to 8 years: 25 mg/day
9 to 13 years: 45 mg/day
Adolescents
Girls 14 to 18 years: 65 mg/day
Pregnant teens: 80 mg/day
Breastfeeding teens: 115 mg/day
Boys 14 to 18 years: 75 mg/day
Adults
Men age 19 and older: 90 mg/day
Women age 19 year and older: 75 mg/day
Pregnant women: 85 mg/day
Breastfeeding women: 120 mg/day
The best way to get the daily requirement of essential vitamins, including vitamin C, is to eat a balanced diet that contains a variety of foods.
Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding and those who smoke need higher amounts of vitamin C. Ask your health care provider what amount is best for yo.
1. May Reduce Your Risk Of Chronic Disease
Antioxidants are molecules that boost the immune system. They do so by protecting cells from harmful molecules called free radicals.
Studies show that consuming more vitamin C can increase your blood antioxidant levels by up to 30%. This may help reduce the risk of chronic diseases like heart disease.