Yet, it has many roles and has been linked to impressive health benefits. The recommended daily intake for vitamin C is 75 mg for women and 90 mg for men
How Much Vitamin C Is Enough?
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According to recent research, vitamin C may offer health benefits in these areas:
1. It is the first nutrient to be depleted in alcoholics, smokers, and obese individuals. The reasons for this are not completely clear.
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. Vitamin C affects cells on the inside and outside of the body and it’s antioxidant properties can be beneficial when it comes to aging. 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.
It found that higher vitamin C intakes were associated with a lower likelihood of a wrinkled appearance, dryness of the skin, and a better skin-aging appearance.
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.
When free radicals accumulate, they can promote a state known as oxidative stress, which has been linked to many chronic diseases Studies show that consuming more vitamin C can increase your blood antioxidant levels by up to 30%. This helps the body’s natural defenses fight inflammation ( 4 , 5).
4. It Can Lower The Risk Of Gout
Eating a healthy diet with limited alcohol intake can lower the risk of gout — and vitamin C supplements can help as well. “Some studies have found that vitamin C may moderately reduce uric acid levels in people who have gout,” Samuels says. A meta-analysis published in the European Journal of Cancer, for instance, found that people with breast cancer who supplemented with vitamin C had a reduced risk of mortality.
And it appears that vitamin C may boost standard treatments as well, Dr. Zive says. It’s worth noting, however, that most of this research involves taking vitamin C intravenously rather than orally, Samuels says.