1. May Reduce Your Risk Of Chronic Disease
Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that can strengthen your body’s natural defenses (2). 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 This helps the body’s natural defenses fight inflammation ( 4 , 5). This may help reduce the risk of chronic diseases like heart disease.
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While vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is an essential nutrient, it’s possible to have too much of it.
Because your body doesn’t produce or store vitamin C, it’s important to include vitamin C in your diet. For adults, the recommended daily amount for vitamin C is 65 to 90 milligrams (mg) a day, and the upper limit is 2,000 mg a day. Although too much dietary vitamin C is unlikely to be harmful, megadoses of vitamin C supplements might cause:
Diarrhea
Nausea
Vomiting
Heartburn
Abdominal cramps
Headache
Insomnia
Remember, for most people, a healthy diet provides an adequate amount of vitamin C.
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Vitamin C Can Help Your Body Heal
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Symptoms Of Taking Too Much Vitamin C
Adults who take more than 2,000 mg of vitamin C per day may experience side effects. These can occur if the vitamin C that the body does not absorb irritates the gastrointestinal tract. Common mild side effects of too much vitamin C include: diarrhea
nausea
stomach cramping
bloating
general abdominal discomfort The body does not absorb all of the vitamin C that it gets from supplements.
If a person takes more than 1 gram (g) of vitamin C per day, the body absorbs less than 50% of the vitamin, which reduces the risk of negative side effects.