We’re frequently asked in our comment section about: what do you take vitamin c for. Truth is we’ve been delaying this article for a while until we had enough information & facts to allow us to enlighten our readers.
Contents
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?
Adults aged 19 to 64 need 40mg of vitamin C a day. Taking large amounts (more than 1,000mg per day) of vitamin C can cause: stomach pain
diarrhoea
flatulence These symptoms should disappear once you stop taking vitamin C supplements. Taking less than 1,000mg of vitamin C supplements a day is unlikely to cause any har.
How Much Vitamin C Is Enough?
A deficiency in vitamin C is associated with many stress related disease. “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. Although research has been conflicting, one study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that those with the highest concentrations of vitamin C in their blood were associated with 42% lower stroke risk than those with the lowest concentrations.
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. 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
Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that can strengthen your body’s natural defenses (2). When free radicals accumulate, they can promote a state known as oxidative stress, which has been linked to many chronic diseases This may help reduce the risk of chronic diseases like heart disease.
Symptoms Of Taking Too Much Vitamin C
Taking too much vitamin C through supplements can, however, cause side effects. In adults, the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) of vitamin C is 90 milligrams (mg) for males and 75 mg for females. Adults who take more than 2,000 mg of vitamin C per day may experience side effects.
When a person takes more than the recommended limit of vitamin C, they may experience mild digestive disturbances. 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. For example, if a person takes 30–180 mg of vitamin C each day, their body absorbs about 70–90% of this vitamin.