How much Vitamin C do our body need ?

Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, is one of the most important nutrients for your body. As a health-promoting and cancer-fighting antioxidant, it plays the role of protector, preventing damage to your cells from free radicals (things like chemicals, oxygen and fats). Vitamin C also protects your skin and gums from every day wear-and-tear and helps to stave off cardiovascular disease. In addition, it is invaluable for preventing joint diseases, cataracts, osteoporosis and the development of scar tissue.

How much…

Because vitamin C is water-soluble, it washes out of your body when you urinate. Therefore, it is important to get several doses of vitamin C a day.

The recommended vitamin C daily allowance for adults over age 19 is:

Men, 90 mg per day

Women, 75 mg per day

Pregnant women, 85 mg per day

Breastfeeding women, 120 mg per day

Infants 0-6 months old, 40 mg per day

Infants 7-12 months old, 50 mg per day

Good sources of vitamin C

Vitamin C is found in a wide variety of fruit and vegetables. Good sources include:

Oranges and orange juice

Red and green peppers

Strawberries

Broccoli

Brussels sprouts

Potatoes

Kiwi

Deficiency can cause..

People who get little or no vitamin C (below about 10 mg per day) for many weeks can get scurvy. Scurvy causes fatigue, inflammation of the gums, small red or purple spots on the skin, joint pain, poor wound healing, and corkscrew hairs. Additional signs of scurvy include depression as well as swollen, bleeding gums and loosening or loss of teeth. People with scurvy can also develop anemia. Scurvy is fatal if it is not treated.

Don’t overload..

Taking too much vitamin C can cause diarrhea, nausea, and stomach cramps. In people with a condition called hemochromatosis, which causes the body to store too much iron, high doses of vitamin C could worsen iron overload and damage body tissues.