Vitamin C is a water-soluble nutrient with many vital functions in your body.
It helps strengthen your immune system, aids collagen production and wound healing, and acts as an antioxidant to protect your cells from free radical damage.1
Vitamin C is also called L-ascorbic acid or simply ascorbic acid.
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Available on the App StoreUnlike other animals, humans can’t synthesize vitamin C. You must get enough from foods or supplements to maintain good health.
This article explains the recommended dosage of vitamin C for optimal health.
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What’s the recommended daily intake of vitamin C?
The Institute of Medicine (IOM) has developed a set of reference values for specific nutrient intake levels, including vitamin C.
One set of guidelines is the recommended dietary allowance, which considers the average daily nutrient intake from foods and supplements.
The recommended dietary allowance for specific gender and age groups should meet the nutrient needs of 97–98% of healthy individuals.
Here is the recommended dietary allowance for vitamin C:
- Kids (1–3 years): 15 mg
- Kids (4–8 years): 25 mg
- Adolescents (9–13 years): 45 mg
- Teens (14–18 years): 65–75 mg
- Adult women (aged 19 and older): 75 mg
- Adult men (aged 19 and older): 90 mg
- Pregnant women (aged 19 and older): 85 mg
- Breastfeeding women (aged 19 and older): 120 mg
In addition to the recommended dietary allowance, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a daily value.
The daily value appears on food and supplement labels. It helps you compare the percentage of nutrients in a single serving against daily requirements.
The current daily value for vitamin C is 90 mg for adults and children aged four and above.
Summary: The recommended dietary allowance for vitamin C ranges from 15–75 mg for children, 75 mg for adult women, 90 mg for adult men, and 85–120 mg for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.
Vitamin C benefits
Vitamin C is essential for overall health and wellness, with particular benefits for certain conditions.
The vitamin supports your immune system’s cellular functions and helps defend against infections. A deficiency makes you more susceptible to getting sick.1
Research suggests that while regular vitamin C intake likely won’t prevent you from catching a cold, it may reduce symptom duration and severity. A Cochrane review of studies found that consuming 1–2 grams daily reduced cold duration by 18% in children and 8% in adults.2
Vitamin C also increases iron absorption. If you have iron deficiency, boosting your vitamin C intake can help your body absorb more iron from plant foods.
Suggested read: 7 Impressive Health Benefits of Vitamin C Backed by Science
Summary: Regularly getting 1–2 grams of vitamin C daily may reduce the duration of common cold symptoms and boost your immune system. It might also help prevent iron deficiency anemia.
Best food sources of vitamin C
The best sources of vitamin C are fruits and vegetables.
Keep in mind that vitamin C is easily destroyed by heat. Since many good sources are fruits and vegetables, eating some raw is an easy way to reach the recommended intake.
A 1/2-cup (75-gram) serving of raw red pepper provides 158% of the recommended dietary allowance.
Great food sources of vitamin C include:
- Red pepper, 1/2 cup (75 grams): 95 mg (106% DV)
- Orange juice, 3/4 cup (177 ml): 93 mg (103% DV)
- Kiwifruit, 1/2 cup (90 grams): 64 mg (71% DV)
- Green pepper, 1/2 cup (75 grams): 60 mg (67% DV)
- Broccoli, cooked, 1/2 cup (78 grams): 51 mg (57% DV)
- Strawberries, fresh, 1/2 cup (72 grams): 49 mg (54% DV)
- Brussels sprouts, cooked, 1/2 cup (81 grams): 48 mg (53% DV)
Summary: The best food sources of vitamin C are fruits and vegetables. The nutrient is easily destroyed by heat, so consuming these foods raw might maximize your nutrient intake.
Best vitamin C supplements
Vitamin C supplements come in several forms:
- Ascorbic acid
- Mineral ascorbates (sodium ascorbate, calcium ascorbate)
- Ascorbic acid with bioflavonoids
Ascorbic acid is usually the best choice. It has high bioavailability, meaning your body absorbs it easily.
Most multivitamins contain ascorbic acid, so taking one can boost your vitamin C along with other nutrients. For optimal absorption, you can take vitamin C with a meal.
Look for a supplement providing 45–120 mg depending on your age and sex.
Summary: Vitamin C supplements come in various forms. Choose a supplement with ascorbic acid to make it easier for your body to absorb the nutrient.
Can you take too much vitamin C?
Although vitamin C has a low toxicity risk in healthy individuals, consuming too much of it can cause adverse gastrointestinal side effects, including cramps, nausea, and diarrhea.
Additionally, since a high vitamin C intake increases the body’s absorption of non-heme iron, consuming too much vitamin C could cause problems for people with hemochromatosis, a condition in which the body retains too much iron.
Because of the potential side effects of excessive vitamin C, the IOM has established the following tolerable upper intake levels for the vitamin:
- Kids (1–3 years): 400 mg
- Kids (4–8 years): 650 mg
- Adolescents (9–13 years): 1,200 mg
- Teens (14–18 years): 1,800 mg
- Adults (aged 19 and older): 2,000 mg
Summary: To avoid gastrointestinal side effects, keep your vitamin C intake within the tolerable upper intake levels established by the IOM. Individuals with hemochromatosis should be particularly cautious when taking vitamin C supplements.
Summary
Vitamin C is a water-soluble and essential antioxidant that plays many roles in your body and supports wound healing, collagen formation, and immunity.
The recommended dietary allowance for vitamin C is 15–120 mg, depending on age and sex.
Vitamin C supplements should meet the recommended dietary allowance and stay well below the established tolerable upper intake levels — 400 mg for young children, 1,200 mg for kids aged 9–13, 1,800 mg for teens, and 2,000 mg for adults.
Consuming various vitamin C-rich fruits and vegetables can also go a long way in supporting optimal health and wellness.
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