Vitamin C is water-soluble; meaning, it is not stored in your body. You need to consume adequate amounts of vitamin C each day to get all of the benefits it provides. Having too much vitamin C from your diet or supplements may have adverse effects. Do not consume more than the maximum recommended dosage each day.
Maximum Dosage
Women need around 75 mg of vitamin C daily, while men need as much as 90 mg. Since vitamin C is water soluble, your body will excrete any excess vitamin C that it doesn't need. You can safely consume up to 2000 mg, reports the Office of Dietary Supplements. Having more than 2000 mg, or 2 g, of vitamin C in your diet may cause adverse health effects.
Benefits
You may take extra vitamin C during winter months to help boost your immune system, but vitamin C has several other benefits. Vitamin C acts as an antioxidant in your body, meaning it helps fight off free radicals that damage cells and cause chronic illnesses. Your overall growth and tissue repair rely heavily on the vitamin C you consume. Collagen production cannot occur without vitamin C. You need collagen to make new skin, tendons, ligaments and cartilage. Vitamin C also helps repair and produce blood vessels and keeps vessels dilated to improve blood flow.
Negative Effects
Dosages at or over 2,000 mg, or 2 g, of vitamin C are considered a very high dosage. If you consume this much, you may have a greater risk of kidney stones, birth defects, atherosclerosis, excessive iron absorption, B-12 deficiency and erosion of dental enamel. In addition to this, consuming more than the maximum dosage of vitamin C may cause gastrointestinal problems such as bloating and diarrhea. Excessive Vitamin C intake is more commonly seen with supplementation.
Food Sources
Your body utilizes vitamin C better when it comes from food sources instead of supplements. Fruits and vegetables are naturally loaded with vitamin C. Enjoy a 6-oz. glass of orange juice, which contains 93 mg. Other fruit selections include a medium kiwi, which has 75 mg; 1/2 cup of fresh strawberries with 49 mg; or half a grapefruit, which has 39 mg. A 1/2-cup serving of raw red peppers provides 95 mg; 1/2 cup of steamed broccoli contains 39 mg; a medium baked potato has about 20 mg; and 1/2 cup of raw cauliflower florets provides 23 mg.
www.livestrong.com
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