Benefits of Vitamin C

Most of us know the benefits of vitamin C. This vitamin has been known for a long time, as have some of its benefits. Although experts disagree on exactly what vitamin C can help prevent for example, can it really help prevent the common cold? There's no question that it's a vitamin with strong antioxidant capabilities, boosting immune system properties and contributing to overall health.

Vitamin C benefits include a stronger immune system, helping the body fight stress, reduce the incidence of stroke, reduce skin aging, and even fight cancer and certain eye diseases, like macular degeneration.

Deficiency

Vitamin C deficiency is relatively rare these days, most often seen in adults who are malnourished. Taken to extremes, it can lead to a disease called scurvy, which causes anemia, bleeding, bruising, loose teeth and overall weakness.

How much vitamin C do you need?

Although the minimum RDA or the recommended daily allowance of vitamin C is 75 to 90 mg a day for adults, some experts suggest that 500 mg a day is best to achieve optimum health and the full benefits of vitamin C.

How is it best to get your vitamin C?

Although it's important to include plenty of vitamin C rich foods in your diet, in other words, fruits and vegetables. It's unlikely that you can get all you need from your diet if you want to achieve a daily intake of 500 mg, the RDA that many experts recommend. Therefore, vitamin C proponents say that you should take a 500 mg supplement every day in addition to ingesting foods high in vitamin C.

It is important to note that you absolutely should still include plenty of vitamin C rich foods in your diet, since these foods provide not just the benefits of vitamin C, but other health benefits as well, and that these benefits work synergistically with each other

Which foods are highest in vitamin C?

Citrus fruits, of course, are very high in vitamin C, as most people know. 1 cup of orange juice, for example, contains 97 mg of vitamin C, which gives you more than the recommended daily allowance of 50 to 75 mg.

However, if you don't like citrus fruits or they don't agree with you, don't despair. A cup of cooked broccoli, for example, contains 74 mg, green pepper contains 60 mg for every half cup, red pepper contains 95 mg for every half cup, tomato juice contains 45 mg for a cup, and kiwi contains 70 mg for one medium fruit.

You can get the benefits of vitamin C from many, many fruits and vegetables that are high in vitamin C. So simply get plenty of fruits and vegetables in your diet. If you eat plenty of vegetables and fruits, you are generally going to be getting plenty of dietary vitamin C, too.

Can you overdose on vitamin C?

Vitamin C isn't stored in the body and needs to be replaced daily, so it's very hard to overdose on vitamin C. Nonetheless, many experts say that you shouldn't get more than 2000 mg a day in pill form, to avoid stomach upset and diarrhea.

Vitamin C side effects

If you get too much vitamin C, in general, your stomach will be upset and you may experience diarrhea. It's also a diuretic. Taking more vitamin C than your body needs will cause you to urinate more often. However, this side effect is mild and can be eliminated simply by cutting back on your vitamin C supplement intake. In general, shoot for no more than 2000 mg a day in because it is a safe and effective dose.

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