How Much Vitamin C Should You Have Every Day? A Daily Guide to This Essential Nutrient
Discover how much vitamin C you need daily, its benefits, sources, and what happens if you consume too much or too little of this vital nutrient.
How Much Vitamin C Should You Have Every Day? Learn the Recommended Daily Intake, Health Benefits, and Natural Sources of Vitamin C
Vitamin C is also referred to as ascorbic acid and one of those water-soluble vitamins that help to maintain the immune function of the body, skin health, and iron absorption. Unlike fat-soluble vitamins, this vitamin is not stored in large amounts in your body; thus, it requires daily consumption. But there’s an important question depending on this: how much vitamin C can one take daily?
Health experts and nutritionists recommend a specific amount of vitamin C intake according to some factors such as age, gender, lifestyle, and overall health. Fair enough, it will also get its full benefits without any adverse effects.
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Acceptable Daily Intake Value of Vitamin C
These health organizations set guidelines-the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which states: RDA of vitamin C should be normally:
• For adults, male: 90 mg per day
• Adults, female: 75 mg per day
• Pregnancy: 85 mg per day
• Breastfeeding: 120 mg per day
• For children: it ranges from 15 mg to 65 mg based on their age
Although these recommendations are general, any smokers and people exposed to secondhand smoke will now require an additional 35 mg daily due to increased oxidative stress. Furthermore, those patients recovering from surgery or suffering from infections or chronic stress often require more intake based on the assessment of the health practitioner.
How a Sufficient Vitamin C Intake Benefits You
Fulfilling your daily vitamin C requirement has tons of health benefits. It acts as a stimulator of immunity by promoting the manufacture of white blood cells and guarding them against damage. Also, it enables the body to absorb iron from the plant foods, so it can be an important nutrient for those whose iron deficiency anemias.
Vitamin C also allows healthy skin due to promoting the collagen production-a fundamental protein that keeps the skin firm and young. It is an asthma fighting antioxidant, defending the body against dangerous free radicals that contribute to aging and chronic disease.
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Natural Sources of Vitamin C:
One of the best things about vitamin C is the fact that it is abundantly present in all natural foods, especially fruits and vegetables. Some of the very best sources of such foods are:
• Citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and grapefruits
• Strawberries, kiwi, and papaya
• Bell peppers, especially the red ones
• Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and kale
• Tomatoes and tomato juice
A balanced intake of the diverse range of above-mentioned foods would very likely allow you to meet the daily recommendations of the vitamin.
What Happens If You Get Too Much or Too Little?
Properly balanced diets make the deficiency of vitamin C rare in individuals but can be developed, especially in smokers and people with an inadequate diet, or those having certain medical conditions. Fatigue, dry skin, slower skin healing, and often coming down with infections may mean vitamin C deficiency, while if deficiency is more severe, scurvy may present.
On the other hand, overdose of vitamin C usually develops if one takes high quantities of vitamin C (more than 2000 mg) in most cases. Side effects of nausea, stomach cramps, and diarrhea come about as a result of excess doses. Generally, vitamin C is water-soluble, hence most will be excreted; still, these high doses should be avoided long-term unless prescribed by a doctor.
Knowing the daily value of vitamin C is the first step toward maintaining health at an optimal level. It is through diet rich in colorful fruit and vegetables or through supplementation as and when necessary that an individual can meet the vitamin C demand. This will definitely help keep supporting the immune system and skin as well as overall vitality. Stick to that recommended intake and enjoy the benefits of this powerful nutrient in a safe mode and effective manner.
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