Vitamin C has gotten a reputation as something of a cure all in recent years. According to various reports, everything from the common cold to cancer can be helped by taking vitamin C. The focus on taking antioxidants has recently brought the attention back to vitamin C as a way of fighting off the aging process.
Taking vitamin supplements is a good way of making sure that you get enough essential vitamins and minerals in your diet but can sometimes be too much of a good thing. The upper recommended daily dosage of vitamin C is 2000 mg per day for adults. Some common side effects of too much vitamin C are nausea, diarrhea, heartburn and headaches.
The link between diseases like scurvy and vitamin C consumption was first diagnosed in the 19th century. Sailors on long voyages were particularly susceptible because they ate a diet of foods that could be stored for long periods. Rarely found today, the disease was eliminated after they began to include stores of lime juice on sailing ships.
Though scurvy is not common anymore, low levels of vitamin C can still lead to anemia, infections and even bleeding gums.
So, how much vitamin C is the right amount? In a 1999 study done by the NIH, it was recommended that the dietary allowance (RDA) of vitamin C for an adult should be 100 to 200 mg each day. This is about twice the amount that was previously thought to be optimal. Add an additional 35 mg if you are a smoker.
Strawberries, oranges and kiwi fruit are excellent sources of vitamin C as well as tomatoes and red peppers. According to the NIH, the average adult should be getting 5 servings of vegetables and fruit per day to get enough vitamin C as well as other essential vitamins and minerals.
Remember that vitamin C is easily destroyed during cooking and storage. The best way to get the maximum amount per serving is to make sure to consume fruit and vegetables that are fresh and uncooked.
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