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©2007 Publications International, Ltd. Vitamin C plays a crucial role in boosting your immune system and defending against colds.Since vitamin C is abundant in many common fruits and vegetables, it's usually easy to meet the recommended daily intake (RDA). However, let's explore how much of it we truly need and what can happen to our bodies when we don't consume enough of this vital nutrient.
Vitamin C Requirements
The recommended daily allowance (RDA) for vitamin C is 75 mg for women and 90 mg for men, with an extra 10 mg for pregnant women and an additional 45 mg for women who are breastfeeding. The current RDAs also suggest that smokers should consume at least 100 mg of vitamin C daily.
These quantities are significantly higher than what's necessary to address deficiency symptoms. However, many believe these levels are still insufficient for optimal nutrition, which focuses more on vitamin C's antioxidant effects than on preventing deficiency.
Deficiency
The typical disease linked to vitamin C deficiency is scurvy. Initial symptoms include bleeding gums and small bruises under the skin. If the deficiency worsens, it can lead to poor wound healing, anemia, and stunted bone growth.
The body typically stores about 1,500 mg of vitamin C, and deficiency symptoms only appear when the body's reserves fall below 300 mg. It would take several weeks on a vitamin C-free diet for this drop to occur in an otherwise healthy individual.
Since only 10 mg of vitamin C per day is sufficient to avoid scurvy, the disease is rarely seen today. However, even without scurvy symptoms, a lack of vitamin C can impair many body functions, including the ability to eliminate cholesterol and the immune system's effectiveness against infections and diseases.
Smokers and women using oral contraceptives tend to have lower than normal levels of vitamin C in their blood. As a result of these findings in smokers, the current RDAs have increased the recommended intake of vitamin C for smokers, who may need up to twice the amount compared to nonsmokers.
For additional details on Vitamin C, check out the following resources:
- Discover the healing potential of vitamin C by reading Benefits of Vitamin C.
- Learn more about Vitamin C in general with What Is Vitamin C?
- Luckily, Vitamin C is found in a variety of food sources. To find out which ones are your best options, check out Foods That Contain Vitamin C.
- If you’re not a fan of fruits and vegetables but still want to ensure you’re getting enough Vitamin C, read Vitamin C Supplements.
- For more on the vitamins in our diet, including how much you should be consuming and where to find them, visit our general Vitamins page.
- To find the best prices on vitamin C supplements, click here.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Dr. Jennifer Brett, N.D. is the director of the Acupuncture Institute at the University of Bridgeport, where she also serves as a faculty member in the College of Naturopathic Medicine. A respected expert in her field, Dr. Brett has a broad background in treating various disorders using nutritional and botanical remedies. She has made appearances on WABC TV (NYC) and Good Morning America to discuss the use of herbs for health.
