Required daily intake of Vitamin C

Question:

“Can I overdose on Vitamin C? Does the required daily intake of vitamin C differ from person to person?”


 

Answer:
 

The required daily intake of vitamin C differs from person to person depending on age, gender and underlying health conditions. The best way to take vitamin C supplements is 2 -3 times per day with meals depending on the dosage.

Some studies suggest that adults should take 250 - 500 mg twice a day for any benefit. It is recommended to talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking more than 1,000 mg of vitamin C on a daily basis and before giving vitamin C to a child.

Daily intake of dietary vitamin C according to the National Academy of Sciences is listed as follows:

	Age		Daily requirement (mg)
	Birth to 6 months		40
	Infants 6-12 months		50
	Children 1-3 years		15
	Children 4-8 years		25
	Children 9-13 years		45
	Girls 14-18 years		75
	Men over 18 years		90
	Women over 18 years		75
	Pregnant women over 18 years		85

For smokers, they may need an additional 35mg of vitamin C per day, as smoking depletes the body’s store of vitamin C.


Side effects?

Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin and is generally considered safe because your body gets rid of what it does not use. So, theoretically, you should not be overdose on vitamin C. But, at high doses (more than 2000 mg per day), it can cause diarrhoea, gas, or stomach upset. If you do experience these side effects, lower your dose of vitamin C.


Vitamin C supplementation under special circumstances

• Since vitamin C increases the iron absorption in foods, people with haemochromatosis, an inherited condition that causes too much iron to build up in the body, should not take vitamin C supplements.

• People with kidney stones or those who are prone to have kidney stones should seek medical advice before taking vitamin C supplements.

• As nicotine decreases the efficacy of vitamin C in the body, people using nicotine replacement therapy such as gums or patches may need more vitamin C daily.

• Pregnant ladies are advised to seek medical advice before taking more than 1,000 mg of vitamin C daily. This is to prevent infants being born with rebound scurvy, caused by their mother taking mega doses of vitamin C during pregnancy.

• People with sickle cell anemia or G6PD, a metabolic disorder, should not take high doses of vitamin C, as doing so could cause serious side effects.

• Vitamin C may raise blood sugar level in people with diabetes. People with diabetes are advised to monitor their blood sugar regularly while taking vitamin C supplements.

• People who are being treated for cancer should talk to their oncologist before taking vitamin C, as vitamin C may potentially interact with some chemotherapy drugs.

• Use vitamin C cautiously in chronic, large doses. Healthy adults who take chronic, large doses of vitamin C may experience low blood levels of vitamin C when they stop taking the high doses and resume normal intake, as the body continues to get rid of vitamin C.

Source: http://www.healthtoday.net/