Experts Advise Against Drinking Too Much Vitamin C

The truth is that it is possible to have too many of something good. While a large portion of Americans are lacking essential vitamins and minerals, such as calcium, potassium, and vitamin E, fewer are deficient in the mineral magnesium as well as vitamin A. One vitamin that more than half of the population is lacking, according to one study is vitamin C.

While the consumption of excessive amounts of a nutrient such as a vitamin C is typically preferred over being too low in it but it's important to keep a daily dose in your mind. "Too much of anything is never good," says Alexandra Volo, DO, medical doctor for family medicine in NYU Langone Medical Associates, West Palm Beach, "and you can get too much vitamin C."

Before getting into the reasons why you shouldn't consume excessively many vitamin C, it's crucial to be aware that vitamin C has numerous health benefits that you don't want to miss.

What are the health benefits of vitamin C?

"For years, vitamin C has been known to be a health benefit for the human body," Volo says. Volo. Vitamin C plays an important function in the immune system's health as well as cognitive function, heart health "and skin and eye health," she states. In addition is that as ascorbic acid is vitamin C, it is a nutrient that helps numerous organs and tissues which includes blood vessels, muscles cartilage, bones, and blood vessels.

It also functions as an antioxidant, "which helps protect your cells from destruction and promotes wound healing," says Jesse Bracamonte, MD, DO Family medicine physician who practices at Mayo Clinic in Arizona.

How much is the suggested dose of Vitamin C?

For these reasons having enough vitamin C is crucial. The recommended daily allowance for adults who are 19 and over is 90 milligrams per day for males and 75 milligrams daily for women according to the Harvard School of Public Health. If a woman is breastfeeding or pregnant the recommended amount is increased to 85 milligrams and then 120 milligrams a day. Smokers need an additional 35 milligrams daily of vitamin C daily since smoking cigarettes reduces the levels of vitamin C.

The maximum recommended dose for vitamin C is 2,000 milligrams daily, "with strong evidence of safety when taking 500 milligrams of vitamin C," Volo says.

What are the top Vitamin C-rich foods?

Since the body isn't able to make vitamin C itself, it's vital to consume it as a part of a balanced diet. Vitamin C is found in citrus fruit and vegetables, including peppers, berries, parsley tomatoes, cabbage, kale, and spinach. Brussels sprouts and broccoli are among the rich in vitamin C. Brussel sprouts are packed with 75 milligrams of this nutrient while a cup of broccoli has 80 milligrams.

Although foods rich in vitamin C are recommended, however, supplementation is necessary for certain people. "If patients have certain gastrointestinal conditions, cancer, or a limited low-nutrient diet that does not regularly include fruits and vegetables, they are encouraged to take oral supplementation of vitamin C," Volo explains. Volo.

However, those who take vitamin C hoping to reap additional benefits that go beyond the suggested allowance are likely spending their cash. "Once the recommended intake level is met, it is unlikely additional vitamin C will result in a benefit," claims Alice Lichtenstein, DSc, director of the Cardiovascular Nutrition Team at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University.

Can you overdose on vitamin C?

This is especially relevant to vitamin C due to the fact that it is a water-soluble nutrient, it's easily stored by the body, so excessive quantities are excreted into the urine of a person. This implies that the toxicity of vitamin C associated with vitamin C is very rare.

But, taking excessive amounts of vitamin C may create some health issues. "Like with any supplement or vitamin, having an excess is not better," Bracamonte explains. Consuming too high amounts of vitamin C can result in nausea, vomiting, heartburn headaches, as well as diarrhea.

Supplementation with too much vitamin C may affect certain groups more severely than others. "For individuals with diabetes who monitor their urinary glucose levels, excess supplemental vitamin C may result in a false-negative result," claims Lichtenstein.

In this regard Bracamonte advises to adhere in line with what is the recommended daily allowance for all vitamin supplements "and to ensure you are not duplicating any one as it may be found in a variety of vitamin compilations."