Vitamin C, or ascorbic acid, is a water-soluble vitamin. This means that your body does not make or store vitamin C; rather, you get it from the food you eat. Vitamin C is also an antioxidant, meaning it protects your body from damage caused by free radicals, which are ions your body makes when converting food into energy. A healthy diet can help you avoid vitamin C deficiency.
Function
Vitamin C serves a long list of functions. It helps your body make collagen, a protein that's part of your skin, cartilage, tendons, ligaments and blood vessels. It also helps heal wounds and repairs and maintain bones and teeth. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, vitamin C also may play a role in protecting against cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, arthritis and age-related macular degeneration.
Daily Intake
Daily intake recommendations for vitamin C depend on your age and sex and whether you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Infants from birth to 6 months of age need 40 mg, while those 7 to 12 months need 50 mg. Toddlers 1 to 3 years old need only 15 mg, while children 4 to 8 require 25 mg. The recommendation for 9- to 13-year-olds is 45 mg. Teenage girls 14 to 18 need 65 mg, while boys of the same age require 75 mg. If you are an adult 19 or older, you need 90 mg if you're male and 75 mg if you're female. If you are this age and pregnant, you require 85 mg, 120 if you are breastfeeding. Teens who are 14 to 18 years of age need 80 mg if they're pregnant and 115 mg if they're breastfeeding.
Sources
Fruits and vegetables are the best sources of vitamin C, and levels are highest when you eat these foods raw, according to the Office of Dietary Supplements. You get 95 mg of vitamin C, more than you need in a day, through 1/2 cup of raw red peppers, and 93 mg in 3/4 cup of orange juice. One kiwi has 71 mg of vitamin C, and one orange has 70. Grapefruit juice, raw green peppers, broccoli and fresh strawberries are also sources of vitamin C. Some cereals add vitamin C, and you can also get vitamin C in the form of supplements.
Deficiency
If you do not eat enough fruits and vegetables, you may become deficient in vitamin C. This may leave you feeling tired, weak and irritable. Scurvy, which is severe vitamin C deficiency, can cause bruising, gum and dental problems, dry hair and skin, and anemia. Simply taking vitamin C supplements and eating more fruits and vegetables can correct a deficiency. Talk to your doctor if you think you are deficient in vitamin C.
Warning
Vitamin C can interact with a variety of medications, such as aspirin and anti-inflammatory drugs, Tylenol, aluminum-containing antacids, barbiturates, chemotherapy medications, nitrate medications for heart disease, oral contraceptives, protease inhibitors, tetracycline and warfarin. If you use any of these, you should talk to your doctor before taking vitamin C supplements.
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