Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, plays a number of roles in the body. Your body needs vitamin C to make collagen and connective tissue, and this vitamin also functions as an antioxidant and stimulates the immune system. Although vitamin C generally is safe, consuming too much can be dangerous.
Upper Limits
Vitamins that are potentially toxic are assigned a value known as the tolerable upper limit. The tolerable upper limit of a vitamin is the maximum amount you can take each day without developing any health problems. For vitamin C, the tolerable upper limit is 2,000 mg, according to the Merck Manuals online site. The site also notes that some people take up to 10,000 mg per day in order to speed up recovery from an illness or to prevent cancer, though the effectiveness of vitamin C for these purposes has not been proven and consuming this amount of vitamin C can be dangerous.
Vitamin C Overdose Symptoms
If you consume too much vitamin C, you can develop a number of gastrointestinal problems, such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and heartburn, MayoClinic.com explains. In some cases you can lose enough fluid from severe vomiting and diarrhea that you become dehydrated or develop an electrolyte imbalance. Other symptoms of a vitamin C overdose include abdominal cramping, headaches and insomnia. Taking too much vitamin C also can increase your risk of kidney stones.
Oxidative Damage
Vitamin C is an antioxidant, which means that it can help neutralize dangerous molecules known as free radicals or reactive oxygen species. These substances can damage DNA, proteins and cell membranes. However, when vitamin C is present in high concentrations, instead of eliminating reactive oxygen species it actually can help create them, the Linus Pauling Institute reports. It is not known whether this can occur by taking too much vitamin C and this possibility still is being explored.
Treatment
Vitamin C can be excreted in the urine, so the body can eliminate excess vitamin C rather quickly. Still, if you take too much vitamin C, you should seek medical attention, EMedTV notes. Treatment for an acute vitamin C overdose usually hinges on treating the symptoms while the body excretes the excess vitamin. For example, you might need to take medications to stop the diarrhea or vomiting. You should also drink a lot of water; not only will this help flush the vitamin C out of your body, but it also will prevent dehydration.
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