Vitamin C supplements often are touted as a miracle cure for what ails you -- especially when you have a cold. Before you take as many vitamin C pills as possible, consider that your body can only absorb so much vitamin C at a time. Taking excess levels can cause unpleasant side effects.
Significance
Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin. This means that it is neither stored nor created in the body. The body uses what it can and eliminates the excess. Your body needs vitamin C to make collagen, a fiber that composes your blood vessels, bone and ligaments. It also creates neurotransmitters that help your brain function and acts as an antioxidant that helps to fight cell damage from pollutants like cigarette smoke. If you do not take in enough vitamin C, you can experience adverse side effects like scurvy, which causes your bones to break down.
Recommended Daily Intake
To get enough vitamin C in their daily diets, adults ages 19 and older should consume 90 mg of vitamin C per day if they are male and 75 mg per day if they are female. If you are a smoker, increase this intake by 30 mg because you need extra vitamin C to diminish smoking's harmful effects.
Upper Limits
The tolerable upper intake limit is 2,000 mg of vitamin C per day. If you take in more, you increase the likelihood that you will experience side effects like diarrhea, nausea and upset stomach. Increased vitamin C intake is associated with a higher risk for developing kidney stones. Excess intake also can cause drug interactions with blood thinners, diminishing their effectiveness. Reducing your intake often is the only step you need to take to reduce symptoms.
Absorption
Your body's absorptive abilities for vitamin C can depend upon a number of factors, chiefly your metabolism and whether you smoke. The Linus Pauling Institute recommends splitting up your daily doses if you are taking a vitamin C supplement. The institute recommends taking a 250 mg supplement in the morning and one in the evening to allow your body time to absorb the vitamin C.
References
- MayoClinic.com; Too Much Vitamin C: Harmful?; Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.; March 2010
- FamilyDoctor.org; Anemia: When Low Iron Is the Cause; September 2010
- Linus Pauling Institute; Vitamin C; Jane Higdon, Ph.D.; November 2009
- "The New York Times"; Health Guide: Vitamin C; December 2009
- FitSugar; You Asked: Can I Take Too Much Vitamin C?; June 2008
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