Vitamin C, or ascorbic acid, is an antioxidant that protects your body from harmful compounds that can cause cancer. This vitamin is also vital for healthy bones, tissue repair, wound healing and body growth. Vitamin C cannot be stored in your body, so it must be obtained from your diet regularly. To prevent a deficiency, the Food and Nutrition Board of the Institute of Medicine has established recommended dietary allowances for this vitamin. The amount you need depends on your age, gender and lifestyle.
Recommended Allowance
The RDA of vitamin C is 90 mg for adult men and 75 mg for adult women and teenage boys ages 14 to 18. Teenage girls require 65 mg of vitamin C daily. The RDA is 45 mg for children ages 9 to 13, 25 mg for ages 4 to 8 and 15 mg for ages 1 to 3. Infants ages 7 to 12 months require 50 mg, while infants up to 6 months require 40 mg. Pregnant women require 85 mg per day and breastfeeding women require 120 mg. If you smoke, you need 35 mg more than your total recommended allowance.
Deficiency
The majority of people in the United States. meet the recommended allowance of vitamin C. However, people who smoke or have a poor diet are likely to develop a deficiency in vitamin C. Infants who are given boiled cow's milk are also likely to develop a deficiency. The Office of Dietary Supplements recommends breast milk or infant formula to help reach the daily allowance. Vitamin C deficiency can lead to scurvy, causing fatigue, joint pain, bleeding gums, loss of teeth and anemia.
Dietary Sources
Vitamin C is found in many fruits and vegetables. The U.S. Department of Agriculture lists peaches, pineapple, apricots, papaya, strawberries, mango and oranges as top fruit sources. Other fruits include raspberries, kiwis, tangerines, melons, blackberries, lemons and watermelons. Vegetable selections include peppers, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, peas, sweet potatoes, cauliflower, cabbage, kale, collards, tomatoes and okra. Choose fresh, frozen or canned varieties. Vitamin C is also added to many breakfast cereals and fruit juices, such as orange, cranberry and grapefruit juices.
Considerations
Vitamin C is destroyed if it is not stored or prepared properly. Colorado State University recommends refrigerating foods to minimize vitamin C loss. However, avoid storing these foods for long periods. Because vitamin C is destroyed in high temperatures, cook vegetables for a minimum time or eat them raw. Too much vitamin C can lead to stomach problems, nausea and diarrhea. The safe upper limits of vitamin C are 400 mg for children ages 1 to 3, 650 mg for ages 4 to 8, 1,200 mg for ages 9 to 13, 1,800 mg for ages 14 to 18 and 2,000 mg for adults.
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