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Jerlyn Jones is a registered dietitian nutritionist, national media spokesperson, nutrition writer, and owner of The Lifestyle Dietitian LLC, an Atlanta-based nutrition consulting practice. She specializes in integrative nutrition with an emphasis on food sensitivities, digestive problems, and women’s health.
Professional Accomplishments
Kelli obtained her Bachelor''s and Master''s degrees in Nutritional Science from Boston University. Prior to working at Healthline, Kelli worked as a clinical dietitian at two Boston hospitals, as a nutrition researcher for the University of Colorado and Children''s Hospital, and as a freelance writer and editor for several online publications. You can find her work in numerous media outlets, including CNN, The Washington Post, USA Today, Women''s Health, Huffpost, and more.
When she isn''t typing away, you can find her in the kitchen crafting new recipes or out hiking with her husband, two kids, and adventure-pup Bernie.
Sarah Garone is a nutritionist, freelance writer, and food blogger. Find her sharing down-to-earth nutrition info at A Love Letter to Food or follow her on Twitter.
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Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin with a variety of benefits, but our bodies can''t make it. We need to consume it through the food we eat or by supplementation.
This article explores what vitamin C does, where we can get it, how much vitamin C is the right amount, and who may need to take supplements.
Vitamin C plays a role in many body functions. The immune system is a key one, mainly due to vitamin C''s antioxidant properties.
Antioxidants protect the body from oxidative stress. This is a process that, over time, can cause damage to most organs and tissues in the body. Antioxidants are also known to help support the natural abilities of your immune system.
Although vitamin C is a known antioxidant and has benefits for the immune system, there''s some question over its ability to treat active infections. People often use it as a supplement in the winter months to fight colds, and some even use it as a treatment for COVID-19. However, scientists are yet to prove the true value of these uses.
There is also little scientific data to prove the benefits of vitamin C for chronic conditions that sometimes benefit from antioxidant therapies, such as cancer and cardiovascular disease.
In addition to its role as an antioxidant, vitamin C also helps produce or process:
Daily vitamin C intake is recommended at every age, but this doesn''t necessarily mean that you need to take supplements.
How much vitamin C you need every day depends on your age and how much you take in through your diet. According to the National Institutes of Health, your body will absorb 70–90% of the vitamin C you consume if you take in a moderate amount. The NIH considers 30–180 milligrams (mg) per day to be a moderate amount.
This makes it important to know how much you need for your age each day to avoid taking supplements that your body wouldn''t absorb anyway. By age, vitamin C intake recommendations — per the NIH — are:
In general, males need higher amounts within these ranges, and those who are pregnant or breastfeeding need more vitamin C as well.
Talk with your healthcare team or obstetrician before taking any supplements while pregnant or breastfeeding.
If you smoke, your vitamin C requirements are also higher. The NIH recommends an additional 35 mg per day of vitamin C for people who smoke cigarettes.
Many foods contain vitamin C, and you can usually get the recommended daily amount of vitamin C from the foods you eat if you consume a balanced diet.
In most cases, getting vitamins and minerals from the food you eat is better than taking supplements. And if you already get enough vitamin C in your diet, your body won''t use much of what extra you take in, anyway.
Most vitamins are suitable to take at any time of the day, but you may want to check with your doctor before starting any supplements.
Certain vitamins and minerals, including vitamin C, can interact with some prescription medications. If you choose to take a vitamin C supplement, you may need to coordinate the timing of the supplement with the timing of any other medications you take.
Examples of medications that could interact with vitamin C include:
You may also need to watch your vitamin C intake if you have conditions like kidney stones or if you get hemodialysis.
Some foods high in vitamin C include:
Other foods contain vitamin C added during the manufacturing process, such as certain varieties of milk and cereals.
Depending on how much of these foods you eat, you may get enough vitamin C in your diet without realizing it. For example, a single orange contains about 83 mg of vitamin C, and a cup of sliced strawberries contains about 98 mg.
Too little vitamin C can cause symptoms of deficiency, including:
Scurvy is the most severe form of vitamin C deficiency, and it can be fatal without treatment.
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