assorted fresh fruit

Nutrition Facts:
Vitamin C

Printable fact sheet(PDF /2 pages)

  • Vitamin C is required for growth and repair of tissues in all parts of the body. It is essential for life and in healing wounds and maintaining the integrity of gums, bones, and teeth.
  • Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin. Water-soluble nutrients are not stored in the body. Amounts in excess of what the body needs for any given day are excreted in the urine.
  • Vitamin C is a highly effective anti-oxidant. An anti-oxidant is a molecule that slows or prevents cell damage caused by free-radicals. A build up of free radicals over time is responsible for the aging process and can contribute to the development of cancer, heart disease, and inflammatory conditions like arthritis. Anti-oxidants can also help rid the body of pollutants like cigarette smoke.
  • Most of the animal kingdom can produce vitamin C. Among the animals that need to consume vitamin C to maintain life include guinea pigs, bats, sparrows, and large primates - including man.
  • Inadequate amounts of vitamin C will lead to dry hair, inflammation of the gums, easy bruising, nosebleeds, swollen joints, anemia, decreased ability to fight infection, and slow healing wounds. Severe vitamin C deficiency results in scurvy which includes bleeding hair follicles, nail beds, and gums. Untreated, the condition results in death.
  • Scurvy is rare in the United States but can be found in seniors and adults who are malnourished as a result of other chronic illnesses.
  • Vitamin C toxicity is rare because the body simply excretes what it doesn’t need. Taking Vitamin C supplements in excess of 2,000 mg/day can result in gastrointestinal distress.

Requirements across the Lifecycle:

 

Life-stage Group

 

Recommended Dietary Allowance
  • Adequate Intakes (AIs)
  • Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA)
  • Tolerable Upper Intake (UL)

RDAs and AIs may both be used as goals for individual intake.

 

Infants

 

0-6 months

40 mg      No Data

7-12 months

50 mg      No Data

 

Children

 

 

1-3 years

15 mg      400 mg

 

4-8 years

25 mg      650 mg

Good Food Sources:

Males

 
  • Oranges

9-13 years

45 mg      1,200 mg
  • Guava

14-18 years

75 mg      1,800 mg
  • Cabbage

19-30 years

90 mg      2,000 mg
  • Kiwi

31-50 years

90 mg      2,000 mg
  • Lemons

51-70 years

90 mg      2,000 mg
  • Watermelon

> 70 years

90 mg      2,000 mg
  • Cranberry juice

Females

 
  • Grapefruit

9-13 years

45 mg      1,200 mg
  • Broccoli

14-18 years

65 mg      1,800 mg
  • Kohlrabi

19-30 years

75 mg      2,0000 mg
  • Sweet peppers

31-50 years

75 mg      2,0000 mg
  • Greens

51-70 years

75 mg      2,000 mg

 

> 70 years

75 mg      2,000 mg

 

Pregnancy

 

 

</= 18 years

80 mg      1,800 mg

 

19-30 years

85 mg      2,000 mg

 

31-50 years

85 mg      2,000 mg

 

Lactation

 

 

</= 18 years

115 mg     1,800 mg

 

19-30 years

120 mg     2,000 mg

 

31-50 years

120 mg     2,000 mg

 

 

Research Findings on Vitamin C 
Vitamin C Protects Some Elderly Men from Bone Loss
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/patient-vitaminc.html



Updated Wednesday, 10-Apr-2013 11:19:06 CDT