Too much vitamin C: Is it harmful?

Vitamin C, also known as L-ascorbic acid, is a water-soluble vitamin that is naturally present in some foods, added to others, and available as a dietary supplement. Humans, unlike most animals, are unable to synthesize vitamin C endogenously, so it is an essential dietary component. The IUPAC ID of Ascorbic acid is (5R)-[(1S)-1,2-Dihydroxyethyl]-3,4-dihydroxyfuran-2(5H)-one.

Adults aged 19 to 64 need 40mg of vitamin C a day. You should be able to get all the vitamin C you need from your daily diet. An orange or a cup of strawberries, chopped red pepper or broccoli provides enough vitamin C for the day. Vitamin C cannot be stored in the body, so you need it in your diet every day.

If you take vitamin C supplements, do not take too much, as this could be harmful. Taking less than 1,000mg of vitamin C supplements daily is unlikely to cause any harm.

The recommended daily amount for vitamin C is 75 milligrams (mg) daily for women and 90 mg daily for men. The upper limit for all adults is 2,000 mg a day. Although too much dietary vitamin C is unlikely to be harmful, large doses of vitamin C supplements might cause:

Diarrhea

Nausea

Vomiting

Heartburn

Stomach (abdominal) cramps

Headache

Remember, for most people, a healthy diet provides enough vitamin C.

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