Benefits of Vitamin C

How much vitamin C you need, where you can get it from, and what it will do for you.

How much do you need?
The RDA, or Recommended Dietary Allowance by the US Food and Drug Administration, is 60 to 95 mg per day. In the UK, The Food Standards Agency recommends 40 mg. Some scientists contest these figures though, like Linus Pauling, who recommends upwards of thousands of mg of vitamin C per day.

What if you don’t get Vitamin C?
You might have heard of it, pirates used to get it — it’s called Scurvy. It can cause loose teeth, bruising, hemorrhages, mild anemia, bleeding, and the inability to fight off infections.

What if you get too much vitamin C?
If you have too much vitamin C, it’ll usually just leave the body as urine. However, consecutive excess dosages can possibly lead to bladder and kidney stones. Overdose can also destroy B12 and cause nosebleed and diarrhea.

What does Vitamin C do?
It helps reduce the length of colds, and alleviates their severity. It doesn’t prevent colds or alter their frequency. It may also help prevent poisoning of lead. Some scientists even believe it can be used to help treat some forms of cancer.