Table of contents:
- How much vitamin C are needed for children and adults in a day?
- Do you need to consume 1000 mg of vitamin C every day?
- What might happen if you overdose on vitamin C
Vitamin C is one of the essential nutrients that you must fulfill every day. The usefulness of this vitamin for the body is so many. Starting from increasing immunity, fighting infections, maintaining heart health, to preventing brain damage. Therefore, there are currently lots of supplements or drinks containing 1000 mg of vitamin C. However, do humans actually need that much vitamin C? Here comes the explanation.
How much vitamin C are needed for children and adults in a day?
You need to meet the daily vitamin C needs according to the standards set by the Indonesian Ministry of Health in the 2013 Adequacy Rate of Nutrition (RDA).
According to the RDA, children over one year of age need vitamin C intake of 40-45 mg. Meanwhile, adolescents over 12 years of age need to meet the needs of at least 65-90 mg of vitamin C per day.
For adults over 18 years, your daily vitamin C requirement is 75-90 mg. Pregnant and breastfeeding women will need more vitamin C. However, first consult with your obstetrician how many additional doses are needed.
Do you need to consume 1000 mg of vitamin C every day?
The daily vitamin C requirement based on the RDA is indeed very far from the doses offered by various vitamin supplement products. The reason is, the cells of the human body cannot absorb most of the vitamin C in a day.
According to research in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), your body can only digest 200 mg of vitamin C per day. Moreover, vitamin C is not absorbed and is of no use to your cells.
Another study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition also produced similar findings. Humans are only able to process 120 to 200 mg of vitamin C every day. Meanwhile, the minimum standards set out in the RDA are sufficient to meet your nutritional needs every day.
Therefore, humans don't actually need 1000 mg of vitamin C every day. If your daily diet does not meet your vitamin C needs, supplements with lower vitamin C doses should be sufficient. However, don't forget to consult your doctor first before starting to take any vitamin supplements.
What might happen if you overdose on vitamin C
Yes, humans may overdose on vitamin C. Research from the Institute of Medicine's Food and Nutrition Board in the United States reveals that for adults, the safe limit for daily vitamin C consumption is 2000 mg. Meanwhile, other studies have shown that the limit is 1000 mg. To avoid the risks below, avoid consuming more than 1000 mg of vitamin C per day.
- Indigestion. For example diarrhea, constipation, stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, and bloating.
- Gastric acid reflux. Symptoms include a hot throat (heartburn), difficulty swallowing, and the mouth feels sour or bitter.
- Headache.
- Difficulty sleeping or insomnia.
- Kidney stones.
- Blood sugar goes up. This is because you have to drink a 1000 mg bottle of vitamin C drink daily. These packaged drinks contain high enough sugar or artificial sweeteners and can cause blood sugar levels to spike.
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