Health experts recommend getting 90 mg of vitamin C per day for men and 75 mg for women. This number can vary depending on your age, gender, life stage, and lifestyle choices like smoking, says Moore.
For example, people who smoke regularly need extra vitamin C, and should aim to get an additional 35 mg per day. Pregnant women need 85 mg, and breastfeeding women require 120 mg of vitamin C.
But people should not exceed 2,000 mg a day.
While it’s difficult to consume too much vitamin C through food alone, it may be possible if you’re taking vitamin C supplements. Too much vitamin C supplementation does not cause adverse health effects, but it may lead to uncomfortable symptoms like diarrhea, nausea, and abdominal cramps.
It’s also very difficult to have a vitamin C deficiency or scurvy, a disease caused by this deficiency, in developed nations, as vitamin C is in so many of the foods we eat daily. It is possible, however, if you have very little access to fruits and vegetables or a lifestyle habit or health condition that prevents absorption.
People who smoke have lower vitamin C levels than those who do not, meaning they need a little extra in their diet. Malabsorption and certain chronic diseases may also reduce the body’s ability to absorb vitamin C, increasing the amount needed.
At the very minimum, your body needs 10 mg of vitamin C per day, Moore says. If you’re concerned about your vitamin C intake, be sure to speak with your healthcare provider.
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