Vitamin C

Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, is an essential nutrient that plays a critical role in some of our body’s most vital functions. Whether the goal is to give your immune system health a boost or support general connective tissue health and skin health, you are going to want to get plenty of vitamin C.

Vitamin C is an essential nutrient that is found primarily in fruits and vegetables. However, in dietary supplement form, it is often given as ascorbic acid, calcium ascorbate, or sodium ascorbate, which are considered water-soluble forms of Vitamin C. It is needed for many functions in the human body and is perhaps the most well-known vitamin for its role in maintaining a healthy immune system.

A minimum dose that could be considered daily is between 250mg and 500 mg. Vitamin C is recommended for adults to consume up to 2,000 mg daily if needed. The recommended dosage for teenagers is 1,800 mg especially if they are under stress or fighting a cold. A child’s upper limit is 400 to 1,200 mg per day, depending on their age.

Vitamin C is often recommended as a natural cold remedy. This nutrient is often featured in supplements that help support and boost the immune system while taking large doses of vitamin C has been said to help thwart a cold. In general, taking daily vitamin C may potentially reduce the risk of getting a cold, while taking at least 200 mg of vitamin C per day may help to reduce the duration of cold symptoms.

Vitamin C cannot be made by the human body and so is an essential component that needs to be obtained from the diet and through supplementation. It is needed for the health and repair of various tissues in the body, including skin, bone, teeth and cartilage. A persistent lack of vitamin C in the diet can potentially lead to a condition called scurvy. Symptoms of scurvy include easy bruising, easy bleeding and joint and muscle pains. Vitamin C deficiency can be treated with supplements of vitamin C and a diet rich in vitamin C fruits and vegetables.