The notion that since water soluble vitamins are not stored and eliminated quickly from the body does not warrant the over usage of this and this does not literally translate to being really safe when abuse.
Among the common uses of vitamin C are: Use as antioxidant, crucial to the maintenance of bones, teeth, gums, tissues, ligaments and blood vessels, key in ensuring a normal immune system response to infections (nutritional-supplement-guides), necessary for normal growth and development (Medline Plus) and prevention of scurvy.
The normal limit or the minimum daily requirements of taking vitamin C is dependent on the country that requires it. It can be as low at 40 mg/day to as high as 95 mg/day (Adult dose).
The government daily intakes are as follows as outlined by Wikipedia:
Recommendations for vitamin C intake have been set by various national agencies:
- 40 milligrams per day: the United Kingdom's Food Standards Agency[3]
- 45 milligrams per day: the World Health Organization[111]
- 90 mg/day (males) and 75 mg/day (females): Health Canada 2007[112]
- 60–95 milligrams per day: United States' National Academy of Sciences.[107]
The United States defined Tolerable Upper Intake Level for a 25-year-old male (also for female) is 2,000 milligrams per day.
As you can see, there is even a tolerable upper intake levels for both male and female in the United States.
The WHO or World Health Organization only recommends 45 milligrams per daily use. Meaning, a tablet of OTC (Over the Counter) vitamin C is already more than necessary. That is 500 mg tablet of vitamin C at the very least (I don't know if there are still 100mg or 250mg of vitamin C tablet or capsule available in the market today).
Fruits and vegetables are a good source of vitamin C as outlined again by Wikipedia.(Click this to see more)
Technically, if you are eating what is required in the food pyramid, you won't be needing vitamin C supplementation.
Come to think of it, if you eat a variety of healthy fruits and vegetables in a day, you will be rewarding yourself with not only one vitamin but a multitude of them including dietary fibers, proteins, carbohydrates, minerals and the like. and best of all, the taste. :)
Some good sources of vitamin C are oranges and rose hips.
Great info......thanks for the information. I was suffered from vision problem and bone thinning as a deficiency in vitamin A and D. Hence doctor prescribed me to take ADEK vitamins twice in a week. It is very inexpensive and effective.
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