Vitamin C
is not only necessary to maintain strong immunity, it’s also essential for beauty as it supports the production of collagen, and it’s involved in protein metabolism. It is an important antioxidant that can regenerate other antioxidants in the body, and is among the water-soluble vitamins. A deficiency in vitamin C, can lead to scurvy which is a disease that is characterized by connective tissue weakness, fatigue, gum disease, poor wound healing, and decreased red blood cells. If you notice your gums bleed often, supplementing with vitamin C or increasing the amount of vitamin C rich foods in your diet may help. Due to it’s immune boosting power, vitamin C is a means to help prevent and/or treat numerous health conditions such as cancer (including prevention and treatment), cardiovascular disease, age-related macular degeneration, cataracts, and the common cold.
Below are a few additional things to know when choosing to supplement Vitamin C:
- Generally there is no difference in the bioavailability of synthetic vs. non-synthetic vitamin C; but research has shown that the bioavailability from natural sources with flavonoids may have greater bioavailability than synthetic forms.
- Vitamin C may increase the absorption of aluminum
- Vitamin C enhances the bodies’ absorption of non-heme iron (plant-based sources of iron) which is great for those who are anemic
- Quercitin and rutin have been shown to inhibit the oxidation of vitamin C in vitro
- Vitamin C may decrease the availability of selenium for absorption. Selenium is a trace mineral that our body needs so if you were deficient, excess vitamin C supplementation could make the issue worse
The RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance) for Vitamin C is:
| Age | Male | Female | Pregnancy | Lactation |
| 0–6 months | 40 mg* | 40 mg* | ||
| 7–12 months | 50 mg* | 50 mg* | ||
| 1–3 years | 15 mg | 15 mg | ||
| 4–8 years | 25 mg | 25 mg | ||
| 9–13 years | 45 mg | 45 mg | ||
| 14–18 years | 75 mg | 65 mg | 80 mg | 115 mg |
| 19+ years | 90 mg | 75 mg | 85 mg | 120 mg |
| Smokers | Individuals who smoke require 35 mg/day
more vitamin C than nonsmokers. |
|||
* Adequate Intake (AI)
Food Sources of Vitamin C
Want to skip the pills? As we consider supplementation it’s always important to note that if we can get the nutrient from whole food, we should. There are many great sources of vitamin C that can be added to your diet including: citrus fruits, acerola cherries, papaya, tomatoes and tomato juice, potatoes, red and green peppers, black currants, guava, kiwifruit, broccoli, kale, snow peas, strawberries, Brussels sprouts, and cantaloupe.
Camu Camu are nutrient-dense berries that are considered a superfood and contain an awesome amount of vitamin C and flavonoids. Cam Camu berries are actually considered by many to be the most vitamin C rich fruits on the earth. One teaspoon of camu camu powder contains 1180 percent of RDA for vitamin C.
References:
Aldrich, N. (n.d.). Module 11 Lecture: Vitamin C. Retrieved March 20, 2017, from https://learn.muih.edu/courses/4673/pages/vitamin-c?module_item_id=108363
Coles, T. (2014, January 23). 11 Things You Need To Know About Camu Camu. Retrieved March 19, 2017, from http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2013/07/25/camu-camu-benefits-_n_3644392.html
Camu camu: An incredible source of vitamin C and flavonoids. (n.d.). Retrieved March 19, 2017, from http://www.naturalnews.com/039810_camu_flavonoids_vitamin_C.html
National Institutes of Health. (n.d.). Office of Dietary Supplements – Vitamin C. Retrieved July 29, 2018, from https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminC-HealthProfessional/
Ross, A. C., Caballero, B. , Cousins, R. J., Tucker, K.L. & Ziegler, T. R. (2014). Modern Nutrition in Health and Disease. (11th ed.). Baltimore, MD: Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins.