Should You Take Vitamin C Supplements?

Vitamin C supplements have enjoyed popularity for decades, but recent findings are changing who is taking them and for what reasons. Find out what the latest studies have to say about vitamin C.

Why do you need vitamin C? Common health advice used to tell us vitamin C was the miracle cold cure and preventor, but current studies suggest vitamin C doesn't help us much when it comes to dealing with the common cold. It does, however, lower your vulnerability to heart diease and cancer, which are much more significant than a cold, and it also is hoped to slow eyesight degeneration associated with age.

What are the best natural sources of vitamin C? The best natural way to get vitamin C is to eat plenty of fruit and vegetables, with an emphasis on citrus. You can also carefully select beverages and foods that are fortified with vitamin C. Make sure you estimate how much vitamin C you are getting from natural and fortified sources when you calculate out how much you might need from a supplement.

How much vitamin C do you need in a day? Healthy adults should get a minimum of 75 mg and a maximum of 2000 mg a day. Any dose over 2000 mg will put you at risk of undesirable side effects. When dosing children, consider age, weight, and how much vitamin C the child gets through food and beverages, since many child-friendly products are fortified. In particular, pregnant women should be careful not to consume more than 2000 IU a day since studies have suggested overdosing can contribute to premature delivery and newborn cases of scurvy.

Should you take vitamin C supplements? Doctors currently feel you benefit most from natural sources of vitamin C, although they don't discount the secondary value of supplements. It appears that the best benefits come from natural sources of vitamin C, but it can be difficult to get enough vitamin C just through diet. Try taking a vitamin C supplement along with food for best results.

Vitamin C supplements are currently still considered a good idea, but you should still try to eat as much vitamin C as possible through your meal plan choices and use supplements to close the gap.