VITAMIN C (Ascorbic acid)

Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin, meaning that your body doesn't store it. We get what we need, instead, from food. You need vitamin C for the growth and repair of tissues in all parts of your body. It helps the body make collagen, an important protein used to make skin, cartilage, tendons, ligaments, and blood vessels. Vitamin C is essential for healing wounds, and for repairing and maintaining bones and teeth.

Vitamin C is an antioxidant, along with vitamin E, beta-carotene, and many other plant-based nutrients. Antioxidants block some of the damage caused by free radicals, which occur naturally when our bodies transform food into energy. The build-up of free radicals over time may be largely responsible for the aging process and can contribute to the development of health conditions such as cancer, heart disease, and arthritis

Low levels of vitamin C have been associated with a number of conditions, including high blood pressure, gallbladder disease, stroke, some cancers, and atherosclerosis (the build-up plaque in blood vessels that can lead to heart attack and stroke). Getting enough vitamin C from your diet (by eating lots of fruit and vegetables) may help reduce the risk of developing some of these conditions. The evidence that taking vitamin C supplements will help or prevent any of these conditions is lacking, however.


Vitamin C plays a role in protecting against the following:

Heart Disease
High Blood Pressure
Common Cold
Cancer
Osteoarthritis
Age-related Macular Degeneration
Pre-eclampsia
Asthma


Other
VITAMIN C may also be helpful for:
•Boosting immune system function
•Maintaining healthy gums
•Improving vision for those with uveitis (an inflammation of the middle part of the eye)
•Treating allergy-related conditions, such as asthma, eczema, and hay fever (called allergic rhinitis)
•Reducing effects of sun exposure, such as sunburn or redness (called erythema)
•Alleviating dry mouth, particularly from antidepressant medications (a common side effect from these drugs)
•Healing burns and wounds
•Decreasing blood sugar in people with diabetes

Available Forms:
You can purchase either natural or synthetic vitamin C, also called ascorbic acid, in a variety of forms. Tablets, capsules, and chewables are probably the most popular forms, but vitamin C also comes in powdered crystalline, effervescent, and liquid forms. Vitamin C can be purchased in dosages ranging from 25 - 1,000 mg.


How to take VITAMIN C:
The best way to take vitamin C supplements is 2 - 3 times per day, with meals, depending on the dosage. Some studies suggest that adults should take 250 - 500 mg twice a day for any benefit. Talk to your doctor before taking more than 1,000 mg of vitamin C on a daily basis and before giving vitamin C to a child.

Daily intake of dietary vitamin C (according to U.S. recommended dietary allowances), are listed below.

Pediatric

•Birth - 6 months: 40 mg
•Infants 6 - 12 months: 50 mg
•Children 1 - 3 years: 15 mg
•Children 4 - 8 years: 25 mg
•Children 9 - 13 years: 45 mg
•Adolescent girls 14 - 18 years: 65 mg
•Adolescent boys 14 - 18 years: 75 mg
Adult

•Men over 18 years: 90 mg
•Women over 18 years: 75 mg
•Breastfeeding women: 120 mg
Because smoking depletes vitamin C, people who smoke generally need an additional 35 mg per day.

The doses recommended to prevent or treat many of the conditions mentioned in the Uses section is often 500 - 1,000 mg per day.


Precautions:
Because of the potential for side effects and interactions with medications, you should take dietary supplements only under the supervision of a knowledgeable health care provider.

Vitamin C supplements have a diuretic effect, so drink plenty of fluids when taking them.

Most commercial vitamin C is made from corn. People sensitive to corn should look for alternative sources, such as sago palm.

Vitamin C increases the amount of iron absorbed from foods. People with hemochromatosis (an inherited condition where too much iron builds up in the body) should not take vitamin C supplements.

While vitamin C is generally considered safe because your body gets rid of what it does not use, in high doses (more than 2,000 mg daily) it can cause diarrhea, gas, or stomach upset. If you experience these side effects, lower the dose of vitamin C.

People with kidney problems should talk to their doctor before taking vitamin C.

People who smoke or use nicotine patches may need more vitamin C because nicotine decreases the effectiveness of vitamin C in the body.

Infants born to mothers taking 6,000 mg or more of vitamin C may develop rebound scurvy because their intake of vitamin C drops after birth. If you are pregnant, talk to your doctor before taking more than 1,000 mg of vitamin C.