Most people probably have heard of vitamin C. Yet many people still don’t know why it is such a great supplement and what its beneficial effects are. In this article, we will aim to dive into these topics. We will discuss what vitamin C is, how it can help you and what the optimal vitamin c dosage per day is.
What is vitamin C
Vitamin C is also known as ascorbic acid and ascorbate. It is a vitamin found in a lot of different foods and it is also widely available as a dietary supplement. Many animals are able to synthesize vitamin C through their own body, but unfortunately, we humans cannot. This means it is an essential dietary component.
Vitamin C health effects
Even though our bodies can’t produce it, vitamin C has many roles in our bodies and has been linked to various impressive health benefits. Some of these benefits are:
- Vitamin C is required for the biosynthesis of collagen, L-carnitine, and certain neurotransmitters.
- Vitamin C is also involved in protein metabolism and thus helps the breakdown of protein in order to be used in the body.
- Vitamin C is an important physiological antioxidant. This means it plays an active role in the protection against free radicals, which in turn play a role in causing heart disease and cancer.
- Vitamin C plays an important role in immune function and helps our body to fight off internal and external threats.
Sources of vitamin C
So now we know the benefits and the importance of vitamin C in our body. But we also know our bodies can’t produce it. So how do we get it? Luckily, there are many foods that contain vitamin C.
This is shortlist of foods that are loaded with vitamin C:
- Red peppers.
- All citrus fruits (i.e. oranges).
- Kiwi.
- Broccoli.
- Strawberries.
- Rosehips.
Did you know you can make great smoothies with all kinds of veggies and up your vitamin C intake in a delicious way? Read about our smoothies for a healthy life here.
How does vitamin C help you
We have discussed the benefits of vitamin C. But how does it affect you in your daily life? We want to mention some profound benefits that we have discovered ourselves by using it daily.
It can greatly reduce the effect of allergies, like hay fever. Every year, we are conditioned to use pills, such as antihistamines, to alleviate uncontrollable sneezing, dry and itchy eyes and runny noses. Last year, as prescribed by a local naturopathic doctor, we started using larger doses of vitamin C daily and basically, all of our symptoms seemingly disappeared like snow in the hot sun. We simply don’t have any allergies anymore. Now we don’t say this will be the case for everyone, but it has become apparent that the same effect can be seen for every person we recommended this to. Therefore it is safe to say that it will probably help you as well.
Furthermore we used to get a bit sick like once or twice a year, just a fever or the flu, or common cold. All of that has gone. Again, we don’t say we can’t get sick anymore, but we all have experienced a massive drop in the frequency of becoming sick. As vitamin C is a superb booster for the immune system, this can’t be a coincidence.
Vitamin C has also an array of beneficial effects for maintaining good skin health, mucous membrane integrity, and can provide a boost to healing during injury or an illness. We suggest you talk with your healthcare professional and learn more about the massive benefits of such an amazing and natural, and ubiquitous, vitamin.
Optimal vitamin C dosage per day – how much should you take?
When looking online, you will find that for most people, the recommended dose of vitamin C varies between 35-90 mg (micrograms) per day. This means that you will only need one small pill per day. However, we did not experience any of the benefits described above. After watching That Vitamin Movie, and consulting with our Naturopath, we learned that our daily intake was far too low to access the benefits we were looking for. We started using 5000 mg per day in capsules. This invariably kickstarted our own health improvements and benefits.
When you look up these dosages online, you will find that most websites say it will have negative effects on your body. They say it might cause kidney stones and other abnormalities. However, my naturopathic doctor and the experts in That Vitamin Movie clearly all state this is not the case and there are no negative effects. Any surplus will simply be excreted by the body. We strongly feel that the optimal vitamin C dosage per day is around 5000 mg.
Since using a 5000 mg dose each day – and sometimes even higher, when we feel tired or weak – we have not encountered any negative side-effects at all. We are not doctors, and we cannot provide medical advice, so we advise you to talk to your health care professional about this.
Where to buy vitamin C
Vitamin C is easily available. Always select the freshest (and preferably locally grown) vegetables and fruit that we mentioned above. Being responsible for the choices you make and the quality of food you select shouldnt be too hard. There are many top quality, family owned farmer’s markets to choose from. Do your part and support good quality produce. Period.
Furthermore, it is one of most popular food supplements and comes in various pills, capsules or powder. Ascorbate powder can be used in shakes, or to make your own pills. Please keep in mind that it is quite acidic and thus might not be super healthy for your teeth. We recommend a pill or capsule for this reason and brushing your teeth with fluoride-free toothpaste when you take the powder.
