Is it okay to take vitamin C every day? While we all know that vitamin C is our path to sustained energy, stronger immunity and improved skin and hair-quality, the real question remains: is that orange flavoured vitamin C supplement required to be taken daily? Will it cause me any harm in the long run? Read below to get the answer.
What is Vitamin C and why do we need it?
Vitamin C, also known as the ascorbic acid, is an essential vitamin that maintains overall health. Unfortunately, unlike many animals, our body cannot produce vitamin C on its own, which is why we are reliant on an external diet to fulfil its requirement in the body.
Diving a bit deeper into the details, vitamin C acts as a powerful antioxidant that protects our body’s cells from oxidative damage. This damage, caused by free radicals and other unstable molecules, is one of the key reasons behind our ageing and major chronic diseases. Vitamin C is also important for collagen production, which boosts skin quality, improves blood flow in vessels, strengthens cartilages and bones, and also helps in healing the wounds. This wondrous vitamin also helps in improving the absorption of another important mineral – iron, which strengthens our immune system and helps to fight off infections proactively.
So the next time you think that vitamin C is just a remedy for common coughs and colds, you may want to revisit its important role in supporting our overall health.
Where can I find Vitamin C?
Vitamin C can be most commonly found in natural sources, such as fruits and vegetables. Here is a list of some commonly known ones:
- Citrus fruits: Fruits such as oranges, lemons, limes and grapefruits are classic sources of vitamin C.
- Guava: It is said that just one guava can provide more than the double daily requirement intake for vitamin C.
- Amla (Indian Gooseberry): Widely used in the Ayurvedic medicine practice, Amla is one of the most important sources of vitamin C.
- Kiwi: A fruit that may seem small in size, Kiwi is packed with vitamin C, enough to fulfill your body’s requirements.
- Bell peppers: While some kids may pick them out of their meals, it was found that bell peppers contain even more vitamin C than the oranges – especially the red ones.
- Broccoli and brussels sprouts: These are great sources of vitamin C, especially when steamed – as it helps them to retain the nutrients.
- Spinach and kale: Excellent sources of vitamin C and iron, thereby balancing out the overall vitamin intake.
How much of it can I take daily? Recommended daily intake
The daily intake of vitamin C depends across various age groups and genders. For the UK, the current guidelines by the NHS state that adults between the ages of 19 to 64 required 40 mg of vitamin C, every day. It is important to note that these are just minimum levels, which can be easily achieved by consuming your daily diet, but since the body cannot store vitamin C, items that are rich in this vitamin need to be included in daily diet for proper maintenance.
However, if you are someone who has a hectic lifestyle, is always on the go, performs athletics or sports of any kind, is pregnant, or has an underlined chronic health condition, your intake may definitely be higher to compensate for the additional use by the body. Consulting your health practitioner or dietician can definitely help in such cases.
Since too much of any one thing is not right, it is also important to remember that if someone takes too much vitamin C, they may experience symptoms such as stomach pain, diarrhoea, flatulence and nausea. This means that striking the right balance between your minimum intake and compensating for your body’s additional usage, if required, is crucial.
For those wondering if vitamin C is even safe to take every day, please know that the body’s tolerable upper intake limit is typically 2000 mg per day for adults. What’s even better, is how this vitamin is water soluble in nature, meaning that any excess amount of vitamin C usually gets excreted naturally.
If you’re someone who is unable to meet their daily requirements of vitamin C through their diet, suffer from a severe deficiency, gut issues or anything that may be a barrier to effective absorption and replenishment, supplementation can help. Gone are the days of oral supplements with harmful side effects, the new age method of supplementation – an IV drip, is effective in treating vitamin deficiencies with ease. A high dose vitamin C IV drip can not only top up your body with adequate amounts of this vitamin, but also reduces the body’s burden to break down and extract nutrients from the food. This prevents instances of loss of nutrient in the process, with IV drips directly delivering pure Vitamin C into the bloodstream for effective absorption. The quick replenishment of nutrients often results in instantaneous changes and effects in the body. If you are keen on this option, then you would be happy to know that finding an IV drip in London is now easier than ever. Highly specialised doctor-led clinics are now offering this service, thus ensuring safety and peace of mind.
Vitamin C: Do you need it?
Now that we know all about vitamin C, both in and out, it is safe to say that vitamin C is responsible for maintaining the overall health of our body. Without the same, our bodies may fail to function efficiently which may result in worsening our health over time. While you can get vitamin C from fresh fruits, your leafy greens and other healthy items in our daily diet, taking too much of it is also not correct. Striking the right balance between maintenance and fulfilment of the body’s additional requirement is essential. For those with health issues, or the ones struggling to keep up with these needs, external supplementation may be helpful. Consulting a qualified healthcare practitioner for the adequate dosage of vitamin C via IV drips, or any other method of supplementation – can help you get back the life you always desired.
