2023-05-04 13:55:15
Photography by ZhangXunGetty Images
While most people are concerned about whether they are getting enough vitamins, it is also not unwise to keep an eye on whether you are not getting too much. Too much vitamin C can cause you annoying physical complaints. But how much is a vitamin C too much? Read on quick.
The ABC of Vitamin C
Getting enough vitamin C really doesn’t have to be a challenge. There are many different products that contain vitamin C. The most obvious source of vitamin C is fruit, especially the orange. Actually, you are always good with other citrus fruits. But did you know that kiwis and strawberries also contain a lot of vitamin C? And what about vegetables such as broccoli or kale? Mangos, bell peppers, tomatoes, black currants, broad beans, Brussels sprouts, should we continue? Didn’t we already say that vitamin C was in many different products?
How much vitamin C can you take per day?
The recommended daily amount of vitamin C is between 70-95 milligrams. That is about 150 grams of strawberries or one and a half kiwi. You can easily save that daily amount if you eat 2 pieces of fruit and 2 ounces of vegetables per day. In fact. You will probably get more than those 95 milligrams. Can too much vitamin c do any harm?
Can you overdose on vitamin C?
No. Too much vitamin C won’t leave you foaming at the mouth while begging for someone to put something unhealthy in your mouth to compensate for the vitamins. Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin that is not stored in your body. Excess vitamin C is neatly filtered by your kidneys and removed through your urine. But watch out! You can indeed get a nasty physical reaction from too much vitamin C.
You only see this in people who supplement vitamin C because they (think they) suffer from vitamin C deficiency symptoms. Vitamin supplements sometimes contain up to 3000x the recommended daily amount. This means you get too much vitamin more quickly. With vitamin C, the upper limit before you get nausea and diarrhea is about 1500 milligrams per day. To calculate back to those strawberries: for a vitamin c too much you have to knock back 2.5 kilos of strawberries, that would probably make you sick anyway.
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