Vitamin C

What is Vitamin A?

Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, has several important functions.

These include:

• helping to protect cells and keeping them healthy
• maintaining healthy skin, blood vessels, bones and cartilage
• helping with wound healing

Lack of vitamin C can lead to scurvy.

Good Sources

Vitamin C is found in a wide variety of fruit and vegetables.

Good sources include:

• citrus fruit, such as oranges and orange juice
• peppers
• strawberries
• blackcurrants
• broccoli
• brussels sprouts
• potatoes

How Much You Need

According to UK health guidelines, adults aged 19 to 64 need 40mg of vitamin C a day.

You should be able to get all the vitamin C you need from your daily diet.

Vitamin C cannot be stored in the body, so you need it in your diet every day.

What Happens If You Take Too Much

Taking large amounts (more than 1,000mg per day) of vitamin C can cause:

• stomach pain
• diarrhoea
• flatulence

These symptoms should disappear once you stop taking vitamin C supplements.

Official Advice

UK Department of Health and Social Care advice:

You should be able to get all the vitamin C you need by eating a varied and balanced diet.

If you take vitamin C supplements, do not take too much as this could be harmful.

Taking less than 1,000mg of vitamin C supplements a day is unlikely to cause any harm.