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Optimizing Vitamin C Intake
by admin on: May 16th, 2011

There is little argument against the benefit of taking vitamin C. In fact, almost every physician will likely tell their patients that there are health benefits to be had from vitamin C, beyond the prevention of scurvy. But, what is the ???best??? dose of vitamin C? That is a question that appears open to debate; however, a recent review in the international journal Health (September 2010) discusses the recommended doses for the health benefits that can be obtained from it.

There are several takes on dosing recommendations. The first recommendation is to take 90 mg of vitamin C. This amount is enough to prevent scurvy and is generally achievable with a balanced diet.

Another recommended dose of vitamin C is 200 mg; again, this dose may be achievable with a balanced diet, but often one must be vigilant in order to eat (or drink) enough foods (or beverages) to achieve this amount.

Yet another recommendation is to take 500 mg of vitamin C, twice a day, which will require supplementation. This amount of vitamin C was shown to provide enough AA to the body such that all excess vitamin was continuously excreted in the urine.

As detailed in the review published in Health, the 500 mg twice per day dosage may do more than just help prevent colds; this dosage may also reduce major causes of chronic disease and aging.

Foods that are high in vitamin C include:

  • red bell peppers
  • broccoli
  • cauliflower
  • strawberries
  • grapefruit
  • spinach
  • pineapple
  • cabbage
  • tomatoes
  • watermelon
  • limes
  • cranberries
  • celery
  • raspberries
  • oranges

It’s best to eat these foods raw, or cooked over moderate heat for short periods, in order to obtain the largest amounts of vitamin C; it diminishes quickly when these foods are cooked.

For more information about the benefits of vitamin C, see the article in Health written by Alfred Roc Ordman.

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