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The Ultimate Vitamin C Guide: FAQ’s & Advice

Vitamin C might sound like a humble vitamin that’s found in fruit juice but it’s a multi-tasking powerhouse nutrient that has an anti-ageing and healing benefits for skin. It also contributes to a healthy, fully functioning immune system. And, it doesn’t just improve the skin on your face, it looks after the skin all over your body, including the skin in your muscles and ligaments. 

What is vitamin C?

Vitamin C is an essential nutrient which the body can’t produce on its own, meaning we have to add it to our diet or supplement to ensure the body has adequate amounts to function properly. Vitamin C is a water soluble nutrient and powerful antioxidant that can be found in leafy green vegetables, berries and citrus fruit. 

Vitamin C Benefits

Vitamin C helps the body with wound healing and maintaining healthy blood vessels. It supports collagen all over the body as well as in your face. And, Vitamin C stimulates the immune system by boosting white cell activity and interferon production - this is a helpful process for fighting viral, bacterial and other infections.

What does Vitamin C do for your skin?

Vitamin C is vital in the production and maintenance of collagen. This is a key structural component of the skin on your face, but cartilage, vertebral discs, joint linings, capillary walls, plus teeth and bone all over the body also contain collagen.  

How Much Vitamin C Should I Have Per Day?

Here are the recommended daily amounts for vitamin C. 

How much Vitamin C per day by age group and gender?

    Infants (aged 1–3 years old)

    15 mg

    Children (aged 4–8 years)

    25 mg

    Older children  (aged 9–13 years)

    45 mg

    Teenagers (aged 14–18 years)

    65–75 mg

    Adult women (19 years and older)

    75 mg

    Adult men (19 years and older)

    90 mg

    Pregnant women (19 and above)

    85 mg

    Breastfeeding women (19 and above)

    120 mg


    How much Vitamin C is too much?

    The upper limit for Vitamin C consumption is 2000 mg per day. That’s a lot and although it’s not likely to harm you, you’ll know if you’ve taken too much Vitamin C as you’ll probably have an upset stomach. 

    Problems Caused by Vitamin C Deficiency

    Diseases caused by Vitamin C deficiency

    Thankfully it’s rare these days, but a disease known as scurvy is caused by the body having a lack of Vitamin C, or ascorbic acid. It can also manifest in the form of low energy levels, plus anaemia

    Effects on mental and physical wellbeing

    Lack of Vitamin C manifests in the form of extreme tiredness and spotty skin. 

    Effects on skin and beauty

    Skin can be badly affected by lack of vitamin C as it causes spots and breakouts boils and even gum disease. This is because the body needs vitamin C for forming collagen, an important component in our connective tissues.

    Which Foods Contain the Most Vitamin C?

    If you’d like to increase your vitamin C then you could eat a diet that’s rich in leafy green vegetables such as broccoli, kale, spinach and cabbage as well as broccoli and Brussel sprouts. 

    Red and green peppers also contain high amounts of vitamin C. 

    Fruit such as oranges, lemons, mango, pineapple, kiwi and papaya are all good sources of vitamin C.  

    What foods have the most Vitamin C by food group

    The foods with the highest levels of vitamin C are leafy green vegetables and bell peppers.  

    How Else You Can Get Your Daily Dosage of Vitamin C

    One of the best ways of ensuring adequate Vitamin C levels is by supplementing with a high-quality daily supplement like Lumity which contains all the Vitamin C you need to function at your best each day as well as a powerhouse team of other essential nutrients. 

    Vitamin C Myths

    Myth: Taking very large amounts of Vitamin C will turbocharge your immune system if you catch a cold.

    Fact: Very few people have Vitamin C deficiencies these days, so unfortunately taking large doses of Vitamin C will only result in your body having more than it requires to function well and the surplus will be eliminated by your kidneys in urine.

    Myth: Vitamin C is available through exposure to sunlight. 

    Fact: Vitamin C is not gained from the sun, that is Vitamin D.

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