Should You Take Vitamin C Supplements?

Mind is All

Vitamin C supplements have been trendy for a while, but doctors are changing their tune on why and how you should take them. What do the most recent studies say about the benefits of vitamin C?

Why do you need vitamin C? For years vitamin C has been touted as the cold prevention and cold remedy solution, but the latest findings tell us vitamin C doesn't help us fight or recover from colds. It does, however, lower your vulnerability to heart diease and cancer, which are much more significant than a cold, and it also is hoped to slow eyesight degeneration associated with age.

What is the best way to get vitamin C? If you eat plenty of citrus fruits, and a generous amount of supplemental fruits and vegetables, you'll get a lot of vitamin C. You can also carefully select beverages and foods that are fortified with vitamin C. Be realistic about the amount of vitamin C you are eating and drinking when you calculate out how much more you need from supplements.

What is the recommended amount fo vitamin C? If you are an adult, you will benefit from taking at least 75 mg and not more than 2000 mg of vitamin C each day. Anytime you take over 2000 mg, you will risk unpleasant side effects. Talk to your doctor about how much vitamin C your child should get, and make sure you consider age, weight, and how much your child drinks and eats vitamin C fortified drinks and foods. Pregnant women should show extra caution not to exceed recommended amounts, since mega-dosing has been loosely linked with preterm birth and scurvy in newborns.

Are vitamin C supplements of value? Doctors currently feel you benefit most from natural sources of vitamin C, although they don't discount the secondary value of supplements. It appears that the best benefits come from natural sources of vitamin C, but it can be difficult to get enough vitamin C just through diet. You can take a vitamin C supplement along with food to maximize results.

Vitamin C supplements are currently still considered a good idea, but you should still try to eat as much vitamin C as possible through your meal plan choices and use supplements to close the gap.