Vitamin C: Sources, Forms, Benefits, Dosage & Deficiency Symptoms

Article at a Glance

• Vitamin C is one of 13 essential vitamins you need in your diet. It boosts your immune system and helps you heal faster.
• There are several forms of vitamin C available. You can get vitamin C through your diet and/or supplements.
• Check with your healthcare provider to make sure you're getting enough vitamin C.
• A vitamin C deficiency can cause serious health problems.

If you're feeling run down, a glass of orange juice or a good vitamin C supplement may be just what you need. Vitamin C helps the body boost immunity, stay energized, and heal faster. Read more below to learn how vitamin C helps keep you healthy, plus what you can do to make sure you're getting enough.

What Is Vitamin C?

Vitamin C is one of 13 essential vitamins that you need in your diet because the human body can't make these nutrients on its own.¹

Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin, which means it dissolves in water. It's not stored in the liver or fatty-tissue like fat-soluble vitamins.¹ Your body easily flushes out unused water-soluble vitamins so it is hard to take too much and uncommon to develop toxic side effects.

The Many Benefits of Vitamin C

Vitamin C has many physiological health benefits:

• Provides protection from free radicals and also supports the immune system because it is an antioxidant. Research shows that it may play a role in reducing the duration of the common cold, but only when taken as a preventive measure before getting sick.^1,2 Plus, evidence suggests that vitamin C may aid in the prevention of the common cold, but only for unique populations, such as athletes taking 200 mg/day.²
• Supports the synthesis of neurotransmitters, and also collagen, an essential protein found in connective tissue, which in turn supports wound healing.^1,2
• Enhances the bioavailability and nutrient uptake of certain micronutrients such as iron from plant food sources, copper, and chromium.¹
• May play a role in the prevention of certain types of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and age-related macular degeneration.²

Forms of Vitamin C — Which Is Best?

There are several forms of vitamin C, including:

(1)  Ascorbic acid

(2)  Mineral ascorbates: calcium ascorbate, sodium ascorbate, magnesium ascorbate

(3)  Ascorbic acid combined with vitamin C metabolites

(4)  Vitamin C combined with bioflavonoids

(5)  Ascorbyl palmitate

Vitamin C in the form of Ascorbic acid (also known as ascorbate) is a synthetic form of vitamin C. L-ascorbic acid (also known as L-ascorbate) is the natural form of vitamin C. Both forms are found naturally in foods, used to fortify foods, and used in dietary supplements.² Types of vitamin C more typically found in supplements include ascorbic acid, mineral ascorbates, or vitamin C bound to bioflavonoids.³

Mineral ascorbates are more suitable for people who have sensitive stomachs, or who experience gastrointestinal issues with higher pH levels.³ Popular forms of mineral ascorbates are sodium ascorbate, calcium ascorbate, magnesium ascorbate that are typically found together.¹

Research does not show enough evidence proving a difference in absorption between natural and synthetic forms of vitamin C.⁴ However, other micronutrients found in foods such as bioflavonoids, which are compounds found in plant food sources, may improve the bioavailability of vitamin C when combined together.⁴ Because of this synergistic effect, forms of vitamin C bound with bioflavonoids are thought to increase the bioavailability of vitamin C and enhance its therapeutic benefits.^4,5

Sources of Vitamin C — From Food and Nutrition Supplements

Most animals can make vitamin C on their own. But, humans lack the capability to create their own, so vitamin C must be present in the diet.⁴ Many fruits and vegetables contain high amounts of vitamin C, making it possible for humans to get an adequate amount through a healthy plant-based diet.

Dietary sources rich in vitamin C include:

• citrus fruits
• peppers
• broccoli
• strawberries
• Brussels sprouts
• kiwi
• tomatoes
• potatoes⁶ 

Vitamin C content is highest when the food source is fresh and raw, as the nutrient value of vitamin C decreases after cooking or storing for a long period of time.⁶ 

Vitamin C is also found in supplemental form and has equivalent bioavailability to vitamin C food sources.¹ For maximum vitamin C benefits it is recommended to supplement vitamin C in divided doses,⁷ so you may want to take half of the daily value in the morning and the other half in the evening.

Recommended Daily Dose of Vitamin C — What Physicians Advise

The recommended daily dose for nutrients is unique to a person's age, gender, and other personal factors. The Food and Nutrition Board (FNB) established a recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for vitamin C as a reference to meet the needs of healthy individuals. For infants, the RDA has not been established, but an adequate intake (AI) level of 40 – 50 mg has been set as a guideline for nutritional adequacy. The RDA of vitamin C for healthy adults is 90 mg/day for men and 75 mg/day for women.²

Table 1: Daily Vitamin C Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) to Meet the Needs of Healthy Indivduals²

Make Sure You're Getting Enough Vitamin C

Certain populations may need to be more mindful when evaluating their vitamin C needs:

• Smokers should increase their vitamin C intake by an additional 35 mg/day because they are exposed to more free radicals than non-smokers.¹ 
• Individuals should consult with their physicians to determine their vitamin C needs if they are undergoing chemotherapy, radiation, or using statin medications.² 
• Always consult with your primary healthcare provider before taking Healthycell® products or any nutrition supplement.

Vitamin C Toxicity Is Uncommon

Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin, so it is not stored in the body. It's usually not toxic as excess amounts are excreted from the body. Excessive amounts of vitamin C can cause gastrointestinal symptoms such as bloating, nausea, or diarrhea, plus there is the potential to develop kidney stones.¹ To avoid these side effects, it is recommended to consume less than 1 g (gram) per day of vitamin C and the tolerable upper intake level (UL) for adults is 2 g or 2,000 mg per day.⁸

Table 2: Daily Vitamin C Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL)¹

Vitamin C Deficiency, Symptoms, and People at Risk

While you don't want to overdo it, it's important to get enough vitamin C in your diet. A vitamin C deficiency can cause a range of uncomfortable and serious symptoms.

Vitamin C deficiency symptoms include:

• bleeding gums
• delayed healing
• easily bruised skin
• fatigue
• edema
• susceptibility to infection
• petechial hemorrhage (bleeding underneath the skin)⁶ 

You can develop serious health problems if your vitamin C levels are extremely low. Scurvy is a potentially fatal disease that is caused by severe vitamin C deficiency. Vitamin C helps produce collagen, a protein that is found in body tissue. A vitamin C deficiency results in inadequate collagen production, which is the cause behind many of the symptoms of scurvy.²

Scurvy was common until the 18th century, but it has become a rare condition.² It is still seen in malnourished populations, cancer patients, elderly men, and those with alcohol or drug addiction.⁸ Scurvy occurs when vitamin C intake is under 10 mg/day for a long period of time.⁸

Vitamin C in Healthycell Products

Bioactive Multi (A MICROGEL™ product) - The form of vitamin C is ascorbic acid and ascorbyl palmitate.  The dosage of vitamin C in Bioactive Multi is 90 mg, which satisfies 100 percent of the Daily Value (%DV).

Vegan Essentials (A MICROGEL™ product) - The form of vitamin C is ascorbic acid and ascorbyl palmitate.  The dosage of vitamin C in Bioactive Multi is 90 mg, which satisfies 100 percent of the Daily Value (%DV).

Healthycell Pro - The form of vitamin C is calcium and magnesium ascorbate. The dosage of vitamin C in Healthycell® Pro is 100 mg in the morning formula and 20 mg in the evening formula, for a daily dose of 120 mg, satisfying 200 percent of the Daily Value (%DV).

• Vitamin C plays an important role in helping your body stay energized and healthy.
• A vitamin C deficiency can cause a range of symptoms, including fatigue, bleeding gums, swelling, and others.
• Be sure you're getting enough vitamin C in your diet and/or through supplements. Talk with your healthcare provider to find out if a supplement is right for you.