What is vitamin C for and how much vitamin C is safe to take?

Your body needs vitamin C, also called ascorbic acid, to help form your bones, cartilage, muscle, and blood vessels. You also need vitamin C to be able to absorb nutrients from your food, such as iron. Some people feel that vitamin C helps prevent colds or shortens their course.

According to the U.S. Food and Nutrition Board guidelines, men should consume 90 mg of vitamin C per day, women who are not pregnant should have 75 mg/day, women who are pregnant should have 85 mg/day, and women who are nursing should have 120 mg/day. No matter which group you are in, you should not take more than 2000 mg/day.

You can get vitamin C in many food sources. A few include citrus fruits, berries, apples, broccoli, cauliflower and asparagus.

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