Side Effects of Vitamin C

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Vitamin C is a really crucial nutrient that’s plentiful in lots of fruits and vegetables. Getting enough of this vitamin is especially crucial for keeping a healthy immune system. It also plays an essential function in wound healing, keeping your bones strong, and enhancing brain function.

Remarkably, some claim that vitamin C supplements provide benefits beyond those that can be obtained from the vitamin C discovered in food.

Among the most typical factors individuals take vitamin C supplements is the idea that they help avoid the cold.

However, many supplements consist of very high amounts of the vitamin, which can trigger unfavorable negative effects in many cases.

This post checks out the total security of vitamin C, whether it’s possible to consume too much, and the potential unfavorable impacts of taking big dosages.

Vitamin C Is Water-soluble and Not Saved in Your Body

Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin, which implies it dissolves in water.

In contrast to fat-soluble vitamins, water-soluble vitamins do not get kept within the body.

Instead, the vitamin C that you take in gets transferred to your tissues through body fluids, and any extra gets excreted in urine.

Considering that your body does not store vitamin C or produce it on its own, it’s crucial to consume foods that are rich in vitamin C day-to-day.

However, supplementing with high amounts of vitamin C can cause adverse results, such as digestion distress and kidney stones.

That’s since if you overload your body with larger-than-normal doses of this vitamin, it will start to build up, possibly causing overdose signs.

It’s essential to keep in mind that it’s unneeded for many people to take vitamin C supplements, as you can quickly get enough by eating fresh foods, especially vegetables and fruits.

Too Much Vitamin C Might Cause Gastrointestinal Symptoms

The most common negative effects of high vitamin C intake is digestion distress.

In basic, these side effects do not take place from eating foods that contain vitamin C, but rather from taking the vitamin in supplement kind.

You’re probably to experience digestion signs if you consume more than 2,000 mg at as soon as. Therefore, a tolerable upper limit (TUL) of 2,000 mg per day has actually been developed.

The most common gastrointestinal signs of excessive vitamin C consumption are diarrhea and nausea.

Excessive intake has likewise been reported to result in heartburn, although this is not supported by evidence.

If you’re experiencing gastrointestinal issues as an outcome of taking too much vitamin C, just cut down your supplement dosage or prevent vitamin C supplements altogether.

Vitamin C Might Trigger Iron Overload

Vitamin C is understood to enhance iron absorption.

It can bind to non-heme iron, which is found in plant foods. Non-heme iron is not soaked up by your body as efficiently as heme iron, the kind of iron discovered in animal products.

Vitamin C binds with non-heme iron, making it a lot easier for your body to take in. This is an essential function, especially for people who get most of their iron from plant-based foods.

One research study in grownups discovered that iron absorption increased by 67% when they took 100 mg of vitamin C with a meal.

Nevertheless, people with conditions that increase the danger of iron build-up in the body, such as hemochromatosis, need to be mindful with vitamin C supplements.

Under these circumstances, taking vitamin C in excess may cause iron overload, which can trigger major damage to your heart, liver, pancreas, thyroid, and central nervous system.

That said, iron overload is highly unlikely if you do not have a condition that increases iron absorption. Furthermore, iron overload is most likely to occur when excess iron is consumed in supplement type.

Taking Supplements in High Doses Might Lead to Kidney Stones

Excess vitamin C is excreted from the body as oxalate, a bodily waste item.

Oxalate typically exits the body by means of urine. Nevertheless, under some situations, oxalate may bind to minerals and type crystals that can cause the development of kidney stones.

Consuming excessive vitamin C has the possible to increase the quantity of oxalate in your urine, thus increasing the threat of establishing kidney stones.

In one research study that had adults take a 1,000-mg vitamin C supplement twice daily for 6 days, the quantity of oxalate they excreted increased by 20%.

High vitamin C intake is not only associated with greater amounts of urinary oxalate but also linked to the development of kidney stones, especially if you take in quantities higher than 2,000 mg.

Reports of kidney failure have likewise been reported in people who have taken more than 2,000 mg in a day. However, this is exceptionally rare, particularly in healthy people.

How Much Vitamin C Is Too Much?

Because vitamin C is water-soluble and your body excretes excess quantities of it within a couple of hours after you consume it, it’s rather difficult to take in too much.

In truth, it is almost impossible for you to get too much vitamin C from your diet plan alone. In healthy people, any extra vitamin C consumed above the suggested everyday quantity merely gets flushed out of the body.

To put it in viewpoint, you would require to consume 29 oranges or 13 bell peppers prior to your intake reached the bearable ceiling.

Nevertheless, the risks of vitamin C overdose are higher when people take supplements, and it is possible to consume excessive of the vitamin in some situations.

For instance, those with conditions that increase the risk of iron overload or are susceptible to kidney stones must be mindful with their vitamin C intake.

All the negative results of vitamin C, consisting of digestion distress and kidney stones, appear to happen when people take it in mega dosages higher than 2,000 mg.

If you select to take a vitamin C supplement, it is best to choose one that includes no greater than 100% of your day-to-day needs. That’s 90 mg per day for men and 75 mg daily for women.

Ali Gadimov
Diet Expert