According to many experts, the risk of overdosing of vitamin C is relatively low, and regular consumption of even large doses of this substance is not associated with the risk of poisoning. However, it is worth knowing that high levels of ascorbic acid in the body can cause uncomfortable symptoms. Among them, the most frequently mentioned are various skin rashes and a number of troublesome consequences from the gastrointestinal tract, such as abdominal pain, nausea, diarrhea, flatulence, vomiting, as well as long-lasting heartburn.
How to reduce the effects of a vitamin C overdose?
The best method is to maintain a varied diet, which will help maintain optimal levels of vitamin C and reduce the risk of overdosing. Although the effects do not seem dangerous, in the long run they can be extremely burdensome to the body. It is also worth mentioning that an excessive amount of ascorbic acid is converted into oxalic acid, which, together with calcium, may result in an increased risk of developing stones in the urinary tract. Therefore, it is worthwhile to adhere to the optimal requirements, which in the case of an average adult person is about 1 mg/kg body weight.
How can you avoid a vitamin C overdose?
Unfortunately, the diet may not be sufficient to maintain an adequate level of vitamin C, especially in the case of people using medications and products with acetylsalicylic acid, smokers and all those suffering from hypertension or atherosclerosis. Athletes and recreational trainees must also take care of its adequate supply, which will allow to maintain the correct functioning of the immune system. What is more, ascorbic acid from natural sources (such as citrus fruit, spinach, onion, tomatoes) is not fully assimilated. Therefore, it is worth to reach for supplements, which were developed with the necessary precision and carefully measured amount of ascorbic acid! Thanks to this, the diet will be enriched with an optimal dose of this necessary active substance, without the risk of overdosing.
Olimp Sport Nutrition recommends the Vita-Min Multiple Sport, which for many years has been the choice of beginners and experienced enthusiasts of an active lifestyle! The product is a complex combination of essential minerals (in the form of easily assimilable Albion® amino acid chelates) and vitamins (including the unique form of PureWay-C®), which were used in optimally adjusted dosages.
The capsules were additionally enriched with alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) and numerous plant extracts (including green tea, nettle and pumpkin seed extracts). The product was produced in a modern research and development centre of the Olimp Laboratories pharmaceutical company, using an innovative production technology and microbiologically pure raw materials, which enabled the manufacturer to create a supplement of high quality!
Guest Post by Dr. Thomas E. Levy
The evidence says, “vitamin C is safer than drinking water.” Researchers have documented lethal overdoses of water,1 yet no lethal dose has been found for vitamin C. 2
There’s not a single drug — prescription or over-the-counter — that can claim that level of safety. As well, there are few other nutritive supplements that can even approach the safety of any amount of vitamin C. Vitamin C is an essential nutrient and important for your diet since humans are one of the few mammals that does not produce or store vitamin C.
No Such Thing as Too Much Vitamin C
According to an article published in the Journal of the American Medical Association3, 106,000 patients died in hospitals in 1994 from drug reactions. This figure has remained unchanged for 30 years. That means from 1965 – 1994, over 3 million people died in hospitals because of prescription drugs!
In contrast, high-dose vitamin C has been widely used since the late 1940’s without a confirmed report of any dosage level that will result in serious adverse effects. In fact, in 11 studies with high-dose vitamin C no side effects were reported.
Too Much Vitamin C
Regardless of any claims to the contrary, no one who has done a critical appraisal of the scientific literature can say anything other than, “Vitamin C is one of the safest substances on earth.”
First things first: How exactly does the nutrient help keep you healthy? "Vitamin C is one of the most important nutrients for the body because it’s the body's primary nutrient for fuel," Dr. Levy says. According to him, vitamin C plays a crucial role in fighting free radicals, metabolizing protein, synthesizing collagen (which ultimate benefitting your skin and gut), and helping with iron absorption.
And because the body does not make its own vitamin C or store it, you need to consume it regularly. The National Institute of Health (NIH) requirements state that the average, healthy person needs 90 mg a day, but Patel says most of the testimonial research he's looked at suggests a much higher amount. "The 90 mg will make sure you're not actually deficient, but you really want to be consuming around 250 or 400 mg a day to stay healthy," he says.
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But if you're sick or exercising a ton, you need more, between 700 to 800 mg. "If you're training for a half marathon or working out for an extended period of time, after your work out, your immune system is actually compromised a bit," he says. "Exercise is fantastic for the body, but it does stress it out a bit." Pro tip: Patel says to pair your vitamin C with electrolytes for even better absorption.
Can you overdose on vitamin C?
"You can reach too high levels of vitamin C," Patel says, saying for adults this means 2,000 mg a day (or 1,000 mg for kids). He explains that when you have too much, two things can happen. One is that you can experience cramping and gastrointestinal issues. Not fun, but not exactly the end of the world.
The other is that it can interrupt your normal cell signaling, which is how your brain communicates with every part of your body, controlling everything from lifting a finger to going for a run. "What we’ve found is that since vitamin C is such a powerful antioxidant, when you start consuming high amounts of it, it actually disrupts that signaling from your brain to the rest of your body," Patel says. "A lot of studies have recently shown that it can actually affect your exercise ability and endurance capacity."
Dr. Levy, however, somewhat disagrees. "People are vastly more at risk of not getting enough vitamin C than getting too much," he says. He makes a fair point: Consuming 2,000 mg isn't exactly easy to do (for perspective, one orange has about 70 mg of vitamin C).
And if you do manage to down a couple gallons of OJ, Dr. Levy isn't all that concerned. "You would just excrete it out," he says. "The best way to tell how much you need is by experimenting with different doses and then seeing how you feel and how your blood tests [check out]."
Here's what else your body needs when you're sick and after a workout.
Tags: Vitamins and Supplements
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