When it comes to getting your vitamin C fix through food, it’s only natural to think of oranges. But how much vitamin C is there in an orange, really? While the citrus fruit does contain the crucial nutrient, it’s not the only way to get vitamin C in your life. Here’s what you need to know. Worth pointing out: A ¾-cup serving of orange juice actually contains a little more vitamin C than the actual fruit—it has a concentrated dose of around 93 milligrams of vitamin C. Although, the whole fruit delivers more fiber, especially if you keep the white, spongy pith intact. Adult men aged 19 and up should strive for a baseline intake of 90 milligrams of vitamin C daily, according to the National Academies3, while adult women should consume at least 75 milligrams. That goes up slightly when you’re pregnant (85 milligrams) and breastfeeding (120 milligrams). “These are just general recommendations,” says health coach, registered dietitian, and mbg Collective member Jessica Cording, R.D., CDN. “In terms of what’s considered the optimal amount for you, it can vary. You may have higher needs during different times in your life.” But she notes that at a minimum, you should aim for the RDA. It’s also worth noting, 42% of U.S. adults4 are insufficient in vitamin C (per blood test results), while 118 million American adults are failing to consume adequate amounts of vitamin C5 daily from their diets. (More on that here.) In general, if you take in more vitamin C than you need at that moment, you’ll just pee out the excess, says Zhaoping Li, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Center for Human Nutrition and chief of the Division of Clinical Nutrition at David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. “If you have more than you need, your body will get rid of it.” Li adds, if you have a “megadose,” you may run the risk6 of experiencing unwanted side effects. The National Academies defines the tolerable upper intake level (UL) as 2,000 milligrams per day7. To clarify, the UL is defined as “the highest level of daily nutrient intake that is likely to pose no risk of adverse health effects to almost all individuals in the general population.” (More on those potential health considerations here.) Vitamin C is the body’s primary water-soluble antioxidant, which serves an important role in neutralizing free radicals and combating reactive oxidative species (ROS) throughout the body.* It can even help regenerate8 other antioxidants in your body, like vitamin E and glutathione—which work alongside vitamin C to protect different cells and tissues throughout the body.* Research also suggests that sufficient levels of vitamin C are needed to support memory and cognitive function10.* (You can also check out the full, detailed rundown of benefits here.) And beyond a gap-filling approach, the science on vitamin C demonstrates benefits for higher potency dosing (i.e., 500 mg to 1,000 mg), depending on your goals. For example, when optimizing our immune response11 or for the reduction of C-reactive protein (an inflammatory biomarker) and supporting cardiometabolic health (e.g., blood pressure12), the science on high-potency C dosing is compelling.*
