Vitamin C Dosage
How Much Is Right For You?

Most of us are not getting the vitamin C dosage we need for good health.

This is because illness, trauma, stress, and injury all use up large quantities of vitamin C in animals, including us humans.

But the main difference between us and other animals is that we've lost the ability to make our own vitamin C.

So since our liver cannot make ascorbic acid, we have to get it from our diet. The question then becomes how much of a vitamin C dosage do we need?

Comparing Our Vitamin C Need to Other Species

The best we can do is look to other related species that also cannot make vitamin C.

The great apes fit the bill as they are our closest living relatives according to evolutionary theory. The great apes need between 2-6 grams (2,000 – 6,000 mg) of vitamin C per day under normal healthy conditions - that's a huge difference from the RDA suggested amount of 90 mg.

And what about the vast majority of other animals that are able to manufacture vitamin C in their bodies? They simply increase the amount as needed in times of stress, illness, and injury.

It is very telling that most animals can make up to 10 times their daily amount when their health requires it.

A well known example of an animal that makes its own vitamin C is the goat. It averages about 13 grams (13,000 mg) per day under normal circumstances. When it needs to it can make many times more than that per day.

So how much of a vitamin C dosage do we humans need? It depends on many things such as diet, age, stress level, overall health, amount of exposure to pollutants, and other variables.

An average amount is around 1-4 grams per day for a healthy individual. People with health problems will more than likely need much more (which gets into the vitamin C megadose category).

The good news is that you can tailor your dosage to your specific needs by doing a vitamin C flush.

Just keep in mind most vitamin C brands are made from GMO (genetically modified) corn. For vitamin C tablets and crystals that aren't GMO, see best vitamin C.

And don't worry about a vitamin C overdose. You'll know when you’ve had enough to fully saturate your body because you'll get diarrhea. Back off the dose and the loose bowels will quickly remedy themselves.

Don't worry about vitamin C side effects with these large doses either – this vitamin is very safe at incredibly high doses.