How Much Vitamin C per Day for All Ages & Gender & pregnancy
Intake recommendations for every vitamin including vitamin C are present in the dietary reference intakes (DRIs) by the Food and Nutrition Board (FNB) under the supervision of Institute of Medicine of national Academies. Dietary Reference Intake (DRI) is the general term for a group of reference value that are in practice for assessing and planning the nutrient intakes of normal or healthy people. These values of vitamin C may vary by age, gender, or in pregnancy and in order to understand that, we must look at the following terms:
- Adequate Intake (AI): The experts establish AI when there is no enough evidence to develop RDA. Intake at this stage assumes to ensure nutritional adequacy.
- Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA): Intake of average daily level that is sufficient to fulfill the nutrient requirements of almost all healthy individuals.
- Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL): Maximum intake per day that is unlikely to cause any adverse health effects.
- Estimated Average Requirement (EAR): Average level of daily intake that estimates to fulfill the requirements if 50% of the healthy individuals. EAR usually assesses the nutrient intakes of certain groups of people and plan nutritionally adequate diets for these groups.
The RDAs for vitamin C usually base on its known antioxidant and physiological function in white blood cells and are much greater than the amount you need for protection against vitamin C deficiency. In case of infants from birth to 12 months, the Food and Nutrition Board establishes an AI for vitamin C which is equal to the mean intake of vitamin C among healthy breastfed infants.
| Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) for Vitamin C | ||||
| Age | Male | Female | Pregnancy | Lactation |
| 0–6 months | 40 mg* | 40 mg* | ||
| 7–12 months | 50 mg* | 50 mg* | ||
| 1–3 years | 15 mg | 15 mg | ||
| 4–8 years | 25 mg | 25 mg | ||
| 9–13 years | 45 mg | 45 mg | ||
| 14–18 years | 75 mg | 65 mg | 80 mg | 115 mg |
| 19+ years | 90 mg | 75 mg | 85 mg | 120 mg |
| Smokers | People who smoke require 35 mg/day more vitamin C than nonsmokers. |
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* Adequate Intake (AI)