Primary function: Antioxidant; enzyme cofactor for carnitine, collagen, neurotransmitter biosynthesis; modulates absorption, transport, storage of iron.
Selected sources: Citrus fruits, sweet peppers, kiwifruit, broccoli, strawberries, brussels sprouts, cantaloupe.
Dietary Reference Intake
- 0-6 mo: 40 mg/day; Info: upper limit not established, potential for adverse effects w/ high intake; only sources of intake should be breastmilk, formula, and food
- 7-11 mo: 50 mg/day; Info: upper limit not established, potential for adverse effects w/ high intake; only sources of intake should be breastmilk, formula, and food
- 1-3 yo: 15 mg/day; Info: total intake >400 mg/day assoc. w/ incr. adverse effects
- 4-8 yo: 25 mg/day; Info: total intake >650 mg/day assoc. w/ incr. adverse effects
- 9-13 yo: 45 mg/day; Info: total intake >1200 mg/day assoc. w/ incr. adverse effects
- 14-18 yo, females: 65 mg/day; Info: incr. to 80 mg/day if pregnant, 115 mg/day if breastfeeding; total intake >1800 mg/day assoc. w/ incr. adverse effects
- 14-18 yo, males: 75 mg/day; Info: total intake >1800 mg/day assoc. w/ incr. adverse effects
- 19 yo and older, females: 75 mg/day; Info: incr. to 85 mg/day if pregnant, 120 mg/day if breastfeeding; total intake >2000 mg/day assoc. w/ incr. adverse effects
- 19 yo and older, males: 90 mg/day; Info: total intake >2000 mg/day assoc. w/ incr. adverse effects
Vitamin C functions physiologically as a water-soluble antioxidant by virtue of its high reducing power. It is a cofactor for enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of collagen, carnitine, and neurotransmitters in vitro, and it can quench a variety of reactive oxygen species and reactive nitrogen species in aqueous environments.
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