Vitamin C for Immunity, Skin, and Recovery: Antioxidant Support, Daily Dosing
Overview
Vitamin C is used to:
Support immune function
Protect cells as an antioxidant
Aid collagen formation for skin, gums, joints, and blood vessels
Support recovery during hard training or high stress phases
Most people get some from food and add a low to moderate supplement dose during busy seasons.
Some immune routines also include Zinc for short term support.
What Vitamin C is and how it works
Vitamin C is a water soluble vitamin that:
acts as an antioxidant
supports white blood cell function
is required for collagen synthesis and normal connective tissue
helps with absorption of non heme iron from plant foods
The body does not store much, so regular intake is needed.
What you may notice when you do Vitamin C
Immune support
Slightly fewer or shorter dips when intake is adequate, especially under high stress or heavy training.
Skin, gums, and joints
Supports normal skin quality, gum health, and tissue repair. Severe lack leads to bruising, bleeding gums, and poor wound healing.
Recovery and antioxidant support
Helps manage oxidative stress from hard training and travel when basics are covered.
Safety, dosing and who should be careful
Typical dosing
RDA: about 75 to 90 mg per day.
Common supplemental: 200 to 1,000 mg per day.
Regular multi gram intakes are usually unnecessary.
Side effects
Higher doses can cause:
Stomach upset
Cramps
Diarrhea
If this shows up, lower the dose or split it.
Kidney and iron considerations
Use caution if you:
Have history of kidney stones (especially calcium oxalate)
Have hemochromatosis or iron overload, since Vitamin C increases iron absorption
Product quality
Choose:
Third party tested products
Clear mg per serving
Minimal unnecessary additives
Who should avoid high doses
Be cautious with high dose Vitamin C if you:
have recurrent kidney stones
have iron overload conditions
have significant renal impairment
If symptoms worsen or new pain, blood in urine, or severe GI issues appear, stop and get checked.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is a simple, low cost way to support immunity, collagen, and recovery. Most active adults do well with 200 to 500 mg daily on top of a fruit and vegetable based diet, increasing toward 1,000 mg during heavy stress or travel if tolerated. More is not automatically better. If you sit in a higher risk group, set your dose with a clinician instead of running chronic megadoses.
