Some Facts

How much do you really know about vitamin C? Like every other vitamin, it has multiple effects and plays many roles in maintaining our health. More than 40% of older Americans take vitamin C supplements, and as many as 25% of all Americans take them.

Humans Don't Make Vitamin C

You may know that our bodies are unable to manufacture this vitamin, and so we must get it in the food we eat. We don’t store vitamin C, either. Excess amounts are lost in the urine. But did you know that most animals make their own vitamin C?

As a result of what some believe was an unfortunate mutation in our evolutionary history, a few mammalian species lost the ability to manufacture vitamin C. Humans, guinea pigs, primates, guinea pigs, birds, and some bats are examples of this unlucky little group. On the other hand, cats make up to 2800 mg a day, goats up to 13,300 mg, rabbits up to 15,820 mg. While humans vary widely in their daily requirements, age and health can dramatically affect an individual’s needs. The average adult dietary RDA is 60 mg, believe it or not. Keep in mind that this is the level thought to prevent scurvy in an adult human (scurvy, rare in the US, is characterized by bleeding gums and poor wound healing). Keep in mind this does not necessarily mean you are in good health; it just means you escape getting scurvy. Congratulations.