Vitamin C
What it is · too little · too much · daily reference values by country
For reference only. This is not a diagnosis or a prescription. If you have concerns, talk to a doctor or pharmacist.
What it is
- Vitamin C works as an antioxidant, acts as a cofactor in making connective tissue and hormones, supports immune function, and promotes iron absorption, among other functions. (Korea Ministry of Health and Welfare · Korean Nutrition Society)
- Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin which plays an important part of the antioxidant network of the body. (European Food Safety Authority)
- In the body, vitamin C acts as an antioxidant, helping to protect cells from the damage caused by free radicals. (US National Institutes of Health)
Wording taken from the NIH ODS fact sheet by SuppleBoard, with some details left out.
- The body also needs vitamin C to make collagen, a protein required to help wounds heal. (US National Institutes of Health)
Wording taken from the NIH ODS fact sheet by SuppleBoard, with some details left out.
- Vitamin C improves the absorption of iron from plant-based foods and helps the immune system work properly to protect the body from disease. (US National Institutes of Health)
Wording taken from the NIH ODS fact sheet by SuppleBoard, with some details left out.
Getting too little
- If vitamin C intake is too low, scurvy can occur, and weakened immunity can lead to infections, pneumonia, and more. (Korea Ministry of Health and Welfare · Korean Nutrition Society)
- Deficiency in vitamin C can result in scurvy, a condition destabilising the connective tissue collagen and bones. (European Food Safety Authority)
- Vitamin C deficiency is rare in the United States and Canada. People who get little or no vitamin C for many weeks can get scurvy. Scurvy causes fatigue, inflammation of the gums, small red or purple spots on the skin, joint pain, poor wound healing, and corkscrew hairs. (US National Institutes of Health)
Wording taken from the NIH ODS fact sheet by SuppleBoard, with some details left out.
Getting too much
- The main symptoms that can appear when too much vitamin C is taken are digestive problems such as nausea, bloating, and diarrhea. (Korea Ministry of Health and Welfare · Korean Nutrition Society)
- Taking too much vitamin C can cause diarrhea, nausea, and stomach cramps. In people with a condition called hemochromatosis, which causes the body to store too much iron, high doses of vitamin C could worsen iron overload and damage body tissues. (US National Institutes of Health)
Wording taken from the NIH ODS fact sheet by SuppleBoard, with some details left out.
Daily reference values by country
Korea · US · EU — tap to open
These tables are daily reference values for healthy people. Numbers in the text above are a different kind of value, and you cannot diagnose yourself from them. How to read RDA, AI and UL
Korea — 2025 Dietary Reference Intakes for Koreans (Ministry of Health and Welfare)
| Group | EAR | RNI | AI | UL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–5 months | 40 mg | |||
| 6–11 months | 55 mg | |||
| 1–2 years | 30 mg | 40 mg | 340 mg | |
| 3–5 years | 35 mg | 45 mg | 510 mg | |
| Male · 6–8 years | 40 mg | 50 mg | 750 mg | |
| Male · 9–11 years | 55 mg | 70 mg | 1100 mg | |
| Male · 12–14 years | 70 mg | 90 mg | 1400 mg | |
| Male · 15–18 years | 80 mg | 100 mg | 1600 mg | |
| Male · 19–29 years | 75 mg | 100 mg | 2000 mg | |
| Male · 30–49 years | 75 mg | 100 mg | 2000 mg | |
| Male · 50–64 years | 75 mg | 100 mg | 2000 mg | |
| Male · 65–74 years | 75 mg | 100 mg | 2000 mg | |
| Male · 75+ years | 75 mg | 100 mg | 2000 mg | |
| Female · 6–8 years | 40 mg | 50 mg | 750 mg | |
| Female · 9–11 years | 55 mg | 70 mg | 1100 mg | |
| Female · 12–14 years | 70 mg | 90 mg | 1400 mg | |
| Female · 15–18 years | 80 mg | 100 mg | 1600 mg | |
| Female · 19–29 years | 75 mg | 100 mg | 2000 mg | |
| Female · 30–49 years | 75 mg | 100 mg | 2000 mg | |
| Female · 50–64 years | 75 mg | 100 mg | 2000 mg | |
| Female · 65–74 years | 75 mg | 100 mg | 2000 mg | |
| Female · 75+ years | 75 mg | 100 mg | 2000 mg | |
| Pregnancy | +10 mg | +10 mg | 2000 mg | |
| Lactation | +35 mg | +40 mg | 2000 mg |
- UL — applies to: Total intake from supplements and food (food and supplements combined)
US — NASEM (National Academies)
| Group | EAR | RDA | AI | UL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1–3 years | 13 mg | 15 mg | 400 mg | |
| 4–8 years | 22 mg | 25 mg | 650 mg | |
| Male · 9–13 years | 39 mg | 45 mg | 1200 mg | |
| Male · 14–18 years | 63 mg | 75 mg | 1800 mg | |
| Male · 19–30 years | 75 mg | 90 mg | 2000 mg | |
| Male · 31–50 years | 75 mg | 90 mg | 2000 mg | |
| Male · 51–70 years | 75 mg | 90 mg | 2000 mg | |
| Male · 71+ years | 75 mg | 90 mg | 2000 mg | |
| Female · 9–13 years | 39 mg | 45 mg | 1200 mg | |
| Female · 14–18 years | 56 mg | 65 mg | 1800 mg | |
| Female · 19–30 years | 60 mg | 75 mg | 2000 mg | |
| Female · 31–50 years | 60 mg | 75 mg | 2000 mg | |
| Female · 51–70 years | 60 mg | 75 mg | 2000 mg | |
| Female · 71+ years | 60 mg | 75 mg | 2000 mg | |
| Pregnancy · 14–18 years | 66 mg | 80 mg | 1800 mg | |
| Pregnancy · 19–30 years | 70 mg | 85 mg | 2000 mg | |
| Pregnancy · 31–50 years | 70 mg | 85 mg | 2000 mg | |
| Lactation · 14–18 years | 96 mg | 115 mg | 1800 mg | |
| Lactation · 19–30 years | 100 mg | 120 mg | 2000 mg | |
| Lactation · 31–50 years | 100 mg | 120 mg | 2000 mg | |
| 0–6 months | 40 mg | — | ||
| 7–12 months | 50 mg | — |
- UL — applies to: Unless otherwise specified, the UL represents total intake from food, water, and supplements.
EU — EFSA (European Food Safety Authority)
| Group | AR | PRI | UL |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7–11 months | 20 mg | ||
| 1–3 years | 15 mg | 20 mg | |
| 4–6 years | 25 mg | 30 mg | |
| 7–10 years | 40 mg | 45 mg | |
| 11–14 years | 60 mg | 70 mg | |
| Male · 15–17 years | 85 mg | 100 mg | |
| Female · 15–17 years | 75 mg | 90 mg | |
| Male · 18+ years | 90 mg | 110 mg | |
| Female · 18+ years | 80 mg | 95 mg | |
| Pregnancy · 18–60 years | 105 mg | ||
| Lactation · 18–60 years | 140 mg | 155 mg | |
| 18+ years | — | ||
| Pregnancy · 18+ years | — | ||
| Lactation · 18+ years | — |
Sources
- EFSA DRV Finder (Dietary Reference Values) · checked 2026-10-07
- EFSA DRV Finder — nutrient descriptions · checked 2026-10-07
- EFSA Overview on Tolerable Upper Intake Levels (v11, August 2025) · checked 2026-10-07
- 2025 Dietary Reference Intakes for Koreans, Vol. 2: Vitamins (Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare · The Korean Nutrition Society; in Korean) · checked 2026-10-07
- 2025 Dietary Reference Intakes for Koreans — summary tables (Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare · The Korean Nutrition Society; in Korean) · checked 2026-10-07
- NASEM Dietary Reference Intakes summary tables (Appendix J, 2019) · checked 2026-10-07
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements — Vitamin C Fact Sheet for Consumers · checked 2026-10-13
The sentences are plain-language summaries of official sources written by SuppleBoard. Each English sentence was checked against the source text by an AI reviewer before publishing. The agencies do not endorse this site. Published 2026-10-16.