It’s no secret that vitamins play a critical role in our health, from boosting the immune system to nurturing development. Whenever I am taking moderate to high levels of Vitamin-C – I invariable feel better and recover more quickly from intensive training.
Info
While some vitamins can become toxic with sustained high doses, such as A and D – excessive Vitamin C tends to be excreted. Vitamin C is water-soluble whereas A, D, E, and K are fat-soluble and can accumulate in the body.
We find that smaller, frequent doses of Vitamin C throughout the day are effective whereas you can dose vitamin D only a couple of times per week (in a larger dose) and still increase blood Vit-D levels.
The foods highest in Vitamin C are Papaya, Broccoli, Oranges, Kiwis, Strawberries and Sweet Potatoes. Don’t get pulled into the trap of over examining foods or thinking any one food is ‘super’ or ‘essential’. Most of that is marketing to create demand for products. To exceed the minimum daily requirements is actually easy. Just eat lots of veg, a little fruit, and as many colors as possible and you will have an adequate dosage of Vitamin C.
Uses
Vitamin C is a well-known anti-oxidant. Taken regularly, it keeps our immune system strong, benefits the skin and helps blemishes to heal more quickly.
Vitamin C also helps clear cortisol (the stress hormone) and put your body back into recovery mode quickly after a training session – which is why we will sometimes recommend a large dose as part of a post training supplement stack.
Doses
Dosages can vary according to what you are using it for, your own tolerance, and the quality of the product.
Product Quality:
Ascorbic acid supplements are cheap but often too harsh for people to tolerate – hence some people complain of stomach problems when taking it.
We find that high quality, slow release products (such as the Poliquin Uber C) can be tolerated in much more useful dosage sizes by most people.
Naturopaths, Dieticians and Doctors are able to help with dosing – but as a general rule we use low doses for daily intake and supporting your immune system; we use moderate doses for overcoming colds or when we are run down; and higher doses for post workout cortisol management. For general well being I don’t think anyone would argue with 1000 mg of supplemental Vitamin C per day.