Vitamin C (Ascorbic acid)

Why do we need vitamin C?

Vitamin C is needed to make a material called collagen it also helps to absorb iron in the body.

Sources of vitamin C

Vitamin C is found in the following foods: citrus fruits, ham, green beans, water melon, Canadian Bacon, black beans and potatoes. Although potatoes only contain small amounts of vitamin C they supply us with a large proportion of our vitamin C as we eat a lot of them.

What happens if I eat too much?

There is no known side effects for eating too much vitamin C.

What happens if I don't eat enough?

If you don't eat enough vitamin C you may get one of the following: scurvy, resulting in the loss of appetite, depression, irritability and bleeding to the gums and loss of teeth it also could lead to wounds not healing properly. Scurvy was common in the 18th century in sailors as they had no citrus fruits for months on end.

How much should I have?

An 11-14 year should have about 60 mg (60 000 µg) per day.