Quick answer

Women need 75 mg of vitamin C a day from age 19 on, and the amount does not change at 40, 50, 60 or 70. Pregnancy raises it to 85 mg and breastfeeding to 120 mg, and women who smoke need 35 mg more. The upper limit is 2,000 mg a day.^1,2

Key facts

In the 2001 to 2002 national survey, women took in about 84 mg of vitamin C a day from food and drink.¹
Women aged 19 to 50 need 18 mg of iron a day, more than twice the 8 mg men need, and vitamin C raises absorption of iron from plant foods.³
The 2,000 mg upper limit also applies in pregnancy and while breastfeeding.¹
Vegetarians need almost twice as much iron, because the iron in plant foods is absorbed less well.³

How much women need

Vitamin C for women and girls, per day^1,2
Stage	Recommended	Upper limit
Girls 9 to 13	45 mg	1,200 mg
Girls 14 to 18	65 mg	1,800 mg
Women 19 and older	75 mg	2,000 mg
Pregnancy	85 mg, or 80 mg under 19	2,000 mg, or 1,800 mg under 19
Breastfeeding	120 mg, or 115 mg under 19	2,000 mg, or 1,800 mg under 19
Women who smoke	Add 35 mg	2,000 mg

The figure stays the same from 19 onward, so a woman of 30 and a woman of 70 have the same target. What changes with age is the chance of falling short. NIH lists some older people on low incomes who prepare their own food among the groups likely to get too little.¹

What a study in young women found

The recommended amount for women was first worked out from data in men. A later NIH study kept healthy young women in hospital for about six months and gave them fixed doses from 30 to 2,500 mg a day.⁴

In healthy young women kept on controlled diets, blood and circulating cells were saturated at 400 mg a day, and higher doses were passed in urine.⁴

Its authors proposed raising the amount for young women to 90 mg, the same as for men. The official figure has stayed at 75 mg. In the same study, markers of the body's own oxidative damage in blood and urine did not change at any dose.^1,4

Vitamin C and iron

Iron needs differ sharply between women and men. Women aged 19 to 50 need 18 mg a day, pregnancy raises that to 27 mg, and from 51 the figure drops to 8 mg, the same as for men.³

Increases iron absorption*^1,3,5,6

Moderate evidence

A well-established nutrient function, permitted in this wording by EU regulators for foods that are at least a source of vitamin C. NIH says vitamin C raises absorption of nonheme iron, the form in plant foods and fortified foods, and that mixed diets with meat, seafood and vitamin C let the body absorb about 14% to 18% of their iron, against 5% to 12% for vegetarian diets. In a typical Western diet these effects make little difference to most people's iron status.

Amount studied: Vitamin C eaten in the same meal as plant sources of iron

Vitamin C and skin

Contributes to normal collagen formation for the normal function of skin, gums, teeth, bones, cartilage and blood vessels*^1,5,7

Moderate evidence

A well-established nutrient function. NIH states that vitamin C is required to make collagen, an essential part of connective tissue, and EU regulators permit this wording, as six separate statements, for foods that are at least a source of vitamin C. Normal skin holds high levels of vitamin C. The claim describes what the body needs vitamin C for. It does not show that extra vitamin C changes how skin looks in someone who already gets enough, and how creams and serums compare with getting enough in the diet is poorly understood.

Amount studied: Recommended intake: 75 mg a day for women and 90 mg for men, from food and supplements

How well vitamin C applied to the skin works, compared with getting enough in the diet, is poorly understood.⁷

The evidence on this page is for vitamin C taken by mouth, not for serums or creams put on the skin.⁷

Who should ask first

Women with hemochromatosis, an inherited condition in which the body stores too much iron. NIH says people with it should avoid vitamin C supplements.³
Women who have had kidney stones, because high intakes raise oxalate in urine.¹
Women who use a blood glucose meter, since high intakes might cause false readings on some meters.⁸
Women having chemotherapy or radiation therapy, or taking levothyroxine.^1,8

Questions people ask

Do women over 50 need more vitamin C?

No. The recommended amount stays at 75 mg a day from 19 onward, and women who smoke need 35 mg more at any age.^1,2

How much vitamin C is recommended in pregnancy?

85 mg a day, or 80 mg for those under 19, rising to 120 mg while breastfeeding. The upper limit stays at 2,000 mg a day, or 1,800 mg under 19. Ask your doctor or midwife before taking more than the recommended amount.¹

Should I take vitamin C with an iron supplement?

Vitamin C raises absorption of nonheme iron, the form found in plant foods and fortified foods. In a typical Western diet that makes little difference to most people's iron status. If you take iron on a doctor's advice, ask them how best to take it.^1,6

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*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

This page is information, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about your own situation.