It’s that time of the year again. The temperature is cold and the days are progressively getting shorter. What does this mean? This means a lot more time being spent indoors. Indoor locations are breeding grounds for bacteria and infection. When more people spend time together in a confined area, they have a much better chance of getting sick. This is the main reason why so many people get sick in the winter. What is the one thing that most people say to take in order to avoid getting sick? If you guessed “Vitamin C,” then you my friends are correct!! Vitamin C is a magical vitamin, but it still can be dangerous if taken improperly.

Vitamin C has been known in high doses to cause kidney stones and other kidney related problems. There is also evidence that too much vitamin C in the intestinal tract can cause it to become a pro-oxidant. For those unfamiliar with pro-oxidants, anti-oxidants have been shown to help prevent cancer while pro-oxidants have been known to promote cancer.

How should you avoid these dangers of vitamin C while trying to stay healthy this winter season? You should be consuming a minimum of 90 mg per day and a maximum of 2000 mg per day. Vitamin C should be in every diet and can be extremely beneficial, but as I always say in nutrition, too much of a good thing can be bad as well. If you are under the impression that higher doses of vitamin C can help you recover from a sickness, you are completely wrong. Your body can only use so much vitamin C in a given time, so your kidneys will have to work harder to break down the vitamin c and it will just dispose of the remains. Always make sure you follow dietary recommendations before taking a vitamin. Vitamin C has a good reputation, so let’s try to keep it that way by not abusing it.

-Tom