Vitamin C is an antioxidant that the human body cannot synthesize and is supplemented from drugs and food. Vitamin C plays an important role in the body, maintaining the health of skin, cartilage, teeth, bones and blood vessels. Vitamin C is available in the form of solutions, powders, effervescent tablets, and tablets. Effervescent tablets are the most commonly consumed form because they are separated into individual tablets, often formulated with various flavors, making them easier to use. Knowing the amount of vitamin C in each effervescent tablet and when to use them keeps us from unwanted effects.
1. The body's need for vitamin C
Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant, boosts the immune system and has many health benefits. Vitamin C should be used at the recommended dosage, depending on age, gender, pregnancy or breastfeeding status, smoking, and your current vitamin C levels.
The following are the Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA) for vitamin C:
- Children (1-3 years old): 15mg
- Children (4-8 years old): 25mg
- Adolescents (9-13 years old): 45mg
- Adolescents (14-18 years old): 65-75 mg
- Adult women (from 19 years old): 75mg
- Adult men (from 19 years old): 90mg
- Pregnant women (from 19 years old): 85mg
- Breastfeeding women (from 19 years old): 120mg
For convenience and easy memorization, some experts recommend that the vitamin C requirement for adults is about 60mg regardless of gender.
Some cases need to be aware such as:
- For smokers, the optimal dose is more than 35mg compared to the standard dose.
- Patients with kidney stones should not use too much vitamin C.
- Hypertensive patients should not use effervescent tablets containing vitamin C. Because effervescent tablets contain a large amount of sodium, which causes water retention, increasing blood pressure.
- People with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency: A large amount of vitamin C can lead to rupture of erythrocytes, so you should not supplement too much vitamin C.
2. How many mg of vitamin C is in an effervescent tablet?
Effervescent vitamin C tablets are the most common form of effervescent medicine today. When an effervescent tablet is put into water, it will fizz and release a lot of gas, causing the tablet to dissolve completely in the water to form a solution.
In addition to vitamin C, effervescent tablets also support other ingredients such as vitamins B1, B6, B12, etc. to help the body reduce fatigue.
Currently on the market, there are many types with different levels of vitamin C such as 100mg, 200mg, 500mg, however, the most common dosage used by people is 1000mg. This dose is 16 times higher than the recommended daily nutritional requirement for vitamin C.
2.1 Benefits of using effervescent vitamin C tablets
Effervescent vitamin C tablets are made from organic ascorbic acid combined with a carbonated source, dissolving in water to form salts of potassium, sodium, calcium or magnesium of the acid and CO2 gas, combined with some excipients to accelerate the ability to dissolve in water and enhance absorption in the body, thus easily entering the stomach.
- Better and faster absorption: Unlike regular tablets that dissolve slowly in the stomach, so absorption is slow or reduced, effervescent tablets are pre-dissolved in water so that the ingredients are absorbed quickly and completely, studies show that the components of vitamin C effervescent tablets enter the blood within 15 minutes.
- Increase the amount of water the body absorbs: on average, each adult needs to supplement 1.5-2 liters of water per day. Drinking effervescent vitamin C tablets, in addition to providing vitamin C and necessary vitamins, also helps you supplement the amount of water that your body is lacking due to dehydration and electrolyte loss due to fever, excessive sweating.
- Convenient for people who often choke: some people have difficulty swallowing pills or capsules, especially when they are sick. Effervescent tablets are a suitable alternative for these people.
- Suitable for use in the elderly and young children: in addition to vitamin C, it also contains flavoring agents to create different flavors, making it easy to drink.
2.2 Side effects of using too much effervescent vitamin C
Drinking effervescent vitamin C tablets helps you supplement the necessary vitamins and water for your body. Vitamin C is safe for most people. However, the amount of vitamin C in effervescent tablets is often higher than the recommended nutritional requirement, causing you to overdose without knowing it. Some side effects of taking too much vitamin C are:
Vitamin C can cause common side effects such as stomach cramps, nausea, heartburn, diarrhea, and headache. The higher the dose, the greater the likelihood of these side effects. Taking more than 2000 mg per day can cause kidney stones due to the excretion of oxalate and uric acid in the urine. In people with a history of kidney stones, taking more than 1000 mg per day has increased the risk of kidney stones.
3. How to use effervescent vitamin C tablets properly
Effervescent vitamin C tablets bring many health benefits and help to supplement vitamin C quickly if used correctly. Instructions for using and storing vitamin C correctly:
- Take 01 effervescent vitamin C tablet/day. It is best to take it when the body is deficient in vitamin C or when you need to boost your immunity when you have a cold.
- It is best to take effervescent vitamin C in the morning after a full meal, do not take effervescent vitamin C in the evening as it has a mild stimulating effect that can cause difficulty sleeping. To limit this side effect, you should use it before 4 pm and must be taken after meals.
- You should not take vitamin C on an empty stomach, as it can irritate the stomach.
- Store vitamin C in a closed container and in a moisture-proof bag, in a dry place, at a temperature below 25 degrees C, avoid direct sunlight.
- Shellfish such as shrimp contain many arsenic compounds, which when ingested with vitamin C can form arsenic that can be fatal. Therefore, when eating shellfish living in water, you should not take vitamin C.
Vitamin C plays an important role in immune function, helping the body to develop and function normally. Most experts recommend that you supplement vitamin C from your diet rather than supplements. Good sources of vitamin C include fresh fruits and vegetables, especially citrus fruits. Vitamin C is used as a supplement in people with low levels when they do not get enough vitamin from their diet. Most people who eat a balanced diet do not need additional vitamin C from effervescent tablets.
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