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Vitamin C intake calculator: how much per day

Short answer

Adults need 90 mg of vitamin C a day if male and 75 mg if female, 85 mg in pregnancy and 120 mg while breastfeeding. People who smoke need 35 mg more. The upper limit for adults is 2,000 mg a day from food and supplements together.

Last reviewed 28 October 20261 published sourcesNot medical advice

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Vitamin C intake calculator

For anyone aged 1 or over. Infant values are in the table below.

Vitamin C RDAs by age and life stage
Age	Male	Female	Pregnant / breastfeeding
0–6 months	40 mg*	40 mg*	—
7–12 months	50 mg*	50 mg*	—
1–3 years	15 mg	15 mg	—
4–8 years	25 mg	25 mg	—
9–13 years	45 mg	45 mg	—
14–18 years	75 mg	65 mg	80 mg / 115 mg
19+ years	90 mg	75 mg	85 mg / 120 mg

* Adequate Intake for infants. People who smoke need 35 mg a day more (NIH ODS: Vitamin C fact sheet).

Vitamin C upper limits (food and supplements)
Age	Upper limit
0–12 months	Not possible to set
1–3 years	400 mg
4–8 years	650 mg
9–13 years	1,200 mg
14–18 years	1,800 mg
19+ years	2,000 mg

The same limits apply in pregnancy and breastfeeding. Formula and food should be the only sources of vitamin C for infants (NIH ODS: Vitamin C fact sheet).

Where the numbers come from

The Recommended Dietary Allowances come from the Food and Nutrition Board, and the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements publishes them in its vitamin C fact sheet. They are based on vitamin C's roles in white blood cells and as an antioxidant, and sit well above the amount needed to prevent deficiency (NIH ODS: Vitamin C fact sheet).

High doses can cause diarrhea, nausea and abdominal cramps, which is why the upper limit for adults is 2,000 mg a day (NIH ODS: Vitamin C fact sheet).

Fitting it into your diet

Fruit and vegetables supply most vitamin C. Plan your plate with the macro calculator and check your fiber intake at the same time.

See what your meals add up to

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Common questions

How much vitamin C do I need a day?

The RDA is 90 mg for men and 75 mg for women aged 19 and over, 75 mg and 65 mg for boys and girls aged 14–18, and less for younger children. Pregnancy raises it to 80–85 mg and breastfeeding to 115–120 mg.

Why do smokers need more vitamin C?

The Food and Nutrition Board concluded that people who smoke need 35 mg more vitamin C a day than people who do not. People who smoke have lower vitamin C levels in their blood, partly because of increased oxidative stress.

Can you take too much vitamin C?

The upper limit for adults is 2,000 mg a day. Regularly going above it can cause diarrhea, nausea, abdominal cramps and other stomach upsets.

Sources

Figures on this page were checked against these publications on 28 October 2026.

Office of Dietary Supplements, National Institutes of Health. Vitamin C: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. Updated July 31, 2025. ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminC-HealthProfessional/

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