Vitamin C supplements could be a perfect solution, especially during flu season to recharge your immune system. According to official recommendations, vitamin C supports the immune system, but intake through supplements is only useful when the daily requirement cannot be reached through food.
Because taking too many supplements can cause a sort of “discomfort” within the body, vitamin C could even become toxic.
Official European guidelines set the tolerable upper limit (UL) at 1,000 mg per day for adults, while in the United States the threshold is 2,000 mg. Above these levels, the risks of side effects increase.
What are the side effects
Toxicity can lead to digestive problems, such as diarrhea and nausea, which occur with intakes of more than 2,000 mg of vitamin C; in case of side effects, the best solution is to stop the supplementation immediately.
Read also: What happens if I take too much vitamin C? Side effects of overdose to watch out for
Taking too much vitamin C can also lead to the formation of kidney stones, as the body excretes this excess vitamin in the form of oxalate; the latter could bind to minerals and form crystals, thus causing the formation of kidney stones, the expulsion of which may also require surgery. Other causes of kidney stones can include not drinking enough fluids and taking certain medications, such as aspirin.
So how can you strengthen your immune system without overdoing it with vitamin C supplements? If you decide not to take vitamin C in supplement form, according to theand NHS guidelines, to strengthen our immune defenses it is best to adopt a healthy lifestyle, i.e. opt for a diet rich in fruit and vegetables, above all limiting the intake of fatty foods and rich added sugars.
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