Vitamin C

• Keeps bones, ligaments, teeth, and gums healthy
• Helps the body respond to infections and heal wounds

Recommended Dietary Allowances

• Children
  Ages 1 to 3: 15 mg
  Ages 4 to 8: 25 mg
  Ages 9 to 13: 45 mg
• Women
  Ages 14 to 18: 65 mg
  Age 19 and older: 75 mg
• Men
  Ages 14 to 18: 75 mg
  Age 19 and older: 90 mg
• Pregnant women:
  Age 18 and younger: 80 mg
  Ages 19 to 50: 85 mg
• Nursing mothers
  Age 18 and younger: 115 mg
  Ages 19 to 50: 120 mg

Smokers should get an additional 35 milligrams of vitamin C a day. That's because smoking causes cellular damage.

High intakes of vitamin C may cause diarrhea. For this reason, the Institute of Medicine recommends that adults age 19 and older consume no more than 2,000 milligrams of vitamin C a day.

Good Food Sources: oranges, orange juice, and other citrus fruits and juices; strawberries; cantaloupes; tomatoes; leafy green vegetables, such as spinach and broccoli; peppers; potatoes; cauliflower; cabbage.