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Zuletzt aktualisiert am 23.05.2026
Vitamin C is probably the best-known vitamin of the entire nutrient range. But have you ever thought about how much vitamin C you actually need per day? In this article, we look at the daily vitamin C requirement and explain directly how you can easily meet your needs.
We also explain how vitamin C overdose can occur and how to avoid it.
Your knowledge to go: daily vitamin C requirement
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Vitamin C performs in our body many important tasks such as normal collagen formation or the reduction of tiredness – therefore, an adequate intake is very important.
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Especially Fruits and Vegetables contain a lot of vitamin C. The "5 a day rule" helps you to get enough vitamin C.
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Women from 19 years need about 95 mg vitamin C per day, Men from 19 years 110 mg.
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For Pregnant women, breastfeeding women, and smokers different values apply.
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Supplements can help to meet the daily vitamin C requirement for adults.
What is vitamin C?
Vitamin C is – surprise – a vitamin that plays a big role in our diet. It belongs to the water-soluble vitamins and is also called ascorbic acid.
What does vitamin C do in our body?
Vitamin C contributes…
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for a normal function of the immune system
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for reduction of tiredness and fatigue
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for normal collagen formation for normal function of bones, teeth, skin, and cartilage
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for a normal energy metabolism
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for a normal function of the nervous system
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for normal psychological function
… in.
This vitamin C effect is also the reason why many pay attention to their vitamin C intake and some even use supplements to meet their daily vitamin C requirement.
But how much vitamin C do you actually need per day? Let's take a closer look:
Vitamin C daily requirement
So what is the daily requirement for vitamin C? Unfortunately, it is not that simple to answer because the value is not the same for everyone but varies depending on gender, life stage & more.
We can conclude: Women from 19 years need about 95 mg of vitamin C per day, men even 110 mg.
In the following table, you get a good overview of the daily vitamin C requirements for different groups.
Our vitamin C table:
For Children and Adolescents different values apply again. These are staggered according to age and can be viewed, for example, at the DGE.
The question that probably concerns us all now: Why is the daily vitamin C requirement for smokers so much higher? Well, the vitamin neutralizes them as an antioxidant free radicals. And smokers have especially many free radicals in their bodies due to smoking. Vitamin C therefore has to work overtime and more is simply needed to get all the work done.
Back to the table: The amount of 95 or even 155 mg of vitamin C can sound either very much or very little – but how much is it really, calculated in foods?
Where is vitamin C found? | Top 12 vitamin C foods
Many associate vitamin C with lemons, oranges & co. But did you know that there are foods that contain even more vitamin C?
Basically, fruits and vegetables are of course the top contenders! Here you see our favorites.
Table: Foods high in vitamin C
The problem: I personally don’t eat nettles or rose hips every day. And sea buckthorn berries are also rather rare on my menu.
So how can you cover your needs in everyday life with “normal” foods?
An example:
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In the morning a glass of water with the juice of a lemon (about 50 ml) → 25 mg vitamin C
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100 g tomatoes as a salad for lunch → 25 mg vitamin C
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a handful as an afternoon snack black currants (about 50 g) → 88 mg vitamin C
This provides over 120 mg of vitamin C and the Vitamin C daily requirement for men and women is quite simple covered. Many processed foods also contain added vitamin C, as it is often added.
What is very important: tomatoes, spinach & co. are no "bad" vitamin C sources, just because they contain less vitamin C than, for example, rose hips. Because you usually eat such foods in larger quantities, they are excellent for your vitamin intake. After all, you are more likely to eat half a bell pepper than a handful of nettles. Just stick to the “5-a-day” rule – so eat 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day – and you are often already good to go.
Extra tips:
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The Vitamin C content from foods varies depending on the season, storage, preparation, and more. So prepare your food gently (raw or only briefly steamed instead of frying for a long time)!
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Vitamin C and Iron are best friends: Vitamin C increases the absorption of plant-based iron. Spinach is the perfect mix of Vitamin C and iron!
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You can also consume your Vitamin C-containing foods as Juice or smoothie drink – although some Vitamin C is lost during preparation, if it makes intake easier for you, it’s worth it!
- Supplements can also be interesting for some!
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How much Vitamin C does ... have?
We now know how much Vitamin C we need per day. And how we can cover this daily Vitamin C requirement as well. Since we still have a bit of time, we can answer a few common questions:
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Which vegetable has the most Vitamin C?
Red bell pepper is among the absolute top Vitamin C providers. But kale, broccoli, and spinach also contain a good amount of Vitamin C. -
Which fruit has the most Vitamin C?
The acerola cherry is for many THE Vitamin C fruit. More common fruits are blackcurrants, kiwis, or strawberries. -
How much Vitamin C does a lemon have?
About 50 mg. -
Does an apple contain Vitamin C?
Yes! Each apple contains about 10-20 mg of Vitamin C – but this depends on the variety, size of the apple, and more. -
How much sauerkraut covers the daily Vitamin C requirement?
About half a kilo. -
Does bell pepper contain Vitamin C?
Yes! A red bell pepper already covers your daily requirement. -
Does a kiwi have a lot of Vitamin C?
Yes, about 70-90 mg.
Vitamin C supplementation
A true Vitamin C deficiency fortunately hardly occurs anymore in countries like Germany nowadays. Even though many do not always reach the 5 servings of fruits and vegetables per day, the intake is often still enough because many products are now fortified with Vitamin C. Nevertheless, many choose to Vitamin C to supplementto play it safe and definitely cover the Vitamin C requirement.
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Vitamin C supplements come in many different forms: as tablets, capsules, or as powder to mix – often with a delicious lemon flavor. In special cases, a Vitamin C infusion can also be useful.
How exactly Vitamin C intake is recommended depends on the respective product. For most products, the following applies: Take your supplement with plenty of water (or a delicious Clear Shake).
You can take your supplement with a meal or independently of food, whichever you prefer. If you also take iron supplements, you can combine these two supplements. When you should take Vitamin C is entirely up to you. Many like to include it as part of their morning routine for a vitamin-rich start to the day. More info can be found in our article "When to take Vitamin C – All tips".
Can you overdose on Vitamin C?
The short answer: Sure! As with everything in life, there is also too much Vitamin C.
The long answer: It is possible to consume too much Vitamin C through normal foods, but this usually does not happen to most people, or at least not regularly. However, if you had a huge craving for bell peppers and ate 2 large red bell peppers, you have already consumed more Vitamin C than your daily requirement. Such "overdoses" are usually not dramatic because excess Vitamin C as a water-soluble vitamin is simply excreted is taken. However, it looks different with supplements: If you take more than recommended here, you suddenly take MUCH more Vitamin C occurs. And this can then lead to a actual Vitamin C overdose which can be accompanied by nausea or stomach pain, for example, until the vitamin is excreted again. So please always follow the consumption recommendation of your supplement.
Conclusion
Vitamin C is among the most important vitamins for our body and fruits & vegetables can help meet the daily Vitamin C requirement. The daily Vitamin C requirement for a man is 110 mg, while for a woman it is 95 mg. Different values apply for pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, and smokers. Vitamin C is important during breastfeeding, Pregnancy and especially important under high physical stress.
Do you have questions? Then feel free to write me one Email – I look forward to hearing from you! :)
The information shared in this article does not replace individual medical or nutritional advice.
Literature & sources
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Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR). (n.d.). Vitamin C. The more, the better?
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DGE (2015). Selected questions and answers about Vitamin C.
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DGE (n.d.). Vitamin C. https://www.dge.de/wissenschaft/referenzwerte/vitamin-c/
