The best way to prevent scurvy is to eat a healthy, balanced diet that contains plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables. This will ensure that you have enough vitamin C in your body at all times.
Recommendations
It's recommended that:
- infants (children under two years old) need around 30-40mg of vitamin C a day
- children and adults need around 40mg of vitamin C a day (smokers and heavy drinkers of alcohol may require a slightly higher dose)
- pregnant women need 70mg of vitamin C a day
- breastfeeding mothers need around 90-95mg of vitamin C a day
Consuming more than the amounts of vitamin C outlined above isn't harmful. You would only suffer adverse effects, such as nausea and vomiting, if you were regularly eating more than 2000mg of vitamin C a day, which would be the equivalent of eating 30 oranges in one sitting.
It's very easy to reach your daily amount of vitamin C. For example, eating one large orange, a bowl of strawberries or a single kiwi fruit would provide you with more than enough vitamin C to meet your body’s needs.
Sources of vitamin C
Good sources of vitamin C include:
- oranges
- lemons
- limes
- grapefruits
- blackcurrants
- kiwi fruits
- tomatoes
- broccoli
- asparagus
- cabbage
- green peppers
- sprouts
- sweet potatoes
Other good sources of vitamin C include:
- fresh milk
- liver
- kidney
- fish
Eating at least five portions of fresh fruit and vegetables a day provides you with more than enough vitamin C to remain healthy. For more information see:
