The short answer is yes, you can absolutely take 1,000 milligrams of vitamin C daily (of course, if you have specific concerns, then you’ll want to get the “all clear” from your health care provider). And, based on reported benefits from this higher dosage, it’s probably a good idea to consider a higher potency source of C in your targeted nutrition regimen.
Not only does vitamin C have a high safety profile, higher doses may yield incrementally beneficial health benefits. For example, in a study published in Free Radical Biology & Medicine, researchers wanted to see if vitamin C could reduce C-reactive protein (CRP), a marker of the inflammatory response. High levels of CRP can indicate there may be some underlying health concerns increasing inflammatory actions that you may be unaware of.
For this study, a group of healthy non-smokers were divided into groups. One group received 1,000 milligrams of vitamin C per day and the other received a placebo. After two months, participants in the vitamin C group experience a 16.7 to 25.3 percent decrease in CRP levels compared to their baseline at the start of the study. *
Fascinatingly, the unique vitamin C-lipid-citrus bioflavonoid trio discussed earlier (PureWay-C has) has also been shown at 1,000 milligrams (ie, 1 gram) to reduce CRP levels, and better than other forms of vitamin C. * †
Of course, it’s always best to discuss dosage recommendations with your personal health care provider, as they know your medical history and will be able to identify any contraindications.
For example, because vitamin C aids in iron absorption, people with very specific pre-existing health concerns that affect iron absorption may be at risk for iron overload if they take too much vitamin C.
That being said, a 1,000-milligram daily dose of vitamin C falls well within the safe range for most people. The optimal intake appears to be at least 200 milligrams per day and the upper limit (ie, the clinically studied dosage that the majority of people can safely take) is 2,000 milligrams daily.
Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin, so there’s a very minor risk of toxicity or serious health concerns, although some people report mild digestive complaints when taking too much vitamin C in forms that aren’t optimized and designed for high potencies.
Unlike fat-soluble vitamins, which get stored in your fat tissues, excess water-soluble vitamins get flushed out of the body. So, if you were to take more vitamin C than your needs, it would simply be excreted through your urine via your kidneys.
While this is great news as far as safety and risk for toxicity are concerned, it adds another layer of importance as to why you need to make sure you’re getting enough vitamin C on a daily basis. Since vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin, and therefore not stored in the body, you have to replenish your cells and tissues regularly. Sometimes, that means taking a higher dose to reap the full array of this nutrient’s benefits. *