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Recommended Vitamin C Intake: From Molecular Mechanisms to Clinical Application

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Vitamin C

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Abstract

The current recommended dietary allowance in the United States (U.S. RDA) for vitamin C (ascorbate) is 60 mg daily [1, 2]. Similar or lower values are used in other countries throughout the world except France, where the value is 80 mg daily. The U.S. RDA is based on prevention of clinical vitamin C deficiency, or scurvy, with a margin of safety. Safety is arbitrarily defined as prevention of scurvy for 1 month if vitamin C ingestion were to cease. Adequate vitamin C stores are also believed to occur at the dose which is at the threshold of urinary excretion of vitamin.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Molecular and Clinical Nutrition Section, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Building 10 Room 4D52 MSC 1372, Bethesda, MD, 20892-1372, USA

    M. Levine, S. C. Rumsey, Y. Wang, J. Park, R. Daruwala & N. Amano

Authors
  1. M. Levine
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  2. S. C. Rumsey
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  3. Y. Wang
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  4. J. Park
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  5. R. Daruwala
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  6. N. Amano
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Pharmacological Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Milan, Italy

    Rodolfo Paoletti

  2. Institute of Physiological Chemistry, University of Düsseldorf, Germany

    Helmut Sies

  3. Merck Pharma, Self-Medication International, Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany

    Joachim Bug

  4. Ethical Drugs Medical Department, Bracco Spa, Milan, Italy

    Enzo Grossi

  5. Nutrition Foundation of Italy, Milano, Italy

    Andrea Poli

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© 1998 Springer-Verlag Italia, Milano

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Levine, M., Rumsey, S.C., Wang, Y., Park, J., Daruwala, R., Amano, N. (1998). Recommended Vitamin C Intake: From Molecular Mechanisms to Clinical Application. In: Paoletti, R., Sies, H., Bug, J., Grossi, E., Poli, A. (eds) Vitamin C. Springer, Milano. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-88-470-2244-7_10

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-88-470-2244-7_10

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Milano

  • Print ISBN: 978-88-470-0027-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-88-470-2244-7

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