Human Nutrition 3(3+0)

Lesson 31 : Vitamin C

Requirements

Vitamin C requirements may increase during some conditions. They are:

• Environmental stress
• Use of certain drugs (such as oral contraceptives)
• Tissue healing of wounds
• Growth (children and pregnant women)
• Fever and infection and
• Smoking.

The recommended allowances of the Nutrition Expert Group of the ICMR, India are as follows:

Table: Recommended dietary allowances for vitamin C

Ages/Life stages	Vitamin C mg/day
Infants	25
Children 1-9 years	40
10-17 years	40
Men	40
Women	40
Pregnant woman	60
Lactation	80

Ref: Nutrition Expert group, ICMR(2010)