What is the recommended dietary intake of vitamin C for different age groups and populations at risk of deficiency?

Recommended dietary intake of vitamin C varies by age and risk factors:

• Infants and young children: For infants up to 6 months, the UK guidelines recommend an intake of around 8 mg/day, increasing to 20 mg/day for children aged 1-3 years, and 25 mg/day for those aged 4-6 years ¹.
• Older children and adolescents: Intake recommendations rise to approximately 30 mg/day for children aged 7-10 years and 40-50 mg/day for adolescents aged 11-18 years ¹.
• Adults: The UK guidelines suggest a daily intake of 40 mg for adults to prevent deficiency ¹.
• Pregnant and breastfeeding women: Increased requirements are noted, with recommendations around 50-60 mg/day to support maternal and infant health ¹.
• Populations at risk of deficiency: Smokers, individuals with malabsorption syndromes, chronic illnesses, or poor dietary intake may require higher vitamin C intakes to maintain adequate plasma levels and prevent deficiency ¹. Frei et al. (2012) support this, indicating that optimal vitamin C intake for health may be higher than the minimum to prevent scurvy, suggesting intakes of 100-200 mg/day could provide additional antioxidant and immune benefits, especially in at-risk groups (Frei et al., 2012).

Summary: The UK guidelines provide baseline recommended intakes to prevent deficiency, ranging from 8 mg/day in infants to 40 mg/day in adults, with increased needs in pregnancy and lactation ¹. Recent literature suggests that higher intakes, up to 200 mg/day, may be beneficial for certain populations at risk of deficiency or increased oxidative stress, such as smokers or those with chronic disease (Frei et al., 2012).