Can You Take Too Much Vitamin C?

Reader question:

My boyfriend and child has been sick, I was fine, but now I feel a sore throat coming on. I’ve seen the emer-C powder in the health food store, and I wonder if it would be incorrect to take? That is 1000 mg of Vitamin C?

A: There are many cold and flu formulas you will find at the drugstore which contain high amounts of Vitamin C. Because Vitamin C is water soluble, you cannot overdose on it as any excess will wash out of your body in your urine.

See this article for more information: http://planvitamin.com/using-vitamin-c-to-cure-a-cold.

In fact, doctors like Dr. Mehmet Oz and Dr. Andrew Weil suggest we take at least 1000mg of Vitamin C every day just for good health, let alone preventive or curative measures when we have a cold or flu.

I would be more concerned with the other chemicals and ingredients in common cold formulas than with the Vitamin C. Some ingredients in cold and flu medicines are simply for pain relief, such as aspirin, or decongestion, but others can have unintended and unwanted side effects. Prevention of ill health with a healthy lifestyle is always a better option, and the best thing you can do for yourself or your loved ones if they are sick is to get plenty of rest, plenty of fresh, organic veggies and fruit and plenty of fluids.

TIP: One great natural remedy for a sore throat is to brew a nice tea consisting of hot water with a little cayenne pepper and honey. The cayenne is spicy and contains lots of Vitamin C, and the honey eases the taste and makes it more palatable. Warm water with lots of fresh lemon is also both comforting and curative.

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