Immune-Boosting Myths That Can Actually Affect Your Health

Myth: Taking a double dose of vitamin C can help you boost your immune system.

Unfortunately, there are people who take a lot of vitamin C supplements because they believe that it can help them become healthier. But this is just a myth that can adversely affect your health, as doubling your vitamin C intake by taking supplements (of course, especially when you don’t need it) can cause digestive diseases or kidney stones.  

According to Ali Webster, PhD, RD, director of research and nutrition communications for the International Food Information Council, “vitamin C is an important nutrient for optimal immune function. However, studies have shown that taking megadoses of vitamin C in the form of supplements doesn’t really do us any good when it comes to fighting off a cold or other illness.”

So, you should try to talk to your doctor before making any changes in your lifestyle and ask them how much vitamin C is too much because we are all different and have different needs. In other words, what is too much for me, may be a deficiency for you and vice versa.

However, the standard dose of vitamin C is approximately 75 milligrams a day for adult females and about 90 milligrams a day for adult males. “Any amount above this is excreted in the urine,” Webster explains. 

“Vitamin C and zinc are important, but you can’t supplement your way out of a bad diet. Once the diet is in place, supplements can, well, supplement,” said says Lizzy Swick, RD for Suggestic.

Speaking of vitamin C deficiency, here are some foods that you should eat for every vitamin and mineral.