Vitamin C
Other names Ascorbate, Ascorbic Acid
Vitamin C is present in many foods, such as lemons and oranges. Some people who use it as a supplement claim it improves their mood, energy levels, and stress. But is it actually effective for these purposes? Read on to find out what the science says.
Benefits
Read about the effects of Vitamin C in relation to the amount of evidence we've found
Risks
The legality and side effects of Vitamin C
You should always consider the risks of a nootropic before you use it.
Side effects
No negative side effects were seen in any of the studies that we reviewed.
Interactions
Supplements and drugs can interact with Vitamin C to increase or decrease the positive or negative effects you experience. If you are already using any supplements or drugs, speak with your trusted medical professional before you experiment with Vitamin C. To learn more about the potential interactions between Vitamin C and other substances, use interaction-checker.
Legality
Is your country not included? Learn how to find out if Vitamin C is legal in your country.
Legality Disclaimer
The contents herein are not legal advice or a substitute for legal counsel. information is not intended to create, and receipt of it does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship. While we have done our best to be as accurate as possible in the information we convey to you about the legality of nootropics, there is a risk for inaccuracies and errors. If you’re uncertain about the legality of any of your actions, contact a legal counsel or your local authorities governing the legality of various substances you may want to use/import/travel with.
How To Use
Dose, frequency and duration
It is usually safer and more effective to use nootropics as they have been used in studies on humans. In the only study that we’ve reviewed, Vitamin C was used in the following ways:
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Vitamin C
How much vitamin C should you use?
The Dietary Reference Intakes for Vitamins is a good source for understanding how much you need and how much vitamin C you can safely consume every day for the rest of your life:
It is important to note that these levels regard all sources of vitamin C, including food sources, supplements, and water.
We recommend that you experiment within the range between how much you need and how much you can safely take every day for the rest of your life. This will ensure self-experiments with vitamin C that are likely very safe and hopefully enable you to get the most out of it to help you feel and perform at your best.
What time of day should you take vitamin C?
There is no data on what the optimal time of day for use of vitamin C is. There is no evidence that vitamin C impairs sleep if taken before bed-time.
Which foods are rich in vitamin C?
The top 10 foods highest in vitamin C are [7]:
- Guava (228mg vitamin C/100g guava)
- Bell peppers (128mg/100g)
- Kiwi (93mg/100g)
- Broccoli (89mg/100g)
- Papaya (61mg/100g)
- Snow peas (60mg/100g)
- Strawberries (59mg/100g)
- Oranges (53mg/100g)
- Tomato (23mg/100g)
- Kale (18mg/100g)
Who should use Vitamin C?
There’s a need for more high-quality scientific information about the safety and effectiveness of Vitamin C. Specifically, there’s a great degree of individual variance in how people respond to nootropics in general and Vitamin C in particular. This means that if you use Vitamin C, you may not experience the same effects as those that were seen in scientific studies on it.
It is currently largely unknown what factors play a role in whether a nootropic will be effective for a person.
While we wait for science to explain who is likely to respond to which nootropics, patient self-experimentation with nootropics that have been found safe and effective in placebo-controlled studies in healthy humans is a proven strategy to feel and perform better with the help of nootropics.
Studies
Studies conducted on the effects of Vitamin C in healthy humans
In the 3 studies that met our inclusion criteria, 155 participants received Vitamin C. In total, we examined 4 studies on the effects Vitamin C, which you can find summaries of below.
This study is used in our recommendation engine calculations. Learn more about how we select studies
Summary
This suggests that a diet rich in vitamin C may be an effective adjunct to medical and psychological treatment of anxiety and improve academic performance.
Study groups
Adults using 500 Milligram
This study is used in our recommendation engine calculations. Learn more about how we select studies
Summary
A group of 141 healthy volunteers, aged 20 to 49 years had their energy levels increased with intravenous Vitamin C in this study
Study groups
Adults using 10000 Milligram
This study is used in our recommendation engine calculations. Learn more about how we select studies
Summary
"Despite the sample size limitation, this study provides the first evidence of an acute anxiolytic effect of ascorbic acid."
Study groups
Adults using 1000 Milligram
Summary
"In summary, studies demonstrated higher mean vitamin C concentrations in the cognitively intact groups of participants compared to cognitively impaired groups."
Last updated Saturday, June 10, 2023