Vitamin C
Intake model: one reported food record, food date unconfirmed. References: man aged 19–30. How to read the references.
No change indicated. Several liked produce sources support ordinary dietary coverage in this report.
Linked eating record; usual intake and clinical status unestablished · Reviewed 2026-10-10
Intake confidence: Moderate. Quantity confidence: Limited. Body status: Unassessed.
FDA values describe food labels.
Vitamin C
400 mg available-value subtotal from food; some foods are unquantified.
| Recommended intake | Upper reference | Food label reference |
|---|---|---|
| 90 mg (RDA) US National Academies · Food and oral supplements | 2,000 mg (UL) US National Academies · Food and oral supplements | 90 mg (DV) FDA · Adults and children 4+ |
Other authority and form-specific references
- Not established
EFSA / SCF · No EFSA nutrient UL for dietary vitamin CAbsence of a European UL does not invalidate the distinct US established UL or imply unlimited safety.
Food contributions and uncertainty
Values are available for 12 of 13 recorded foods. The displayed number is an available-value subtotal. Product identity and portion assumptions still limit accuracy.
The saved portion/recipe scenarios span 400–400 mg. This is a sensitivity range, not a confidence interval; uncertain food composition and unreported foods can fall outside it.
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| Food | Model portion | Contribution | Source basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red bell pepper | 150 g assumed | 192 mg | Generic USDA comparator |
| Navel orange | 140 g assumed | 83 mg | Generic USDA comparator |
| Raspberries | 170 g assumed | 45 mg | Generic USDA comparator |
| Banana | 472 g reported | 41 mg | Generic USDA comparator |
| Large beefsteak tomato | 182 g assumed | 25 mg | Generic USDA comparator |
| Hass avocado | 150 g assumed | 15 mg | Generic USDA comparator |
| Raw English walnuts | 15 g assumed | 0.2 mg | Generic USDA comparator |
Unquantified: RT RT chimichurri.
Provisional or modeled zeros:
- Trader Joe's European style organic plain nonfat yogurt: Online label; package unverified.
These are model inputs or current label declarations. They do not prove exact absence in the original package.
Role and intake references
Vitamin C supports collagen synthesis and improves absorption of nonheme iron. The US adult male RDA is 90 mg daily, with an additional 35 mg for smokers. The adult UL is 2,000 mg from food and supplements combined. Large supplemental doses can cause gastrointestinal effects; that upper reference is not a recovery target. NIH vitamin C.
What the food record establishes
Attention: No change indicated. The available food estimate is approximately 400 mg. Red pepper contributes about 192 mg, orange 83 mg, raspberries 45 mg, four bananas 41 mg and tomato 25 mg. Several produce weights are assumed, the composition is generic, and sauce content is missing. This supports ordinary dietary coverage for the reported pattern, rather than an exact measured dose or a clinical status claim.
I like these foods, so vitamin C offers no reason to force additional meal volume. Kiwis or other fruit can replace something I enjoy less. They need not be layered on top of every existing fruit simply to increase this number.
Collagen and training
The need for vitamin C in collagen synthesis is real. It does not establish that extra vitamin C beyond adequate intake repairs an uncomfortable shoulder or adds training benefit. My fruit and pepper pattern already supplies substantially more than the ordinary reference. Protein intake, total energy, appropriate training load and clinical assessment of an injury answer different questions.
In an 11-week randomized trial of 54 young men and women, 1,000 mg vitamin C plus 235 mg vitamin E daily attenuated some muscle markers of mitochondrial adaptation. However, the supplemented and placebo groups improved maximal oxygen uptake and the shuttle-running test similarly. The study therefore found a cellular effect without demonstrated impairment in those performance outcomes. It cannot isolate vitamin C from vitamin E. Paulsen et al., 2014 primary trial.
This finding supports caution about assuming that high-dose antioxidant pills improve recovery. It provides no reason to avoid fruit or peppers. The food dose, food matrix and intervention differ. Nor does a null performance difference prove that the supplements are useful.
When the judgment would change
A substantial reduction in fruit and vegetables, a new supplement or a condition affecting intake or absorption would deserve reassessment. For the current pattern, the more useful experiment is taste and variety. No vitamin C supplement has been reported as taken in this food record.