If lack of vitamin c causes scurvy, what does too much do?

Question

just wondering..
because i had alot of oranges for the last 3 days, and my mouth is all sore and messed up.. like my mouth was one whole wound... and it hurts so much..

Answer 1

It is true that the mouth sores are from the citric acid in the fruit. It breaks down the protective mucous in the mouth exposing the delicate skin underneath causing the breakdown and sores. Too much vitamin C can cause stomach upset and diarrhea before it is excreted through the kidneys. It is a water soluble vitamin and won't reach toxic levels.

Answer 2

The sores in your mouth are due to the acid in oranges. There is a great debate as to whether or not there is actually a way to take too much Vitamin C. Unlike other vitamins, Vitamin C is actually water soluble. So as long as you are drinking enough water, it's not the vitamin C.

Sounds like you need to lay off the oranges and give your mouth a break. I would eat things that have a low acid content. Rice, milk, apples, etc. If it's too painful to sleep well, a little Oragel might not be a bad idea.

Answer 3

Vitamin C is a water solutable vitamin, so it would just flushed out through your kidneys. The reason why your mouth would be messed up is because of the citric acid in the oranges. Too much will not hurt you.

Answer 4

You mouth isn't sore because of the vitamin C. It's from the acid in the fruit. Too much vitamin C is not a threat. I just goes down the toilet, if you know what I mean. Don't worry. P.S. Any acidic fruit will do the same, e.g. tomatoes.

Answer 5

Vitamin C is principally known as a water-soluble anti-oxidant and has been found to prevent scurvy. It is also known by the chemical name of its principal form, L-ascorbic acid or simply ascorbic acid.

The guidance provided by the United States of America and Canada for Dietary Reference Intake (DRI) recommends 90mg per day and no more than 2g per day (2000mg/day).

Below is the effects of overdosing vitamin C:

Vitamin C exhibits remarkably low toxicity. For example, in a rat, the LD50 (the dose that will kill 50% of a population) has been reported as 11900 mg/kg.[33] For a 70 kg (155 pound) human, this means that 833,000 mg (0.833kg or 1.8 pounds) of vitamin C would need to be ingested to stand a 50% chance of killing the person. However, vitamin C could not result in death when administered orally as large amounts of the vitamin cause diarrhea and are not absorbed. An extremely large amount of vitamin C would need to be rapidly injected by IV to stand any chance of killing a person. Robert Cathcart, MD, has used intravenous doses of vitamin C of 250 grams and reports that he has had no problems. The Council for Responsible Nutrition has set an Upper Level (UL) of 2 grams, based on transient diarrhea. Their publication on vitamin C safety notes that :

"...very large doses of vitamin C have been taken daily over the course of many years, and only minor undesirable effects have been attributed with any certainty to the vitamin’s use[...] Clearly, vitamin C has a low order of toxicity"

therefore, overdosage of vitamin C should not be harmful to ur health.

ya, btw, averagely, 100g of orange contains only 45mg vitamin C.
since DRI suggested that not more than 2g of vitamin C should be taken,
therefore, if my calculation is right, (2g/45mg)x100g = 4.44kg
that means, u'll need to consume 4.44kg of orange DAILY will cause u overdosed of vitamin C.

hope it helps...

Answer 6

For good health, it is important that you eat a balanced and varied diet. Follow carefully any diet program your health care professional may recommend. For your specific dietary vitamin and/or mineral needs, ask your health care professional for a list of appropriate foods. If you think that you are not getting enough vitamins and/or minerals in your diet, you may choose to take a dietary supplement.Vitamin C is found in various foods, including citrus fruits (oranges, lemons, grapefruit), green vegetables (peppers, broccoli, cabbage), tomatoes, and potatoes. It is best to eat fresh fruits and vegetables whenever possible since they contain the most vitamins. Food processing may destroy some of the vitamins. For example, exposure to air, drying, salting, or cooking (especially in copper pots), mincing of fresh vegetables, or mashing potatoes may reduce the amount of vitamin C in foods. Freezing does not usually cause loss of vitamin C unless foods are stored for a very long time.

Answer 7

Your mouth is sore from the acid in the citrus. Not from too much vitamin C. If you had too much vitamin C you would be dead.

Answer 8

Too much vitamin C doesn't do anything, as you pee it out. However, oranges are acidic, so that's probably why your mouth is sore.

Answer 9

you have acid burns.
too much can give you the runs too.
try putting some vitamin E on there

Answer 10

Causes you to have acidic urine, this is why they tell you to drink cranberry juice for a UTI.