Skip to main content
PMC home page
American Journal of Public Health logoLink to American Journal of Public Health
. 1983 Jul;73(7):773–778. doi: 10.2105/ajph.73.7.773

Patterns of vitamin C intake from food and supplements: survey of an adult population in Alameda County, California.

L R Shapiro, S Samuels, L Breslow, T Camacho
PMCID: PMC1650902  PMID: 6859362

Abstract

Use of vitamin C in food and pills and its association with health habits and health status were investigated in a random sample of 3,119 adults in Alameda County, California. Vitamin C intakes of nearly 80 per cent of respondents met or exceeded Recommended Daily Dietary Allowances. Fourteen per cent or fewer appeared to have inadequate vitamin C intake. Vitamin C supplements were taken daily by 29 per cent, occasionally by 21 per cent. Most respondents obtained 100 mg or less of vitamin C daily; 2 per cent had more than 2000 mg. Proportionately, more women than men took vitamin C pills daily. Men aged 16 to 44 were the most likely to have neither vitamin C foods nor pills. Persons 45 years and older tended to take vitamin C pills daily, younger persons to take them occasionally. Respondents who did not eat breakfast or who smoked cigarettes had lower vitamin C intakes. People in poor health took more vitamin C than those in good health. Health status may have influenced vitamin C intake rather than vitamin C intake influencing health status.

Full text

PDF
773

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Anderson T. W., Reid D. B., Beaton G. H. Vitamin C and the common cold: a double-blind trial. Can Med Assoc J. 1972 Sep 23;107(6):503–508. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Anderson T. W., Suranyi G., Beaton G. H. The effect on winter illness of large doses of vitamin C. Can Med Assoc J. 1974 Jul 6;111(1):31–36. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Baird P. C., Schutz H. G. Life style correlates of dietary and biochemical measures of nutrition. J Am Diet Assoc. 1980 Mar;76(3):228–235. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Chalmers T. C. Effects of ascorbic acid on the common cold. An evaluation of the evidence. Am J Med. 1975 Apr;58(4):532–536. doi: 10.1016/0002-9343(75)90127-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Cochrane W. A. Overnutrition in prenatal and neonatal life: a problem? Can Med Assoc J. 1965 Oct 23;93(17):893–899. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Coulehan J. L., Reisinger K. S., Rogers K. D., Bradley D. W. Vitamin C prophylaxis in a boarding school. N Engl J Med. 1974 Jan 3;290(1):6–10. doi: 10.1056/NEJM197401032900102. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Huenemann R. L., Shapiro L. R., Hampton M. C., Mitchell B. W. Food and eating practices of teen-agers. J Am Diet Assoc. 1968 Jul;53(1):17–24. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. KLENNER F. R. Massive doses of vitamin C and the virus diseases. South Med Surg. 1951 Apr;113(4):101–107. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Karlowski T. R., Chalmers T. C., Frenkel L. D., Kapikian A. Z., Lewis T. L., Lynch J. M. Ascorbic acid for the common cold. A prophylactic and therapeutic trial. JAMA. 1975 Mar 10;231(10):1038–1042. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Kuttner A. G. THE EFFECT OF LARGE DOSES OF VITAMINS A, B, C AND D ON THE INCIDENCE OF UPPER RESPIRATORY INFECTIONS IN A GROUP OF RHEUMATIC CHILDREN. J Clin Invest. 1940 Nov;19(6):809–812. doi: 10.1172/JCI101184. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Maclagan N. F. Vitamin C and the common cold. Lancet. 1973 Aug 25;2(7826):445–446. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(73)92309-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Pelletier O. Smoking and vitamin C levels in humans. Am J Clin Nutr. 1968 Nov;21(11):1259–1267. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/21.11.1259. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. RITZEL G. [Critical evaluation of vitamin C as a prophylactic and therapeutic agent in colds]. Helv Med Acta. 1961 Jan;28:63–68. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Schorah C. J., Newill A., Scott D. L., Morgan D. B. Clinical effects of vitamin C in elderly inpatients with low blood-vitamin-C levels. Lancet. 1979 Feb 24;1(8113):403–405. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(79)90882-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Taft G., Fieldhouse P. Vitamin C and the common cold. Public Health. 1978 Jan;92(1):19–25. doi: 10.1016/s0033-3506(78)80097-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Wiley J. A., Camacho T. C. Life-style and future health: evidence from the Alameda County study. Prev Med. 1980 Jan;9(1):1–21. doi: 10.1016/0091-7435(80)90056-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Wilson C. W., Loh H. S. Common cold and vitamin C. Lancet. 1973 Mar 24;1(7804):638–641. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(73)92202-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from American Journal of Public Health are provided here courtesy of American Public Health Association

RESOURCES