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The effect of supplement use on vitamin C intake
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by Didier Garriguet
Abstract
Keywords
Findings
Authors
Abstract
According to results from the 2004 Canadian Community Health Survey–Nutrition, Canadians get an average of 132 milligrams of vitamin C a day from food. About one adult in five has inadequate dietary intake of vitamin C. A third of Canadians take vitamin C supplements, which add 100 milligrams to total average daily intake. Supplement use lowers the overall percentage of adults with inadequate intake by 5 percentage points to 17%. Smokers, people who eat fruit and vegetables infrequently, and members of households with low income and low educational attainment tend to have relatively low vitamin C intake.
Keywords
ascorbic acid, diet, fruit, nutrition, vegetables
Findings
Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that contributes to the formation and health of blood vessels, tendons, ligaments, bones, teeth and gums. It helps the body absorb iron and recover from wounds and burns. Serious deficiency can lead to scurvy, which is now a rare condition in the Western world.[Full text]
Authors
Didier Garriguet (1-613-951-7187; Didier.Garriguet@statcan.gc.ca) is with the Health Analysis Division at Statistics Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0T6.
