Ester-C 500 Plus contains Ester-C with Vitamin C metabolites, pine bark extract, bioflavonoids complex and mineralascorbate that is manufactured using Advanced Patented Technology forenhanced antioxidant properties. Its neutral pH is gentle on stomach.

Recommended Dosage

Adults : 1-2 tablets daily after meals
Children : 1 tablet daily after meals

The Fact Of Vitamin C and How Much Vitamin C Is Enough?

Most of the studies Moyad and his colleagues examined used 500 dailymilligrams of vitamin C to achieve health results. That's much higher than theRDA of 75-90 milligrams a day for adults. So unless you can eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, you mayneed to take a dietary supplement of vitamin Cto gain all the benefits, Moyad says. He suggests taking 500 milligrams a day,in addition to eating five servings of fruits and vegetables.

"It is just not practical for most people to consume the requiredservings of fruits and vegetables needed on a consistent basis, whereas takinga once-daily supplement is safe, effective, and easy to do," Moyad says. Healso notes that only 10% to 20% of adults get the recommended nine servings offruits and vegetables daily.

Moyad says there is no real downside to taking a 500-milligram supplement,except that some types may irritate the stomach. That's why he recommendstaking a non-acidic, buffered form of the vitamin. "The safe upper limitfor vitamin C is 2,000 milligrams a day, and there is a great track record withstrong evidence that taking 500 milligrams daily is safe," he says.

Still, American Dietetic Association spokeswoman Dee Sandquist, RD, suggestsdoing your best to work more fruits and vegetables into your dietbefore taking supplements.

"Strive to eat nine servings of fruits and vegetables daily, because youwill get a healthy dose of vitamin C along with an abundance of other vitamins,minerals, and phytochemicals that are good for disease prevention and overallhealth," she says.

While a cup of orange juice or a half-cup of red pepper would be enough tomeet your RDA for Vitamin C, here are all the foods and beverages you'd need toconsume to reach 500 milligrams (mg):

• Cantaloupe, 1 cup: 59 mg Vitamin C
• Orange juice, 1 cup: 97 mg
• Broccoli, cooked, 1 cup: 74 mg
• Red cabbage, 1/2 cup: 40 mg
• Green pepper, 1/2 cup, 60 mg
• Red pepper, 1/2 cup, 95 mg
• Kiwi, 1 medium: 70 mg
• Tomato juice, 1 cup: 45 mg

According to recent research, vitamin C may offer health benefits in theseareas:

1. Stress. "A recentmeta-analysis showed vitamin C was beneficial to individuals whose immunesystem was weakened due to -- a condition which is very common in oursociety," says Moyad.  And, he adds, "because vitamin C is one ofthe nutrients sensitive to stress, and [is] the first nutrient to be depletedin alcoholics, smokers, and obese individuals, it makes itan ideal marker for overall health."

2. Colds. When it comes to the common cold, vitamin C may not be acure. But studies show that it can help prevent more serious complications."There is good evidence taking vitamin C for colds and can reduce therisk of developing further complications, such as and lunginfections," says Moyad.

3. Stroke. A recent study in the American Journal of ClinicalNutrition found that those with the highest concentrations of vitamin C intheir blood were associated with 42% lower stroke risk than those with thelowest concentrations.  The reasons for this are not completely clear. Butwhat is clear is that people who eat plenty of fruits and vegetables havehigher blood levels of vitamin C.