Appointments at Mayo Clinic Mayo Clinic offers appointments in Arizona, Florida and Minnesota and at Mayo Clinic Health System locations. Can vitamin C improve your mood? Answers from Brent A. Bauer, M.D. Studies of hospitalized patients — who often have lower than normal vitamin C levels — have found that they experienced an improvement in mood after they received vitamin C. The link between vitamin C and mood may seem surprising, but it's not so far-fetched. People who have vitamin C deficiency often feel fatigued or depressed. Plus, some studies show that vitamin C can have mood-elevating effects. So it makes sense that vitamin C levels could affect mood — but more research is needed. In the meantime, eat plenty of fruits and vegetables rich in vitamin C. If you also take a supplement, try not to exceed the upper limit of 2,000 milligrams of vitamin C a day. As always, talk to your doctor first before taking any supplement. Brent A. Bauer, M.D.
Timing calcium supplementsVitamin C megadoses Vitamin C ascorbic acid. Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database. Accessed July 25, 2014. Zhang M, et al. Vitamin C provision improves mood in acutely hospitalized patients. Lykkesfeld J, et al. Is vitamin C supplementation beneficial? Lessons learned from randomized controlled trials. British Journal of Nutrition. Binfare RW, et al. Ascorbic acid administration produces an antidepressant-like effect: Evidence for the involvement of monoaminergic neurotransmission. Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry. Wang Y, et al. Effects of vitamin C and vitamin D administration on mood and distress in acutely hospitalized patients. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Bauer BA (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. July 25, 2014. Gautam M, et al. Role of antioxidants in generalised anxiety disorder and depression. Indian Journal of Psychiatry. Brody S. High-dose ascorbic acid increases intercourse frequency and improves mood: A randomized controlled clinical trial.
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