PlainVitamins

vitamin

Vitamin C supplements

Half of the 18,583 vitamin C supplements in the NIH label database that print an amount list 100 mg or less per serving; the middle half list 60 mg to 270 mg, and 1 in 82 of the 18,422 with a plausible amount give more than the adult upper limit at the most servings their labels direct (DSLD version 9.4.0, January 2026). The 775 products whose only supplement ingredient is vitamin C list a median of 500 mg, and 1 in 15 of them give more than the upper limit.

Products listing it
19,91918,583 print an amount; 1,244 list it inside a blend without an amount
Median per serving
100 mgmiddle half 60 mg to 270 mg
FDA Daily Value
90 mgthe median is 111% of it
Adult upper limit (IOM)
2,000 mg224 products go above it a day

How much vitamin C do supplements contain?

The median product lists 100 mg per serving. One in ten lists 21 mg or less, one in ten 750 mg or more. The amount printed most often is 60 mg (2,234 products).

Products by amount of vitamin C per serving

18,583 products, log scale; extreme 0.2% at each end left out of the drawing.

Vitamin C: products by amount per serving0.3 mg3 mg30 mg300 mgDaily Value 90 mgUpper limit 2,000 mg
Vitamin C: products by amount per serving0.3 mg1 mg3 mg10 mg100 mg1,000 mgDaily Value 90 mgUpper limit 2,000 mg
Vitamin C: products by amount per serving0.3 mg1 mg3 mg10 mg30 mg100 mg1,000 mgDaily Value 90 mgUpper limit 2,000 mg
Vitamin C: products by amount per serving0.3 mg1 mg3 mg10 mg30 mg100 mg300 mg1,000 mgDaily Value 90 mgUpper limit 2,000 mg
Vitamin C: products by amount per serving0.3 mg1 mg3 mg10 mg30 mg100 mg300 mg1,000 mgDaily Value 90 mgUpper limit 2,000 mg
The amounts printed most often
Amount per servingProductsFor example
60 mg2,234 Gentle Iron Iron Glycinate 28 mg (Vitamin World); Spiru-Pro Soy Protein Drink With Spirulina Natural Vanilla (Vitamin World); Echinacea Plus Vitamin C (GNC Herbal Plus Standardized)
500 mg1,464 Ester-C 500 mg With Citrus Bioflavoinds Timed Release (American Health); High Potency Vitamin C 500 mg (Sundown Naturals); Vitamin D & Calcium (Emergen-C)
100 mg1,260 Pre-Training Formula Tropical Punch (Gamma Labs); Chewable Acerola C-100 mg (Vitamin World); ZYM Electrolyte Drink Tablets (ZYM)
1,000 mg1,240 Pycnogenol Complex (Source Naturals); Beveri Immunity Boost Natural Tropical Fruit Flavor (beveri); 1,000 mg Vitamin C Lite (Emergen-C)
250 mg1,163 Vegetarian Multiple with Beta Carotene (Schiff Daily Wellness); FocusFactor (FOCUSfactor); C Food Complex (New Chapter Organics)
120 mg862 Iron Free Daily Multiple 50+ (Sundown Naturals); Sport (GNC Triflex); Nails (Viva Vitamins)
30 mg822 Glucosamine Chondroitin MSM (GNC Triflex); Apple Pectin Plus Vitamin C (Vitamin World); Coral Calcium Plus (MicroTech Professional Formulations)
90 mg814 BrainStrong Toddler (AmeriFit); RapidDrive Post-Workout Amino Complex Fruit Punch (GNC Pro Performance); Little Angels (Maximum Living)
200 mg726 Maximum Nutrition Vanilla Creme (GNC Women's Ultra Mega); Active Milk Chocolate (GNC Women's Ultra Mega); Active Vanilla Creme (GNC Women's Ultra Mega)
300 mg616 Sport (GNC Mega Men); Maximum Nutrition Vanilla Bean (GNC Mega Men); Sport Milk Chocolate (GNC Mega Men)

Source: Supplement Facts rows of every product's current label, NIH ODS Dietary Supplement Label Database version 9.4.0; amounts in one measure (weight).

How do the amounts compare with the Daily Value and the upper limit?

The FDA Daily Value for vitamin C is 90 mg (adults and children 4 and older). The median product gives 111% of it per serving; the 90th percentile 833%.

The adult Tolerable Upper Intake Level is 2,000 mg a day (total intake from food, water and supplements). At the most servings their labels direct, 224 of the 18,422 products with a plausible amount (1.2%) give more than that from the supplement alone (what counts as plausible).

The upper limit is for total intake from food, water and supplements unless stated, and does not apply under medical supervision. A label amount is what the maker printed. This is data, not advice: the NIH ODS fact sheets explain what each nutrient does.

Sources: 21 CFR 101.9(c)(8)(iv) (Daily Values); Institute of Medicine, DRI summary tables (2011) (upper limits); on reading them, the FDA's Daily Value page.

Which products list the most vitamin C?

On-market products, per serving, with a plausible amount: the rule leaves out likely entry slips, such as an amount far beyond every other label with no %DV or strength on the label to back it (each product page still shows its own amount, marked).

Have the amounts changed over the years?

Products whose current label entered DSLD in 2011 list a median of 120 mg; those entered in 2025, 100 mg.

Median vitamin C per serving by the year the label entered DSLD (years with 20+ products)
YearProductsMedian per serving
2011371120 mg
20121,185200 mg
20131,373100 mg
2014836100 mg
2015808111.55 mg
2016824120 mg
2017916100 mg
2018772100 mg
2019969100 mg
20201,680100 mg
20211,731100 mg
20221,904100 mg
20231,716100 mg
20241,946120 mg
20251,552100 mg

Source: DSLD label entry dates and amounts, current labels.

In which products and brands?

Products listing vitamin C by DSLD product type

Vitamin C by product typeOther Combinations13,151Botanical with Nutrients2,344Multi-Vitamin and Mineral (MVM)1,461Vitamin932Single Vitamin and Mineral290Botanical177Amino acid/Protein128Non-Nutrient/Non-Botanical48
Vitamin C by product typeOther Combinations13,151Botanical with Nutrients2,344Multi-Vitamin and Mineral (MVM)1,461Vitamin932Single Vitamin and Mineral290Botanical177Amino acid/Protein128Non-Nutrient/Non-Botanical48
Vitamin C by product typeOther Combinations13,151Botanical with Nutrients2,344Multi-Vitamin and Mineral (MVM)1,461Vitamin932Single Vitamin and Mineral290Botanical177Amino acid/Protein128Non-Nutrient/Non-Botanical48
Vitamin C by product typeOther Combinations13,151Botanical with Nutrients2,344Multi-Vitamin and Mineral (MVM)1,461Vitamin932Single Vitamin and Mineral290Botanical177Amino acid/Protein128Non-Nutrient/Non-Botanical48
Vitamin C by product typeOther Combinations13,151Botanical with Nutrients2,344Multi-Vitamin and Mineral (MVM)1,461Vitamin932Single Vitamin and Mineral290Botanical177Amino acid/Protein128Non-Nutrient/Non-Botanical48

Brands listing it most: Nature's Way (366), Douglas Laboratories (330), Nature's Plus (284), ProCaps Laboratories (169), Bronson (151), NOW (144), Country Life (129), Puritan's Pride (110), Source Naturals (108), Nature Made (106).

Every product listing vitamin C

19,919 products, A to Z by name (page 177 of 399), each with the amount its label prints; an amount far outside what other labels print is marked as a possible slip.

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