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.

The amounts printed most often
Amount per serving	Products	For example
60 mg	2,234	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 mg	1,464	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 mg	1,260	Pre-Training Formula Tropical Punch (Gamma Labs); Chewable Acerola C-100 mg (Vitamin World); ZYM Electrolyte Drink Tablets (ZYM)
1,000 mg	1,240	Pycnogenol Complex (Source Naturals); Beveri Immunity Boost Natural Tropical Fruit Flavor (beveri); 1,000 mg Vitamin C Lite (Emergen-C)
250 mg	1,163	Vegetarian Multiple with Beta Carotene (Schiff Daily Wellness); FocusFactor (FOCUSfactor); C Food Complex (New Chapter Organics)
120 mg	862	Iron Free Daily Multiple 50+ (Sundown Naturals); Sport (GNC Triflex); Nails (Viva Vitamins)
30 mg	822	Glucosamine Chondroitin MSM (GNC Triflex); Apple Pectin Plus Vitamin C (Vitamin World); Coral Calcium Plus (MicroTech Professional Formulations)
90 mg	814	BrainStrong Toddler (AmeriFit); RapidDrive Post-Workout Amino Complex Fruit Punch (GNC Pro Performance); Little Angels (Maximum Living)
200 mg	726	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 mg	616	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).

Ultra Preventive Forte-Chel (Capsules)Douglas Laboratories3,000 mg
Ultra Preventive Forte-ChelDouglas Laboratories3,000 mg
C-500Optimox3,000 mg
C Buffered CrystalsThompson3,000 mg
Vitamin C 1,000 mgIndiana Botanic Gardens3,000 mg
Anti-Alcohol Antioxidants With HepatoProtection ComplexLife Extension3,000 mg
Mega-Liposomal Vitamin C 3000 mgAurora Nutrascience3,000 mg
Ortho C+ Lemon FlavorAOR Advanced Orthomolecular Research Premium3,000 mg

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)
Year	Products	Median per serving
2011	371	120 mg
2012	1,185	200 mg
2013	1,373	100 mg
2014	836	100 mg
2015	808	111.55 mg
2016	824	120 mg
2017	916	100 mg
2018	772	100 mg
2019	969	100 mg
2020	1,680	100 mg
2021	1,731	100 mg
2022	1,904	100 mg
2023	1,716	100 mg
2024	1,946	120 mg
2025	1,552	100 mg

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

In which products and brands?

Products listing vitamin C by DSLD product type

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 60 of 399), each with the amount its label prints; an amount far outside what other labels print is marked as a possible slip.

C-500 mg & BioflavonoidsBluebonnet500 mg
C-500 mg Plus BioflavonoidsBluebonnet · off the market500 mg
C-500 mg Timed ReleasePuritan's Pride500 mg
C-500 mg with Bioflavonoids and Wild Rose HipsPuritan's Pride500 mg
C-500 mg with Echinacea 100 mgPhysioLogics · off the market500 mg
C-500 mg With Protective Bioflavonoids And Wild Rose HipsVitamin World500 mg
C-500 mg With Rose Hips Natural Orange FlavorVitamin World500 mg
C-500 mg with Wild Rose Hips & E-180 mg (400 IU)Puritan's Pride Premium500 mg
C-500 mg with Wild Rose Hips & E-400 IUPuritan's Pride Premium · off the market500 mg
C-500 PlusAltrum500 mg
C-500 with Esterfied CWindmill500 mg
C-500 with Rose HipsSource Naturals500 mg
C-500 with Rose HipsWindmill Natural Vitamins500 mg
C-500 with Rose HipsNOW500 mg
C-500 with Rose Hips and Bioflavonoids Delicious Berry FlavorWindmill Natural Vitamins · off the market500 mg
C-500 with Wild Rose Hips Plus EchinaceaPuritan's Pride500 mg
C-600 Formula with Rose HipsAltrum600 mg
C-Ascorbs Sustained ReleaseNaturesPlus4,000 mg as transcribed, likely a slip
C-Bioflav 1000NuMedica1,000 mg
C-BuffBio-Tech Pharmacal2,000 mg
C-Care PowderKaruna2,600 mg
C-Complex 1000 mgGood 'N Natural · off the market1,000 mg
C-Complex 1000 mgVitamin World1,000 mg
C-CrystalsDC1,250 mg
C-D-ZincDouglas Laboratories800 mg
C-Dine 501516CrazyBulk80 mg
C-Ester Ascorbyl Palmitate 500 mgVitamin World212 mg
C-FlavOrtho Molecular Products400 mg
C-GelCarlson · off the market100 mg as transcribed, likely a slip
C-Gel 1,000 mgCarlson · off the market1,000 mg
C-GelsCarlson1,000 mg
C-GramsAdvoCare1,000 mg
C-Logic Flavorless PowderMDLogic1,000 mg as transcribed, likely a slip
C-MaxDouglas Laboratories · off the market1,500 mg
C-MaxBio-Tech Pharmacal1,000 mg
C-Max 1500 mgDouglas Laboratories1,500 mg
C-Max VItamin C 1500 mgDouglas Laboratories1,500 mg
C-Nate DHACenturion100 mg
C-PlexKaruna500 mg
C-Plex PowderDouglas Laboratories1,500 mg
C-RLA Vanilla CaramelResearched Nutritionals1,500 mg
C-Time 1000 Timed ReleasePuritan's Pride1,000 mg
C-Time 1500Good 'N Natural · off the market1,500 mg
C-Time 1500 Timed ReleasePuritan's Pride1,500 mg
C-Time 1500 With Rose HipsNature's Bounty1,500 mg
C-UltratabsMetagenics1,000 mg
C.F.S. Support FormulaDouglas Laboratories · off the market1,000 mg
C.V. Support FormulaDouglas Laboratories750 mg
C/Cal/MagBiotics Research Corporation190 mg
C/Lysine PlusDouglas Laboratories2,000 mg