Recommended Daily Vitamin C Dose for a 12-Year-Old Boy
A healthy 12-year-old boy should receive 45 mg of vitamin C daily, which can be obtained through diet alone by consuming citrus fruits, tomatoes, or potatoes. 1
Age-Specific Dosing Guidelines
The recommended daily allowance for vitamin C in a 12-year-old male falls within the 9-13 year age bracket, which requires 45 mg/day according to the Dietary Reference Intakes established by the Institute of Medicine. 1 This recommendation is based on maintaining adequate tissue saturation while preventing deficiency states. 1
For context, the German, Austrian, and Swiss nutrition societies extrapolate pediatric requirements from adult values in relation to body weight, resulting in progressively increasing recommendations from 20 mg/day in early childhood to 85 mg/day by age 15. 2 The 45 mg/day recommendation for ages 9-13 aligns with this graduated approach. 1
Dietary Sources to Meet Requirements
One medium-sized orange provides sufficient vitamin C to meet the daily requirement for this age group. 3 Other excellent sources include:
Children who consume at least one daily serving of citrus fruit typically achieve desirable vitamin C intakes, while those consuming fewer than two servings of vegetables and fruits daily are at risk for inadequate intake. 5
Clinical Considerations
Supplementation is generally unnecessary for healthy children consuming a balanced diet. 1 However, approximately 12-14% of school-aged boys have vitamin C intakes below 30 mg/day, placing them at risk for marginal deficiency. 5 These children tend to have overall less healthy dietary patterns with higher fat intake and lower consumption of vegetables and fruits. 5
Special Circumstances Requiring Higher Doses
If the child has chronic kidney disease (CKD stages 2-5), supplementation should only be provided if dietary intake fails to meet 100% of the DRI or if clinical evidence of deficiency exists. 1 For children on dialysis, water-soluble vitamin supplementation is recommended, though caution must be exercised to avoid exceeding the tolerable upper limit when combining dietary and supplemental sources. 1
For children requiring parenteral nutrition, the dose is 80 mg/day for those over 12 months of age. 1, 6 This higher dose accounts for potential losses and altered metabolism in children unable to receive enteral nutrition. 1
Common Pitfalls to Avoid
- Do not routinely supplement healthy children eating a varied diet, as this provides no additional benefit and may lead to unnecessary expense. 1
- Ensure at least one daily serving of vitamin C-rich foods rather than relying on low-vitamin C vegetables alone. 5
- Avoid exceeding 2 grams daily (the tolerable upper limit), which can cause gastrointestinal upset and is far above what any healthy child requires. 7