Can You Take Vitamin C and Zinc Together?

Quick Scoop

• Vitamin C and Zinc are nutrients that support normal immune function.†
• Zinc is an essential mineral that is vital for normal growth and development and supports a healthy immune system and healthy skin.† .
• Vitamin C is an antioxidant that plays a role in skin and immune health.†
• Vitamin C and Zinc together may help provide additional antioxidant support.†

Vitamin C and Zinc are two nutrients that support immune health. Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin found widely in many fruits and vegetables. It has many important functions in the body, including acting as an antioxidant, helping make collagen for healthy skin, and playing a critical role in immune health.† Zinc is a trace mineral that is involved in helping support healthy skin, normal growth and development, and plays a role in immune function. [1] These nutrients are essential to help support overall health.^†

Benefits of Taking Vitamin C and Zinc Together

There are several potential benefits to taking Vitamin C and Zinc together as they work together to support immune health. Here are the benefits of each individually.†

Benefits of Vitamin C

Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin that primarily acts as an antioxidant. As an antioxidant, Vitamin C functions as an antioxidant helping support the immune system from neutralizing free radicals in the body. This helps your immune system stay healthy and powerful. [3]†

Benefits of Zinc

Zinc is an essential mineral that not only is beneficial for our immune function but for many other functions in the body. It is needed for many important functions including immune support and healthy growth and development, and supports the  vital functions of over 100 different enzymes in the body which is important for overall health.[1]†

In the immune system, Zinc is needed for the proper function of T-cells and B-cells, which are also types of white blood cells. Additionally, it supports other immune cells such as neutrophils and natural killer cells. Essentially, it is an important essential mineral for your immune health. [1]†

Other Ways to Support Your Immune System

Beyond taking Vitamin C and Zinc together, there are many ways that you can naturally support your immune system.

Sleep

Getting adequate sleep supports our circadian rhythms and nightly repair of our bodies, to increase its protection against potential pathogens, and also may help long-term adaptive immunity. Guidelines state that adults ages 18 or older should get at least 7 hours of sleep each night.[7]

Learn more: Sleep Deprivation Effects

Stress Management

Stress is known to disrupt the function of your bodily systems, including the immune system.. Help manage your stress through calming activities, developing healthy coping mechanisms, speaking with trusted individuals in your life, regular exercise, and good nutrition.

Learn more: Stress Management Activities

Balanced Diet

Nutrient shortfalls can negatively affect the immune response due to the body not having adequate building blocks for proper immune function. Eating a varied diet that includes fruits, vegetables, healthy proteins, whole grains, and dairy or dairy alternatives provides your body with the nutrients that are important for normal immune function.

Learn more: What are Essential Nutrients You Need Daily?

Be Physically Active

Regular exercise supports the movement of nutrients and white blood cells throughout the body and can help support a normal inflammatory response.[5] For healthy adults, the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommend 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic exercise per week, with additional muscle-building and balance-supporting exercises.[6]

How to Take Vitamin C and Zinc Properly

Now that you know why these nutrients are important for immune function, here’s how to take Vitamin C and Zinc together properly and safely:

When Should You Take Vitamin C and Zinc?

To maximize the absorption of Zinc and Vitamin C for your immune function, it is best to take them with a meal for best absorption.

How Much to Take

Current guidelines state that the Recommended Dietary Allowance of Vitamin C for adults is 75 mg for non-pregnant women and 90 mg for men. [2] Some people may be under the impression that large doses of Vitamin C are the most beneficial, but a more moderate dose (for example 250-1000 mg) is better for daily use and supporting overall health.

In certain situations, such as during pregnancy and lactation, Vitamin C requirements increase, and individuals who smoke require an additional 35 mg/day when compared to nonsmokers. [3]

For healthy adults, the Tolerable Upper Level Intake (UL) for Vitamin C is 2,000 mg per day. Doses above the Upper Limit for vitamin C are not suggested since it may cause undesirable side effects.. [3]

The RDA for Zinc is 11 mg daily for adult men 18 years or older, and 8 mg daily for adult women over the age of 19. Zinc needs increase for pregnancy and lactation and may be affected by certain medical conditions. [1]

The UL for daily Zinc intake is 40 mg per day for adults. Excessive Zinc may interact with certain medications is not suggested since it may cause undesirable side effects. [1]

Choosing a Good Vitamin C or Zinc Supplement

There are many supplement brands out there, when possible, look for trusted brands that are recommended by healthcare professionals, trusted organizations, and participate in a third-party testing program.

You can find both Zinc and Vitamin C as standalone products, so you can select which you would like to take. If you are looking for an immune support product that contains both zinc and vitamin C, our Nature Made Super C with Vitamin D and Zinc contains both and also has Vitamin D to support the body's natural immune defenses.†

More about Vitamin C and Zinc:

• 15 Foods High in Vitamin C
• Why Vitamin C is a Necessity Year Round
• Signs of a Zinc Deficiency
• What Does Zinc Do for the Body?

Follow @NatureMadeVitamins on Instagram for new product news, healthy tips, and more.

† These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

References

1. Zinc Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements. Updated September 28, 2022. Accessed July 21, 2023.  https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Zinc-HealthProfessional/
2. Carr, A. C., & Frei, B. (1999). Toward a new recommended dietary allowance for vitamin C based on antioxidant and health effects in humans. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 69(6), 1086–1107. https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/69.6.1086
3. Carr AC, Maggini S. Vitamin C and Immune Function. Nutrients. 2017;9(11):1211. Published 2017 Nov 3. doi:10.3390/nu9111211
4. Vitamin C Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements. Updated March 26, 2021. Accessed July 21, 2023.  https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminC-HealthProfessional/
5. Nieman, D. C., & Wentz, L. M. (2019). The compelling link between physical activity and the body’s defense system. Journal of Sport and Health Science, 8(3), 201–217.
6. Current Guidelines. (n.d.). Retrieved August 16, 2023, from https://health.gov/our-work/nutrition-physical-activity/physical-activity-guidelines/current-guidelines
7. How much sleep do you need?. Sleep Foundation. (2023, September 8). https://www.sleepfoundation.org/how-sleep-works/how-much-sleep-do-we-really-need