Vitamin C
Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin whose serum concentration tracks recent intake. Across US males aged 30 to 39, the median serum vitamin C in NHANES 2017-2018 is 0.85 mg/dL.
Unit: mg/dL · 12 slices · age and sex · 1 source
Filed under panels: Vitamins · topics: Nutrition
Serum vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is the standard population marker of vitamin C status. Unlike fat-soluble vitamins, the body does not store vitamin C in large amounts, so serum levels respond to recent dietary intake on a timescale of hours to days. Smoking status is one contributor to variation in serum vitamin C for a given intake. NHANES publishes vitamin C in mg/dL; LabNorms displays it in mg/dL and exposes µmol/L via the unit toggle.
Population Distribution
Browse by Demographic
| Age (years) | male (mg/dL) | female (mg/dL) |
|---|---|---|
| 20-29 | 0.16–1.33 (0.73) | 0.20–1.63 (0.97) |
| 30-39 | 0.18–1.39 (0.85) | 0.18–1.56 (0.94) |
| 40-49 | 0.15–1.32 (0.75) | 0.18–1.68 (0.95) |
| 50-59 | 0.17–1.72 (0.87) | 0.16–1.97 (0.97) |
| 60-69 | 0.15–1.47 (0.77) | 0.17–2.06 (1.08) |
| 70+ | 0.16–1.82 (0.99) | 0.18–2.15 (1.15) |
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does serum vitamin C respond so quickly to intake?
Vitamin C is water-soluble and not stored in significant amounts. Serum levels can change within hours of intake, so the measure reflects recent dietary or supplement consumption rather than longer-term status.
Why is the population distribution of vitamin C so wide?
Plasma vitamin C is shaped by recent dietary intake (especially fruits and vegetables), supplement use, and smoking status. Each of these varies considerably across the population, producing a wide distribution.
Why are these population percentiles, not clinical reference intervals?
LabNorms shows where a given value sits in the US adult population distribution. Clinical reference intervals are produced by laboratories using their own measurement protocols and answer a different question. Both can be useful, but they are not interchangeable.