Vitamin C intake in the US fell over 20 years
What it found
In a national US survey, average vitamin C intake from food and drink fell by 22.6% between 1999 and 2018, and the share of people below the recommended average intake rose from 38.3% to 47.4%.
What they found
Studies in people
Overall intake fell
Average vitamin C intake from foods and drinks dropped by 22.6% over the 20 years, from 97 mg per day to 75 mg per day. The decline was seen in most age and sex groups.
Fruit juice was the main source
100% fruit juice was the leading source of vitamin C, supplying 25.6% of the total, or 21.7 mg per day. Its contribution fell by 48%, from 25 mg to 13 mg per day.
Whole fruit rose in children
Vitamin C from whole fruit increased by 75.8% among children and adolescents, from 10 to 17 mg per day, but did not rise in adults. The vegetable contribution was generally unchanged.
More people fell short
The share of people below the Estimated Average Requirement rose from 38.3% to 47.4%, a 23.8% relative increase. The biggest rises were in the youngest children, teenagers and some adult men.
Blood levels dipped slightly
Blood vitamin C levels fell by about 4.8% overall and about 5.5% in adults between 2003 and 2006 and 2017 and 2018, but the authors say these declines were not statistically significant.
What the authors conclude
“In this large population-based study we observed a dramatic decline in vitamin C intakes that appears to be driven by declines in fruit juice consumption.”
Also in their conclusions
- They say the dramatic decline in vitamin C intake appears to be driven by falling fruit juice consumption, and a modest rise in whole fruit could not make up the gap.
- They note that while severe vitamin C deficiency is unlikely at the population level, these trends are of potential concern given links between vitamin C intake and many health outcomes.
- They call for vitamin C intake to be continually monitored and for efforts to increase fruit and vegetable consumption in the United States.
How it was done
The authors wanted to track how much vitamin C Americans get, which foods and drinks supply it, and how many people fall short, because low fruit and vegetable intake has led to low intakes of several vitamins and minerals.
They used dietary recall data from 84,902 children and adults aged 1 and over across 10 two-year cycles of the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, from 1999 to 2018. They also compared blood levels of vitamin C in 20,675 people aged 6 and over from 2003 to 2006 and from 2017 to 2018.
What it can’t tell you
- This study followed national dietary patterns over time, so it can show trends and links but not cause and effect.
- It cannot prove that falling juice consumption directly caused the drop in vitamin C intake, though the two moved together.
- It did not include vitamin C from supplements, so it does not reflect total vitamin C intake from all sources.
Who paid
- Conflicts
- All authors are currently employed by PepsiCo, Inc. The authors have no additional conflicts of interest to report.
The paper
- Title
- Trends in Vitamin C Consumption in the United States: 1999-2018
- Type
- Study
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Cite
- Brauchla M, Dekker MJ, Rehm CD (2021). Trends in Vitamin C Consumption in the United States: 1999-2018. Nutrients. doi:10.3390/nu13020420Free full textPubMed 33525516DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error