The need for vitamin c when fasting, based on age and sex

In the month of Ramadan, your body will undergo various changes to adapt to your new diet. Yes, from the beginning to eat regularly three or four times a day, now you are only allowed to eat only at dawn and after breaking the fast. As a result, you may feel faint during the day. Well, this is where the importance of vitamin C to help maintain your immune system. How much is the need for vitamin C when fasting? Here are the details.

The importance of vitamin C intake during fasting

Vitamin C is one of the essential nutrients for maintaining the immune system and organ function during fasting. The reason is, vitamin C can protect all cells and body tissues such as muscles, skin, cornea, bones and blood vessels from bacterial and viral infections. By consuming vitamin C, your body muscles no longer feel weak and you will not get sick easily during fasting.

Not only that, vitamin C also functions as an antidote to free radicals that can trigger cancer growth. This is because vitamin C is rich in antioxidants that can prevent cancer cell growth, especially cancer that attacks the mouth and digestive tract.

Vitamin C is also a water-soluble vitamin. This means that vitamin C will not be stored in the body for too long and will soon be wasted along with other substances when you urinate. So that the need for vitamin C is still fulfilled, fill it with foods and drinks that are good sources of vitamin C for the body.

The need for vitamin C when fasting is based on age and sex

The need for vitamin C when fasting is generally the same as on a normal day. It's just that you need to adjust your diet as well as possible so that your vitamin C needs during fasting are still met and not excessive.

The problem is, during fasting you may not eat three to four times a day as usual. As a result, the intake of vitamin C that you normally fill from lunch, snacks, or dinner may be limited to breaking fast and suhoor.

If you have started training your little one to fast from the age of 6 to 9 years, then the need for vitamin C for children that must be met is 45 milligrams (mg) per day. Starting from the age of 10-12 years, the need for vitamin C in children who are fasting increases to 50 mg per day.

After the age of 12 years, the need for vitamin C begins to be differentiated according to gender. Based on the Nutritional Adequacy Rate that has been determined by the Indonesian Ministry of Health through the Minister of Health Regulation No. 75 of 2013, this is the amount of vitamin C needs according to age and gender:

Daily vitamin C requirements in men

Teenagers 13-15 years: 75 mg per day
Adolescents and adults 16-25 years: 90 mg per day
Adults 26-45 years: 90 mg per day
Adults 46 years and over or seniors: 90 mg per day

Daily vitamin C requirements for women

Teenagers 13-15 years: 65 mg per day
Adolescents and adults 16-25 years: 75 mg per day
Adults 26-45 years: 75 mg per day
Adults 46 years and over or seniors: 75 mg per day

Various sources of vitamin C are good for consumption during fasting

Enduring hunger and thirst after a day of fasting doesn't necessarily mean you can go crazy eating when it's time to break the fast. Even though you want to get enough vitamin C right away, you still need to keep vitamin C levels within normal limits so as not to harm the body.

You can get enough vitamin C from a variety of natural foods such as oranges, chilies, spinach, broccoli, strawberries, and potatoes. Basically, these ingredients are very easy to help you meet your daily vitamin C needs while fasting.

Suppose you are a 26 year old male who needs 90 mg of vitamin C every day. Well, you can fulfill this need by eating one orange fruit that contains 48 mg of vitamin C plus broccoli which contains 39 mg of vitamin C.

If necessary, meet your vitamin C needs by taking supplements containing vitamin C and zinc. The combination of the two can help maintain endurance while meeting the nutrients you need during fasting.