Vitamin C and Menopause: Are You Getting Enough?
Written by Clinical Nutritionist Lorraine English
When we think about nutrition during menopause, protein, calcium, vitamin D and omega-3 fats often receive most of the attention. But there is another important nutrient worth considering: vitamin C.
Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, is an essential water-soluble vitamin. Unlike many animals, humans cannot manufacture vitamin C, which means we need to obtain it through our diet.
Vitamin C is involved in numerous processes throughout the body, including collagen formation, antioxidant protection, immune function and iron absorption.
For women navigating perimenopause and menopause, getting enough vitamin C forms part of a nutrient-dense dietary pattern that supports healthy ageing.
What Does Vitamin C Do?
Vitamin C acts as a cofactor for a number of enzymes throughout the body and contributes to several important physiological functions.
These include:
Collagen formation
Antioxidant protection
Immune function
Supporting the absorption of non-haem iron from plant foods
Wound healing
Normal connective tissue function
Supporting normal blood vessel structure
Neurotransmitter synthesis
Because vitamin C has so many roles, getting enough is important throughout life—not just during menopause.
Vitamin C, Collagen and Healthy Ageing
One of vitamin C's best-known roles is collagen synthesis.
Collagen is a major structural protein found throughout the body, including in the skin, bones, cartilage, tendons, ligaments and blood vessels.
Vitamin C acts as an essential cofactor for enzymes involved in stabilising and forming collagen.
This becomes particularly relevant as we age because maintaining healthy connective tissue, skin, bones and musculoskeletal function becomes increasingly important.
Vitamin C isn't an anti-ageing miracle nutrient, but adequate intake helps provide the nutritional building blocks required for normal collagen formation.
Vitamin C and Skin Health During Menopause
Changes in oestrogen during menopause can affect the skin, including its hydration, elasticity and collagen content.
Nutrition cannot stop normal skin ageing, but ensuring adequate protein, vitamin C, essential fatty acids and other micronutrients provides the body with nutrients required to maintain normal skin structure.
Vitamin C also functions as an antioxidant, helping protect cells from oxidative damage.
Rather than relying solely on supplements, regularly including vitamin C-rich fruit and vegetables provides vitamin C alongside fibre, polyphenols and many other beneficial plant compounds.
Vitamin C and Bone Health
Bone health becomes increasingly important during and after menopause.
Declining oestrogen contributes to accelerated bone loss, increasing the importance of nutrition, resistance exercise and other lifestyle factors that help maintain bone health.
Most people immediately think about calcium and vitamin D—and these are important—but bone is also made up of a collagen-rich protein matrix.
Vitamin C contributes to normal collagen formation, making adequate vitamin C intake one component of an overall bone-supportive diet.
Research has found associations between vitamin C intake and bone mineral density, although this does not mean taking high-dose vitamin C supplements will prevent osteoporosis.
For women in midlife, bone health should be approached comprehensively, including adequate protein, calcium, vitamin D and other micronutrients alongside resistance and weight-bearing exercise.
Vitamin C and Cardiovascular Health
Cardiovascular health deserves greater attention as women move through menopause.
The menopause transition is associated with changes in cardiovascular risk factors, including blood pressure, cholesterol, insulin sensitivity and body composition.
Vitamin C contributes to antioxidant defence and normal collagen formation, including collagen within blood vessels.
Diets naturally rich in vitamin C are also generally rich in fruit and vegetables—foods consistently associated with healthier dietary patterns.
However, taking large doses of vitamin C should not be viewed as a stand-alone strategy for preventing cardiovascular disease.
For cardiovascular health during menopause, we need to look at the bigger picture, including:
Overall dietary pattern
Fibre intake
Fruit and vegetable intake
Healthy fats
Protein
Blood pressure
Cholesterol
Blood glucose regulation
Body composition
Physical activity
Smoking and alcohol intake
Sleep and stress
Vitamin C Is a Powerful Antioxidant
Vitamin C is an important antioxidant.
Every day, normal metabolic processes generate reactive oxygen species. Environmental factors, inflammation, smoking and other stressors can also contribute to oxidative stress.
Our bodies have sophisticated antioxidant defence systems to help manage this.
Vitamin C forms part of this antioxidant network and can help neutralise reactive oxygen species.
This doesn't mean that taking very large doses of antioxidant supplements is necessarily better.
A diet containing a variety of colourful fruit, vegetables, herbs and other plant foods provides numerous antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds that work together.
Vitamin C and Iron Absorption
This is one role of vitamin C that can be particularly useful in clinical nutrition.
Vitamin C can increase the absorption of non-haem iron—the type of iron found predominantly in plant foods.
Pairing vitamin C-rich foods with plant sources of iron can therefore be useful.
For example:
Lentils with capsicum and tomato
Spinach salad with strawberries or citrus
Chickpeas with tomato and lemon
Iron-fortified cereal with kiwi fruit or berries
This can be particularly relevant for women approaching menopause who are still menstruating heavily or who have low iron stores.
Persistent low iron or low ferritin should always be appropriately investigated rather than simply assuming that increasing dietary iron will solve the problem.
Vitamin C and Immune Function
Vitamin C also contributes to both innate and adaptive immune function.
It supports several cellular functions within the immune system and helps maintain epithelial barriers that form part of our body's first line of defence.
Vitamin C deficiency can impair immune function, but this doesn't mean that very high doses will necessarily prevent you from getting sick.
The goal is to ensure adequate intake as part of an overall nutrient-dense diet.
Does Vitamin C Decline After Menopause?
Some research has identified differences in circulating vitamin concentrations associated with ageing and menopause.
However, this doesn't mean every woman going through menopause needs a vitamin C supplement.
Your overall dietary intake, smoking status, health, medications, gastrointestinal function and other factors can all influence nutrient status and requirements.
The first step should generally be looking at the quality and variety of your diet.
How Much Vitamin C Do Women Need?
Australian and New Zealand Nutrient Reference Values set the recommended dietary intake (RDI) for vitamin C for adult women at 45 mg per day.
Importantly, an RDI is designed to meet the requirements of almost all healthy people in a population. It isn't necessarily a target that needs to be achieved to the exact milligram every day.
A varied diet containing fruit and vegetables can readily provide vitamin C.
What Foods Are Highest in Vitamin C?
There are plenty of excellent food sources, and citrus isn't your only option.
Vitamin C-rich foods include:
Kiwi fruit
Oranges
Mandarins
Grapefruit
Strawberries
Papaya
Guava
Capsicum
Broccoli
Brussels sprouts
Tomatoes
Leafy green vegetables
Potatoes
One of the simplest strategies is to include different coloured fruit and vegetables throughout your day.
For example, add berries or kiwi fruit to breakfast, capsicum and tomato to lunch, and broccoli or Brussels sprouts with dinner.
Should You Take a Vitamin C Supplement?
Not everyone needs one.
For many people, vitamin C requirements can be met through a varied diet containing adequate fruit and vegetables.
Supplementation may be considered where dietary intake is inadequate or where individual circumstances indicate a greater need.
More is not necessarily better.
Large supplemental doses can cause gastrointestinal symptoms such as abdominal discomfort and diarrhoea in some people.
If you are considering supplements—particularly if you have existing medical conditions, take medications or already use multiple supplements—seek individualised advice.
Food First, Supplements When Appropriate
One of the key principles we use at LEPT Nutrition is that supplements should supplement your diet rather than replace it.
A kiwi fruit doesn't just provide vitamin C.
It also provides fibre, potassium and numerous phytonutrients.
Broccoli doesn't just contain vitamin C—it provides fibre, folate, vitamin K and a range of bioactive plant compounds.
This is why focusing on the overall quality and diversity of your diet is so important.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is vitamin C important during menopause?
Yes. Vitamin C remains important throughout menopause because it contributes to collagen formation, antioxidant protection, immune function and iron absorption. It should be considered as part of an overall nutrient-dense menopause diet rather than as an isolated treatment for menopause symptoms.
Does vitamin C help with menopause symptoms?
There isn't currently strong evidence that vitamin C supplementation alone treats common menopause symptoms such as hot flushes. Its main role is supporting normal physiological functions and overall nutritional adequacy.
Does vitamin C help your skin during menopause?
Vitamin C is required for normal collagen formation and acts as an antioxidant. These functions are important for skin health, but vitamin C cannot prevent the normal skin changes associated with ageing and declining oestrogen.
Is vitamin C good for bones after menopause?
Vitamin C contributes to collagen formation, and collagen forms an important part of the bone matrix. Adequate vitamin C therefore forms part of a bone-supportive diet. However, maintaining bone health after menopause also requires attention to calcium, vitamin D, protein, exercise and other individual risk factors.
Can vitamin C help with iron absorption?
Yes. Vitamin C can improve the absorption of non-haem iron from plant foods. Combining vitamin C-rich fruit and vegetables with plant sources of iron can be a useful dietary strategy.
How much vitamin C does a woman need each day?
The Australian recommended dietary intake for adult women is 45 mg per day. Many fruits and vegetables contain substantial amounts of vitamin C, making it possible to meet requirements through a varied diet.
Do menopausal women need a vitamin C supplement?
Not necessarily. Many women can obtain adequate vitamin C through food. Whether supplementation is appropriate depends on dietary intake, health status and individual circumstances.
Can I take vitamin C every day?
Vitamin C can be consumed every day through food. Supplements can also be appropriate for some people, but the dose should reflect individual requirements rather than assuming that higher doses provide greater health benefits.
Supporting Your Nutrition Through Menopause
Menopause nutrition isn't about finding one perfect vitamin, supplement or superfood.
It is about ensuring your overall diet provides the protein, fibre, healthy fats, vitamins, minerals and plant compounds your body needs as it moves through midlife and beyond.
If you are unsure whether your diet is meeting your nutritional requirements, a personalised nutritional assessment can help identify where changes may be beneficial.
At LEPT Nutrition, we work with women throughout perimenopause, menopause and post-menopause to develop practical, individualised nutrition strategies for weight management, metabolic health, gut health, bone health and healthy ageing.
Consultations are available at Wellness Zone in Warwick, Perth, Western Australia.
References
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Mumford SL, Browne RW, Schliep KC, et al. Serum antioxidants are associated with serum reproductive hormones and ovulation among healthy women. Journal of Nutrition. 2016;146(1):98–106.
Wiacek M, Zubrzycki IZ, Bojke O, Kim HJ. Menopause and age-driven changes in blood level of fat- and water-soluble vitamins. Climacteric. 2013;16(6):689–699.
Nutrient Reference Values for Australia and New Zealand. National Health and Medical Research Council.
Additional contemporary evidence on menopause nutrition, cardiovascular health and vitamin C was reviewed when updating this article.
