currently recommended intake of vitamin C may still be too low for all age groups, including elderly persons. For the same vitamin C intake, elderly persons have lower circulating levels compared with young adults, perhaps because of either impaired absorption of vitamin C from the gut or impaired reabsorption from the kidney. Recent studies examining vitamin C bioavailability, urinary excretion, and steady-state plasma vitamin C concentration as a function of dose suggest that the recommended vitamin C intake should be increased from 90 mg for men and 75 mg for women to 120 mg per day. Although preliminary studies indicate that even higher doses of vitamin C may prevent low-density lipoprotein oxidation which may improve wound healing, and are scarcely correlated with blood pressure in elderly persons. The best dietary sources of vitamin C are fruits and vegetables, such as papaya, pineapple, oranges, broccoli, and bell peppers. An anti-inflammatory diet should easily supply adequate amounts of vitamin C.