Airborne · Vitamin C · Tablets
Is Airborne Citrus Chewable Tablets underdosed?
Verdict
1 g a dayas the label directs · studies use 200–1,000 mg a day · RDA 90 mg · upper limit 2,000 mg
Effective doseTaken as the label directs (1 serving a day, 1 g each), it gives 1 g a day. Studies of vitamin C supplements use 200–1,000 mg a day; the RDA is 90 mg for men and 75 mg for women, and the US upper limit is 2,000 mg a day. In the same studies, single doses of 500 mg or more were absorbed less than smaller ones.
One tablet gives 250 mg, enough on its own for the low end of what studies use (200 mg); it ranks 1st of 21 vitamin C supplements here by dose.
1 tablet a day reaches 200 mg.
What the label says
- Vitamin C per serving
- 1 g in 4 tablets
- Servings a day
- 1 serving a day
- Vitamin C a day, as directed
- 1 g
- Reference
- studies use 200–1,000 mg a day · RDA 90 mg · upper limit 2,000 mg Evidence: Moderate
Adults and Children 14 years of age and older: Chew four (4) tablets daily. Children 4 years of age and older: Chew two (2) tablets daily. Not for younger children.
Also on the label
| Ingredient | Per serving | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| Vitamin A (as retinyl palmitate) | 180 mcg | Not graded |
| Vitamin D (as cholecalciferol) | 38 mcg | Not graded |
| Vitamin E (as dl-alpha tocopheryl acetate) | 3 mg | Not graded |
| Zinc (as zinc sulfate) | 11 mg | Not graded |
| Selenium (as selenium amino acid chelate) | 11 mcg | Not graded |
| Manganese (as manganese gluconate) | 460 mcg | Not graded |
| Sodium | 40 mg | Not graded |
| Lonicera japonica (flower) | Not stated | Not graded |
| Forsythia suspensa (fruit) | Not stated | Not graded |
| Schizonepeta tenuifolia (aerial) | Not stated | Not graded |
| Ginger (Zingiber officinale [root]) | Not stated | Not graded |
| Vitex trifolia (fruit) | Not stated | Not graded |
| Isatis tinctoria (root) | Not stated | Not graded |
| Echinacea purpurea (aerial) | Not stated | Not graded |
More about vitamin c: forms, timing and the studies behind the dose.
Same category, compared
All 21 vitamin C supplements we checked, ranked by dose (commission never changes the order). Studies use 200–1,000 mg a day · RDA 90 mg · upper limit 2,000 mg; servings counted to 200 mg.
| Product | Per serving | Servings to reach it | Form |
|---|---|---|---|
| Airborne Citrus Chewable Tablets (this product) | 1 g | 1 or less | Tablets · ascorbic acid and sodium ascorbate |
| Airborne Original Effervescent Tablets | 1 g | 1 or less | Tablets · ascorbic acid |
| Beekeeper's Naturals Propolis + Vitamin C Liposomal | 1 g | 1 or less | Liquids · ascorbic acid & sodium ascorbate |
| Dr. Mercola Liposomal Vitamin C 1,000 mg | 1 g | 1 or less | Capsules · ascorbic acid |
| Emergen-C 1,000 mg Vitamin C | 1 g | 1 or less | Powders · ascorbic acid, zinc ascorbate |
| MegaFood Liposomal Vitamin C 1000 mg | 1 g | 1 or less | Capsules · ascorbic acid |
| Member's Mark Vitamin C 1000 mg | 1 g | 1 or less | Tablets · ascorbic acid |
| NOW Foods C-1000 | 1 g | 1 or less | Tablets · ascorbic acid |
| NutraBio Vitamin C 1000 mg | 1 g | 1 or less | Capsules · ascorbic acid |
| Puritan's Pride C-1000 mg | 1 g | 1 or less | Tablets · ascorbic acid |
| Puritan's Pride Ester-C | 1 g | 1 or less | Capsules · ester-c |
| Solaray Buffered Super Bio Vitamin C 1000 mg | 1 g | 1 or less | Capsules · acerola cherry, ascorbic acid, rose hip |
| Twinlab C-1000 Caps | 1 g | 1 or less | Capsules · ascorbic acid |
| Airborne Original Gummies | 750 mg | 1 or less | Gummies · ascorbic acid, sodium ascorbate |
| Pure Encapsulations Ester-C & Flavonoids | 619 mg | 1 or less | Capsules · ester-c calcium ascorbate |
| Amazon Elements Whole Food Vitamin C 500 mg | 500 mg | 1 or less | Capsules · acerola extract, ascorbic acid |
| Bluebonnet Vitamin C 500 mg | 500 mg | 1 or less | Capsules · l-ascorbic acid |
| Garden of Life Vitamin Code Raw Vitamin C | 500 mg | 1 or less | Capsules · saccharomyces cerevisiae |
| Nature Made Vitamin C 500 mg | 500 mg | 1 or less | Tablets |
| Source Naturals C-1000 | 1 g | 1 or less | Tablets · ascorbic acid |
| Sports Research Vitamin C 1000 mg | 1 g | 1 or less | Capsules · ascorbic acid |
Where the reference doses come from
- Vitamin C, 200–1000 mg/day: Frei et al., 2012; Gonzalez et al., 2026; Levine et al., 1996.
For a supplement taken every day we judge the most the label's directions give in a day, and show the least. Read the full methodology or the corrections log.