Garden of Life · Vitamin C · Capsules
Is Garden of Life Vitamin Code Raw Vitamin C underdosed?
1 serving = 2 capsulesDirections: 1 serving a dayLabel as of 23 Jan 2025 · NIH DSLD
Verdict
500 mg 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, 500 mg each), it gives 500 mg 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 capsule gives 250 mg, enough on its own for the low end of what studies use (200 mg); it ranks 18th of 21 vitamin C supplements here by dose.
1 capsule a day reaches 200 mg.
What the label says
- Vitamin C per serving
- 500 mg in 2 capsules
- Servings a day
- 1 serving a day
- Vitamin C a day, as directed
- 500 mg
- Reference
- studies use 200–1,000 mg a day · RDA 90 mg · upper limit 2,000 mg Evidence: Moderate
Suggested use: Adults take 2 capsules daily. May be taken with or without food. Capsules may be opened and contents may be added to water or juice.
Also on the label
| Ingredient | Per serving | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| Apple [organic] | Not stated | Not graded |
| Dietary Nitrate | Not stated | Hidden in a blend |
| Broccoli (Broccoli, Broccoli) [organic] | Not stated | Not graded |
| Carrot [organic] | Not stated | Not graded |
| Spinach [organic] | Not stated | Not graded |
| Tomato [organic] | Not stated | Not graded |
| Strawberry [organic] | Not stated | Not graded |
| Tart Cherry [organic] | Not stated | Not graded |
| Blackberry [organic] | Not stated | Not graded |
| Citrus Bioflavonoids | Not stated | Not graded |
| Green Bell Pepper [organic] | Not stated | Not graded |
| Brussels Sprout [organic] | Not stated | Not graded |
| Blueberry [organic] | Not stated | Not graded |
| Ginger [organic] | Not stated | Not graded |
| Garlic [organic] | Not stated | Not graded |
| Green Onion [organic] | Not stated | Not graded |
| Raspberry [organic] | Not stated | Not graded |
| Parsley [organic] | Not stated | Not graded |
| Cauliflower (Cauliflower, Cauliflower) [organic] | Not stated | Not graded |
| Red Cabbage [organic] | Not stated | Not graded |
| Kale [organic] | Not stated | Not graded |
| Cucumber [organic] | Not stated | Not graded |
| Celery [organic] | Not stated | Not graded |
| Asparagus (Asparagus, Asparagus) [organic] | Not stated | Not graded |
| Lipase | Not stated | Not graded |
| Protease | Not stated | Not graded |
| Aspergillopepsin | Not stated | Not graded |
| Beta-Glucanase | Not stated | Not graded |
| Cellulase | Not stated | Not graded |
| Bromelain | Not stated | Not graded |
| Phytase | Not stated | Not graded |
| Lactase | Not stated | Not graded |
| Papain | Not stated | Not graded |
| Peptidase | Not stated | Not graded |
| Pectinase | Not stated | Not graded |
| Hemicellulase | Not stated | Not graded |
| Xylanase | Not stated | Not graded |
| Lactobacillus (Lactobacillus bulgaricus, Lactobacillus plantarum) [500 million CFU] | 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 | 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 (this product) | 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.
- Label data: National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements. Dietary Supplement Label Database, 2026. https://dsld.od.nih.gov/. Label 321399, including its servings a day.
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.