That should offer a clue about our needs. Their risk of heart disease and cancer decreases. They manage their diabetes better. They live longer. In other words, people become healthier when they consume amounts of vitamin C comparable to what other animals do.
Critics sometimes dismiss vitamins as cure-alls.
Vitamins and other nutrients are essential building blocks for health. They work at a fundamental level in the body, which is why they impact so many diseases. For example, the B vitamins are essential for the synthesis and repair of your genes. It would be hard to get any more basic than that. At one time, researchers figured that vitamins and minerals were the active ingredients in fruits and vegetables.