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Excess vitamin C intake can lead to the formation of kidney stones. While vitamin C is water-soluble and generally excreted in urine when taken in excess, high doses can still cause adverse effects. The most common side effect of high vitamin C intake is diarrhea and other gastrointestinal issues, likely because unabsorbed vitamin C passes through the intestine. The established safe daily intake for vitamin C is 2,000 milligrams, based on avoiding these gastrointestinal symptoms. Other potential adverse effects have been investigated but not demonstrated in healthy individuals.12

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