Vitamin C
It has been a well accepted fact that Vitamin C is of a great health benefit. More is being discovered about how, and to what diseases, it is beneficial. In June of 2005, John’s Hopkins University did a study that found Vitamin C, at doses of 500mg per day, significantly reduced uric acid levels after just 2 months. Elevated uric acid levels are key in the exacerbation of Gout symptoms. Elevations of uric acid are also seen in diseases of: Excessive cell destruction: neoplasia, even before as well as following chemotherapy and radiation therapy, especially lymphoma and leukemia; hemolytic anemia, resolving pneumonia and other inflammation; polycythemia, myeloma, pernicious anemia, infectious mononucleosis, congestive heart failure, large myocardial infarct. (Information sited by Labcorp.com)
Increased Vitamin C levels were also found to correlate with better lung function in asthmatics. And still more importantly is its link to killing cancer cells and not healthy cells. This particularly remarkable use is however only seen with intravenous administration.
Getting high enough Vitamin C levels through oral administration is very difficult. Only about 1/5 of the dose of Vitamin C taken orally is absorbed. There are certain medications that make that even less, like protonics for reflux or gastric ulcer treatment. Nexium, Prevecid, Zantac, etc. are examples of protonics or hydrogen ion suppressors. The hydrochloric acid is apparently important to Vitamin C absorption. IV administration of Vitamin C is capable of getting higher levels in the blood and tissues necessary to kill cancer cells.
Vitamin C can effectively lower cholesterol without lowering the body’s production of CoQ10, which is vital to the body for energy. The highest concentration of CoQ10 is found in the heart. A deficiency of this vitamin-like substance can lead to a decrease in heart muscle tone. Vitamin C inhibits Hemaglobin Coenzyme A reductase , like the statin drugs do, which decreases cholesterol levels without lowering CoQ10.
Its effectiveness in fighting colds has long been touted. The difference in benefits from one person to another may be due to the form in which its being taken, or the doses or the severity of the illness and how fast the illness is producing free radicals. Much of the benefit of the Vitamin C is coming from its ability to take up free radicals. The more free radicals being produced the higher the amount of Vitamin C necessary. The best form of Vitamin C to take is ascorbic acid or ascorbate crystals or tablets.
How much should you take? The experts in Vitamin C suggest 3 grams a day. That amount should be increased if illness should be encountered. Those with heart disease should take between 6,000mg and 18,000 mg. per day. Cancer patients should take between 14,000 and 30,000 mg. per day. If you have an infectious disease you should take 20-30,000 mg. per day. Those are the doses currently being recommended by the Vitamin C Foundation.
What are the side effects? Diarrhea. You should start out with 1500mg.in or with water and keep adding 500mg every 30minutes until you get diarrhea. Add them all up to get a total of milligrams taken to cause diarrhea. Then subtract 500mg and that is the dose you should take every four hours. Your stools should no longer be diarrhea but soft. If they are still too loose, decrease the amount by another 500mg. This should be the amount you can tolerate when in an acute illness. On a regular basis, you should have no problem with 3000mg.a day. This is the dose for anyone over the age of 3yrs.old. Esterfied C is easier on the stomach, and ascorbate gives you the highest benefit for conversion of free radicals. Do you need more information on Vitamin C? Check out the web site
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