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The need for vitamin C
For as far back as I can remember, at the first sign of illness, my mother would break out the orange juice and force us kids to take what seemed like an unreasonable number of vitamin C pills. It is well known that vitamin C enhances immune system function, but that is just the tip of the iceberg. Vitamin C is an antioxidant required for tissue growth and repair, adrenal gland function, production of anti-stress hormones and interferon. Vitamin C is needed for the metabolism of folic acid, tyrosine and phenylalanine. It protects against the harmful effects of pollution, cancer, infection, blood clotting, and bruising. It aids in the healing of wounds and burns. More recently, researchers have discovered that vitamin C may reduce cholesterol levels, lower high blood pressure and prevent atherosclerosis.
Many drugs deplete the body of vitamin C. These drugs include alcohol, antidepressants, anticoagulants, oral contraceptives, and steroids. Smoking seriously reduces vitamin C levels. Naturally, people using these drugs will need higher doses of vitamin C.
Vitamin C is found throughout our fruits and vegetables. Good sources include citrus fruit, berries, tomatoes and raw green vegetables.
Because vitamin C passes easily through the body, vitamin C supplements should be taken twice a day. Although the RDA for vitamin C is 60 mg, nutritionists place the optimum daily levels between 500 and 1000 mg.
Optimum dosage levels of vitamin C
Just how much vitamin C should we take? The National Science Foundation sets the RDA at 60 mg per day. Two-time Nobel prize winner Linus Pauling, known as the "Father of Vitamin C," took 30,000 mg per day. Pauling lived to the age of 93.
Certainly, 60 mg per day will prevent death by scurvy, a disease characterized by spongy gums, loose teeth, and bleeding into the skin and mucous membranes. Lesser signs of vitamin C deficiency are bleeding gums when you brush your teeth; increased susceptibility to infections, especially colds and bronchial infections; joint pains; lack of energy; poor digestion; prolonged healing time; and a tendency to bruise easily.
Dr. Matthias Rath, of the Linus Pauling Institute and author of Eradicating Heart Disease, noticed that a deficiency of vitamin C resulted in an increase of micro-fissures or cracks in blood vessel walls, particularly in the high stress areas surrounding the heart. The body seals these cracks with sticky platelets called plaque. The build-up of plaque is, of course, atherosclerosis. If the body has an adequate supply of vitamin C, there will be no cracks, and the platelets have nothing to stick to. In his clinical studies, Dr. Rath determined that 800 mg of vitamin C per day would prevent the blood vessel micro-fissures from occurring.
See also:
Eradicating Heart Disease
Matthias Rath
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 0963876805
Publisher: Health Now
Pub. Date: August 1994
Different forms of vitamin C supplements
Vitamin C comes in two basic forms with several variations: ascorbic acid and ascorbate. Of the two, ascorbic acid is the most common. Typically, ascorbic acid is synthetically produced and the cheapest on your pocketbook. However, some people find that they react to the high acid level, and suffer intestinal cramping and diarrhea when they take doses over 1000 mg. Obviously the discomfort becomes worse if they try to take 2000-3000 mg a day to combat or ward off an illness.
Ascorbates are neutral in acidity, because the vitamin C is attached to a mineral such as calcium or magnesium. Although these "buffered" vitamin Cs cost a little more, they are gentler on the digestive system and allow a person to take higher doses. As an added benefit, ascorbates give the body additional minerals.
A variation of calcium ascorbate is Ester-C (Registered trademark). The premise behind Ester-C is that higher doses of vitamin C behave differently in the body than do nutritional doses. At higher doses, ascorbates form metabolites that are utilized in dozens of biochemical reactions throughout the body. Ester-C adds threonate to calcium ascorbate to influence receptor cells to pass more vitamin C through the cell membranes to form these metabolites. As a side note, in a test of the effect of chewable vitamin Cs on teeth, only Ester-C was found not to erode tooth enamel.
Vitamin C supplements can also be derived from natural sources such as sago palm. These natural vitamins are essential for persons suffering from chemical sensitivities and allergies, and are worth the added expense. Although rose hips are an excellent source of vitamin C, it is rare to see any substantial amount in a supplement. Labels are that state "with rose hips" are a marketing ploy to sell synthetic ascorbic acid.
Next we will look at herbs that enhance our immune system.
Copyright 2001 by Chip Engelmann
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