The Big Deal about Vitamin C

The Big Deal about Vitamin C: "The Big Deal about Vitamin C
by Phillip Day


Dr Linus Pauling, known as the 'Father of Vitamin C' and twice awarded the Nobel Prize, declared that daily intakes of vitamin C aid anti-cancer activity and assist in repairing damaged arteries and removing arterial plaque (atherosclerosis). Pauling was largely derided for making these declarations (he lived to be 94!) but today, large doses of vitamin C complex are used by many doctors to great effect who believe Pauling was right and that the popular nutrient is indispensable to the body in its fight to regain or maintain health.


An associate of Pauling's, Dr Matthias Rath, writes: 'Animals don't get heart attacks because they produce vitamin C in their bodies, which protects their blood vessel walls. In humans, unable to produce vitamin C (a condition known as hypoascorbemia), dietary vitamin deficiency weakens these walls. Cardiovascular disease is an early form of scurvy. Clinical studies document that optimum daily intakes of vitamins and other essential nutrients halt and reverse coronary heart disease naturally.


The single most important difference between the metabolism of human beings and most other living species is the dramatic difference in the body pool of vitamin C. The body reservoir of vitamin C in people is on average 10 to 100 times lower than the vitamin C levels in animals.' 1


So what can we do about that? Effective supplementing is all about obtaining optimal blood plasma levels of the nutrient, say Drs. Steven Hickey and Hilary Roberts in their book, Ascorbate:


'An individual who wanted protection from, say, the common cold by taking vitamin C, would raise their blood levels more effectively by taking divided doses or slow release formulations…. If a single dose of vitamin C raises blood levels for about six hours or one quarter of the day, the subject is unprotected for the other three quarters of the time…. The biochemical data supports Pauling’s hypothesis that, for a large proportion of the population, the optimal dose of vitamin C is several grams a day…. A single megadose tablet will only raise blood levels for a short period and is likely to be therapeutically ineffective. The aim is to raise plasma levels consistently and this requires either multiple tablets taken at short intervals throughout the day, or the use of slow release formulations.' 2


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Optimum vitamin C intake for most is between 600 mg – 3 g daily (depending on bodyweight and stress levels), along with supportive intakes of Vitamin E (600 - 1,000 IU), the amino acids lysine and proline, the B vitamins, essential fatty acids (EFAs), magnesium, minerals, trace minerals and amino acids to provide healthy arteries. Sick people require high levels of vitamin C – the sicker the higher
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A long-term vitamin C deficiency will lead to atherosclerotic deposits in the arterial walls to cover the breaches caused by the disintegrating collagen, resulting in coronary heart disease and, further north, strokes to the brain
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Vitamin C depletion over a few months will lead to massive blood loss through collagen disintegration, resulting in leaky artery walls, collapsing organs and death by scurvy3
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Heat destroys vitamin C. Any cooked meal has no vitamin C content. This goes a long way toward explaining why those living in wealthy nations are still dying of diseases of chronic malnutrition, such as cancer, heart disease and stroke


Dr G C Willis demonstrated vitamin C complex could reverse atherosclerosis. Willis gave a sample of his patients 1.5 grams of vitamin C a day and gave the remainder no vitamin C at all. After a year, the atherosclerotic deposits in the patients fed the vitamin C had decreased in 30% of the cases. In contrast, no reduction in deposits was observed in the control group, which had grown further. Sadly, in spite of the clear evidence over 40 years ago of the benefits of just vitamin C through Willis's work, no follow-up study was ever commissioned.4


Professor Gey, from the University of Basel in Switzerland, conducted studies in which he compared the vitamin C, vitamin A (beta carotene) and cholesterol intakes of citizens living in Northern Europe with their counterparts in the southern regions of the continent. He found:


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Those living in the northern nations had the highest levels of cardiovascular disease and lowest blood levels of vitamins
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Southern European populations had the reverse statistics of their northern counterparts and were much more healthy
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Optimum intakes of vitamins C, E and A had far greater impact on decreasing risks of cardiovascular disease than the reduction of cholesterol, now becoming increasingly viewed (correctly) as a secondary factor in heart-disease risk (an inevitable result of the primary deficiency of nutrients leading to the breakdown of arterial walls)


Gey's report also highlighted the preference for the Mediterranean diet, rich in wine and olive oil, abundant in bioflavonoids (a part of the C complex) and Vitamin E as a main prevention regimen for heart disease in almost all its forms.5


Further studies showed that these nutrients separately produced impressive results for cardiac disease prevention:


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Vitamin C intake lowers cardiovascular risk by 50%6 7
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Vitamin E intake lowers cardiovascular risk by one-third, documented in 87,000 study participants over six years8
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Beta carotene (vitamin A) intake lowers cardiovascular risk over 30%, documented in more than 87,000 study participants over six years
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No prescription drug has ever come close to matching these figures in preventing heart disease9


However, when these nutrients were combined with other synergistic agents, such as magnesium, vitamin B3 (nicotinic acid), vitamin B5 (pantothenate) and the amino acid carnitine, and levels of these maintained in the body over the long-term, near total prevention could be expected, and in those already suffering from a variety of cardiac ailments, a clear record of efficacy in reversing these conditions was consistently observed. 10 11 12 13


Scurvy in the industrial nations is rare (vitamin C depletion), even with the ghastly diets we feed ourselves today. However, long-term C deficiency is common in many, hence the prevalence of heart disease, cancer and stroke in their various forms.


The whole story

Vitamin C is best viewed, not just as ascorbic acid, but as a complex of co-factors common in fruits, vegetables and other foods. Several studies have suggested that vitamin C may reduce levels of lead in the blood. Epidemiological studies have shown that people with elevated blood serum levels of C had lower levels of blood toxicity. An examination of the data from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, enrolling 4,213 youths aged 6 to 16 years and 15,365 adults 17 years and older from 1988 to 1994, found a correlation between low serum ascorbic acid levels and elevated blood lead levels. The authors concluded high ascorbic acid intake may reduce blood lead levels.14


Ascorbic acid or the ascorbate salts (calcium, sodium or magnesium ascorbate) should be taken with bioflavonoids in divided doses throughout the day with a healthy, alkalising, raw diet to boost and maintain plasma levels. This is especially important for those suffering serious illness. Oral dosage recommended for prevention is between 600mg and 3g a day, or 10g/day plus for those with cancer and other degenerative conditions. Extremely high levels of C are used intravenously to great benefit with cancer patients and those with viral illness (30,000 – 200,000 mg/day). At extremely high blood levels, vitamin C is selectively toxic to cancer cells.15


VITAMIN P (bioflavonoids): another part of the vitamin C complex. Hungarian Dr Albert Szent-Gyorgyi, 1937 Nobel Laureate for his isolation of vitamin C, later found other factors intrinsic to its action. Originally believed to be a single nutrient, Vitamin C became the subject of further testing by Szent-Gyorgyi, who fought hard to have the co-factor (bio)flavonoids included in the description. Coining the new bioflavonoids ‘vitamin P’, Szent-Gyorgyi argued they were essential for proper metabolic function. Derived from plant pigments known as the flavonols and flavones, bioflavonoids are widely accepted today for their health benefits and are available in hydroxylated and methoxylated forms. They are found in the pith of fruits (mostly citrus). Quercetin, rutin, catechin, anthocyanidins and proanthocyanidins are examples of flavonoids and are great-sounding names. The sound of 'vitamin P', however, was less well received by Szent-Gyorgyi's medical czars.


Summary

I have been supplementing powdered, bioflavonoid C complex for years and enjoy paramount health. Finding a decent C supplement that is not just ascorbic acid and not in tablet form (avoiding the binders and fillers) has proved a bit of a trial, however. We have since developed a highly successful C product in cahoots with manufacturers in the Netherlands, so if you're stuck for the best stuff locally and fed up with burning holes in your tum with ascorbic acid, click here.


Last word

Of course, regular dosing with vitamin C is great insurance, but there is no substitute for a proper varied, wholefood diet, a high percentage eaten raw. This 'doses' your body to obtain desirable blood plasma levels of not just C but other nutrients. Reducing stress, adopting a positive outlook and exercising regularly will help cover most of the bases.


Phillip


RESOURCES

Simple Changes - Your 100 Ways to a Happier, Healthier Life by Phillip Day



Don't want to get sick?

Vitamin Complex (3/5 g a day - divided doses)

Vitamin D3/K2 capsules (4,000mg/day divided doses)

Krill oil (2 capsules/day)

60-70% raw food diet

2-3 litres of water a day plus half a teaspoon of Himalayan salt

45 mins exercise (get the heart rate up)

Stop reading newspapers!!




1 Rath, Matthias, Why Animals Don’t Get Heart Attacks – But People Do! MR Publishing, 2000, p.10

2 Hickey Steven and Hilary Roberts, Ascorbate, Lulu, 2004

3 Rath, Matthias, Why Animals Don’t Get Heart Attacks – But People Do! op. cit.

4 Willis GC, Light AW & WS Gow, “Serial arteriography in atherosclerosis”, Canadian Medical Association Journal (1954) 71: pp.562-568

5 Gey KF, Puska P, Jordan P & UK Moser, “Inverse correlation between plasma Vitamin E and mortality from ischemic heart disease in cross-cultural epidemiology” American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (1991) 53: p.326, supplement

6 Ginter E, “Vitamin C deficiency cholesterol metabolism and atherosclerosis” Journal of Orthomolecular Medicine (1991) 6:pp.166-173; Ginter E, “Marginal Vitamin C deficiency, lipid metabolism and atherosclerosis” Lipid Research (1978) 16: pp.216-220

7 Harwood HJ Jr, Greene YJ & PW Stacpoole, “Inhibition of human leucocyte 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase activity by ascorbic acid. An effect mediated by the free radical monodehydro-ascorbate” Journal of Biological Chemistry (1986) 261: pp.7127-7135

8 Beamish R, “Vitamin E – then and now” Canadian Journal of Cardiology (1993) 9: pp. 29-31

9 Rath, Matthias, op. cit. p.53

10 Sokolov B, Hori M, Saelhof CC, Wrzolek T & T Imai, “Aging, atherosclerosis and ascorbic acid metabolism” Journal of the American Gerontology Society (1966) 14: 1239-1260

11 Opie LH, “Role of carnitine in fatty acid metabolism of normal and ischemic myocardium” American Heart Journal (1979) 97: pp.375-388

12 Avogaro P, Bon GB & M Fusello, “Effect of pantethine on lipids, lipoproteins and apolipoproteins in man” Current Therapeutic Research (1983) 33: pp.488-493

13 Altschul R, Hoffer A & JD Stephen, “Influence of nicotinic acid on serum cholesterol in man” Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics (1955) 54: pp.558-559; Carlson LA, Hamsten A & A Asplund, “Pronounced lowering of serum levels of lipoprotein Lp(a) in hyperlipidemic subjects treated with nicotinic acid” Journal of Internal Medicine (England) (1989) 226: 271-276

14 Simon JA, Hudes ES, “Relationship of Ascorbic Acid to Blood Lead Levels” Journal of the American Medical Association, 1999;281:2289-2293

15 www.doctoryourself.com; www.orthomolecular.org"