Vitamin C: an all-around healthy nutrient

Added 22.09.2009

Why is vitamin C important

Vitamin C, otherwise known as ascorbic acid, is a water-soluble vitamin that plays a vital role in hundreds of biochemical reactions that take place in our body. It is essential for the formation of collagen, which maintains the structure of our blood vessels, tendons, ligaments and bone. Vitamin C also facilitates iron absorption and the conversion of cholesterol to bile acids. This versatile vitamin is also an extremely potent antioxidant that protects cells from the damaging effects of free radicals caused by pollutants and toxins.

Humans are one of the very few animal species that are not able to produce vitamin C themselves and must obtain it from dietary and/or supplement sources. Clearly, we may not be getting enough vitamin C from food because 90% of us are not consuming the levels required to prevent and treat many chronic health conditions. The UK Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of vitamin C for adults is 40 mg. Is this enough? According to the father of orthomolecular medicine, Linus Pauling and many others, this amount is enough to prevent deficiency related diseases, such as scurvy, but is not enough to prevent lifestyle related chronic disease. So how much is enough? Numerous evidence-based studies say that at least 1,000 mg a day is enough to get the health benefits of vitamin C without any side effects. It is worth mentioning that even at doses of 10,000 mg per day, no side effects have been reported.

Vitamin C health benefits

So, what can vitamin C do for you? Here are just some of the documented effects:

• Heart disease: Vitamin C helps to keep your heart strong and healthy. One study found that just 300 mg of vitamin C per day reduced the risk of death from heart disease by 42% in men and 25% in women.
  
• High blood pressure: A study published last year found that people with low blood levels of vitamin C had higher blood pressure compared to those who had high levels of vitamin C. Specifically, people with the highest blood levels of vitamin C had 4.66 mm Hg lower systolic blood pressure and 6.04 mm Hg lower diastolic blood pressure compared to people with low blood levels of vitamin C.
  
• Cholesterol: A recent meta-analysis revealed that supplementation with at least 500 mg of vitamin C per day resulted in a significant decrease in LDL (bad) cholesterol and triglycerides.
  
• Stroke: A study conducted in Japan found that people with high blood levels of vitamin C had a 29% lowered risk of stroke.
  
• Diabetes: A study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine showed that supplementation with high levels of vitamin C can decrease the risk of type 2 diabetes by up to 62%.
  
• Cancer: Several studies have shown the correlation between high intakes of vitamin C and reduced risk of certain cancers like colorectal, stomach, lung and breast cancer. One study suggests high intake of vitamin C can reduce the risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal women by 24%.
  
• Gout: The risk of gout - the build-up of uric acid in the blood - can be decreased significantly with vitamin C. A study conducted this year found that 500 to 999 mg of vitamin C per day results in a 17% reduced risk of gout; 1,000 to 1,499 mg per day results in a 34% reduced risk; and intake of over 1,500 mg of vitamin C per day translated into a 45% reduced risk of gout.
  
• Lead toxicity: Vitamin C's potent antioxidant properties could be the reason behind its ability to decrease levels of lead in the blood. Lead can accumulate in our blood due to, among other things, pollution and smoking. One study showed that daily supplementation with 1,000 mg of vitamin C led to an 81% decrease in levels of lead in the blood.

References:

Dr. Bo Nielsen's comments:

Vitamin C is one of the most controversial vitamins. For years most doctors denied the fact that more than 1,000 mg of vitamin C a day could significantly reduce the risk of colds. The main reason for this denial is the fact that vitamin C is a natural substance (not a synthetic drug) and the cold preventive effect was shown in studies conducted by a chemist, the double Nobel Prize winner Linus Pauling. Strangely enough it wasn't until Linus Pauling passed away at the age of 93 that the medical establishment declared vitamin C in high doses significantly reduces the risk of colds.

Another myth regarding vitamin C is that it can cause kidney stones. This was shown in one study but has been proven not to be the case in several other human studies. A third myth is what daily dosage should be considered the right dosage for humans. If we look at one of the few animal species that like us are not able to produce this vitamin themselves and that have 98% of the same genes as us - chimpanzees and gorillas - they need between 5,000-20,000 mg of vitamin C a day in order to stay healthy. How come that someone years ago came up with the idea that a daily intake of 40 mg is sufficient (the official United Kingdom RDA)?

In the United States, 90 mg per day is the official RDA and many also consider 2,000 mg a day a tolerable upper level. The Vitamin C Foundation finds a daily intake of 3,000 mg per day (or up to 30,000 mg during illness) a relevant intake. What is the correct daily intake? Most studies show that at least 1,000 mg is a safe and disease preventive daily dose. How much do I personally take? Having consulted Dr. Linus Pauling, several years ago at a medical conference, I have been taking between 3,000-5,000 mg of vitamin C a day.

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