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8 Vitamin C Benefits (and Some Common Side Effects)

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Vitamin C Health Benefits and Side Effects

Vitamin C is an excellent natural remedy for many different health problems. Vitamin C is commonly suggested for colds, but benefits include joint, muscle problems, and heart issues.

It is also beneficial for skin health and fast wound healing.

Humans do not make their own vitamin C, as many animals do. Nutrient depletion in the soil in which food is grown and poor quality diets make vitamin C deficiency common.

When a body is stressed or sick, the need for vitamin C increases significantly. If you smoke, your vitamin C need will be greater.

While many are aware that severe vitamin C deficiency can cause scurvy, mild to moderate vitamin C deficiency can cause all sorts of health problems, many of which may just be low-grade scurvy.

This article covers many of the uses of vitamin C, from eye health to wound healing.

Vitamin C Benefits

Eye Health

Vitamin C benefits your eyes, like nearly all other body systems. Small blood vessels called capillaries supply blood to your eyes. Vitamin C is essential for the health of these blood vessels. Vitamin C may lower your risk for cataracts. 1

Bone, Joint, and Muscle Health

Vitamin C is necessary for collagen production. Collagen is in all parts of your body's support system – bones, joints, muscles, etc. Vitamin C can help to reduce arthritis, joint pain, gout, and inflammation.

Respiratory Health

Vitamin C is needed for respiratory health. It supports the immune system and reduces inflammation. Commonly used to prevent the flu and colds, larger doses of vitamin C are also useful for allergies and asthma because of its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effect.

Heart Health

Linus Pauling recommended vitamin C to prevent and reverse heart disease (taken along with lysine.) A study also found vitamin C to be effective to prevent atrial fibrillation attacks. 2

Skin Health

Vitamin C is needed to make collagen, part of the support structure in your skin and joints.

Taking Vitamin C internally will help your skin to look younger and repair itself more efficiently. Vitamin C serum can also be used topically to reduce wrinkles, acne scars, and blemishes.

Victims of severe burns are under tremendous stress. Vitamin C is recommended to reduce edema in burn victims.3

Vitamin C will also help the skin heal more quickly, though it will need to be administered via IV under doctor supervision.

Brain and Nervous System Health

"During the neurodegeneration process, a clear link exists between ascorbic acid deficiency and oxidative-induced neuronal death." 4 

In simpler terms, the brain and nervous system need vitamin C. Deficiencies lead to degeneration in the nervous system, which may be related to several neurologically based conditions, including ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease), Parkinson's Disease, and Alzheimer's Disease.

Digestive System Health

While vitamin C is not usually the first supplement considered for digestive problems, vitamin C is needed for the digestive tract's tissue to be healthy. Large doses of vitamin C may also help prevent digestive cancers like stomach cancer and colon cancer.

Ulcers, gastritis, and H. Pylori can benefit from vitamin C supplementation and made worse by vitamin C deficiencies. 5

Skin Cancer

Vitamin C has been used by some to treat basal cell carcinoma.1/8 teaspoon of buffered vitamin C is mixed with 1 teaspoon of distilled water and applied to the BCC three times daily until the area heals.

High doses of vitamin C, administered with an IV, can be toxic to some types of cancer cells. 6

While this is not something that can be done at home, an increasing number of alternative practitioners use IV Vitamin C therapy to treat cancer and other serious health problems.

What Kind of Vitamin C Should I Take?

Sodium ascorbate is a simple, inexpensive, and effective form of vitamin C to use. You avoid the fillers and artificial colors and ingredients when you use a pure vitamin C powder. You also have control over the dose. Vitamin C powder is easily dissolved in a little bit of water or juice. It does not taste unpleasant.

How Much Vitamin C Should I Take?

If you are new to taking a vitamin C supplement, start with a small amount, and increase slowly. Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin and needs to be replenished frequently. However, busy schedules make it difficult to dose very often. One place to start would be 500 mg twice a day. If that suits you, you can increase it to 1,000 mg two to three times a day.

If you are sick or stressed, your vitamin C need will increase.

If you are dealing with a severe illness like whooping cough, you will want to take as much vitamin C as your body can tolerate. You will know your body has reached tolerance if you begin to get loose stools. At that point, cut back the amount you take per dose.

Dr. Suzanne Humphries has developed an effective vitamin C protocol for whooping cough. She recommends 200-375 mg of vitamin C per kg of body weight every 24 hours for children. For a 50 pound child, that would be 4,500 mg to 8,500 mg of vitamin C every 24 hours. Divided into 4 doses, it would be approximately 2-4 grams of vitamin C four times a day. For a 150 adult, that would translate into 6-12 grams of vitamin C four times a day!

The late and renowned Linus Pauling recommended 4-6 grams of vitamin C daily for anyone at risk for heart disease (in addition to 2 grams of lysine.)

You can see that recommended vitamin C amounts for diseases and disease prevention are much higher than you will find in a standard vitamin supplement.

Vitamin C Side Effects

Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin, which means that it is not stored in the body like vitamin D, a fat-soluble vitamin.

When you give your body more vitamin C than it can use, it will flush out the rest through the bowel.

Too much vitamin C will give you loose stools. Vitamin C can also cause nausea, especially if you take the ascorbic acid form of vitamin C.

Frequently though, vitamin C side effects are not caused by vitamin C but by additives in your vitamin C supplement.

Check the label of the vitamin C that you use. You will find fillers, artificial colors, and artificial sweeteners (some of which are excitotoxins.) Headaches, dizziness, digestive upset, and heart palpitations from vitamin C supplementation can be related to the additives in a vitamin C supplement.

If you are taking large doses of vitamin C to fight infection, you will be getting higher amounts of the additives and artificial ingredients and are at higher risk of side effects from them.

To avoid your risk of side effects, the best vitamin C to take is sodium ascorbate powder. This is less acidic than ascorbic acid and has no additional ingredients.

Be careful not to stop vitamin C supplementation cold turkey, or you could get scurvy symptoms.

Has vitamin C improved your health? Please send us some feedback!

Continue reading to learn more about vitamin C supplementation and find out how our readers have used this supplement to improve their health.

The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
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How to Make Your Own Vitamin C

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Posted by Rebekah (Athens, Ga) on 08/15/2009
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YOU CAN MAKE YOUR OWN VITAMIN C POWDER!!!! Do this at home and you will know you are taking a high quality supplement straight from the source. Organic citrus fruits have all the good stuff in their pulp and peel.

-Cut the peels into thin strips and lay them out on cheesecloth, or use a dehydrator to dry out the peels. After a few days, or when fully dry, put the dried peels into a coffee grinder to make into a powder. One spoonfull is said to be all you need for a whole day. Add the powder to your food or drinks, store in an airtight container.

You can use organic grapefruit, tangerines, oranges, lemons or limes. :-)

Replied by Robert
(St. John's, Newfoundland And Labrador, Canada)
08/16/2011
★☆☆☆☆

WARNING!

Be very careful eating the skin of any citrus most especially lemons. Lemons have five very potent/powerful/extremely dangerous pesticides sprayed on them when shipped. Look at the shipping carton for the list. They are so toxic a person should wash their hands after handling them because the poisons are absorable through the human skin.

It is virtually imposible to remove the shipping poisons from citrus which is naturally oily and disolves the hydrocarbon based poisons deep into the peel.

How about the new "grease' sprayed on apples-instant prolonged headaches. Be careful, watch everything you eat.

Taking Vitamin C in Solution

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Posted by Bill (San Fernando, Luzon, Philippines) on 04/19/2010
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Taking Vitamin C in Solution

Hi Everyone...With good reason, Ted has long advised that Vit C in the form of Ascorbic Acid should be converted to its Ascorbate form because this form is more alkaline, more absorbable and uses up less bicarbonates from your body's digestive system.

This means getting out your mortar and pestal, crunching up your Ascorbic acid tablets then adding water and finally adding the baking soda(sodium bicarbonate) -- let it finish fizzing -- then drinking it down.

I take Vit C most days with lysine and discovered something useful.

Today, I just filled a glass full of water and plopped in 4 X 500 gm tablets of ascorbic acid. Then I just added 1/4 to 1/2 teasoon of baking soda to it. It fizzed away and dissolved for about three minutes and then the tablets simply disappeared into solution as Sodium Ascorbate -- a bit like Alka-Seltzer !!

Then I just scraped off the residue of bubbles off the top of the solution (which contains all the insoluble binder additives like mag stearate, calcium Trihosphate, micro-cellulose, starch etc.) and drank it down.

So, no tablet crunching necessary really.

Replied by Tina Marie
(Mobile, Alabama, Us)
04/20/2010

To Bill from San Fernando, I'm new to this website and loving it. Just wanted to know if you drink this on an empty stomach or with food. I have horrible reflux that I'm trying the ACV fix for, and I don't take vitamins because it really flares the reflux. Hoping to fix my stomach and trying to get some new ways that may help me to take vitamins.Thanks so much

Replied by Bill
(San Fernando, Luzon, Philippines)
04/20/2010

Hi Tina Marie...I usually take this form of Vitamin C (Ascorbate) at least 1 hour before or 2 hours after meals on its own, but you can also take it with meals without problems. This form of Vitamin C -- sodium ascorbate -- is more alkaline than Ascorbic Acid.

The best way to take ACV is combined with Baking Soda (Arm and Hammer brand), recipe given here:

Ted's ACV Acid Reflux Remedy

It seems that you might also have certain food intolerances -- read Ted's remedy suggestions here:

Food Intolerance Remedies

Advice

Posted by Francisca (Michelbach-le-bas, Alsace, France) on 10/27/2010

Which is the best kind of vitamin C one can take? Is it normal one, is it Ester-C or something else? Pills, powder, solvable? And although many books advise quite high doses of Vitamin C there are experts, including my homeopathic doctor who believe that it can help cancer develop. Is this true?

Replied by Tina
(Princeton, N J)
10/27/2010

Hi Francisca, I bought Vitamin C as ascorbic powder from Trader Joe's. I mix one fourth of the powder with equal amount of baking soda in a little water. Once it stops fizzing, I add more water and drink it up. This is according to recipes posted here in EC. I started this three weeks ago. I didn't buy Vitamin C in pill form because of fillers, additives, etc. I'm planning to continue having a glass of this all through winter to keep colds, sinus and flu attacks away!

Replied by Lis
(Ny, Ny, Usa)
10/27/2010

Vitamin C in the form of sodium ascorbate, especially the powdered form free of fillers. But you can also crush tablets with a pill grinder. This form is recommended because its alkaline. I can take a 1/4 teaspoon of mine in one cup of water and got about 500 mg vitamin C (on an empty stomach). I might take this twice a day and much more if I am ill (several grams maximum but divided in hourly doses each day I feel ill).

Angina

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Posted by WT (Spartanburg, SC) on 06/01/2008
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I used to have angina. Probably for 2-3 years. Never severe but painful nonetheless. What brought about the end of angina was megadoses of Vit C. I had been taking probably 20+ grams/day for stubborn allergies in the spring of the year. I continued to take it at night for dust mite allergies at bedtime instead of medications. I noticed one day in the fall that I hadn't had any chest pains for quite a while. It's been I think two years now since I had any. Vitamin C megadoses, according to Linus Pauling and Matthias Rath, allow the arteries to heal which reverses plaque buildup in all but completely blocked arteries. They also recommend adding L-Lysine and Proline to your regime along with the C.

Replied by Joyce
(Joelton, Tn)
06/03/2008
490 posts

A study I read about several years ago might help you understand why the high dosage Vit. C got rid of your angina. During Paul Linus' heyday, a nursing home did a study in which they were giving nursing home patients 500 mgm. Vit. C 4 x per day, expecting it to lower their cholesterol readings. Ooops! These patients' cholesterol levels skyrocketed upward, instead of decreasing, scaring them so badly, they halted the study immediately. Logical thinking tells me that the Vit. C was flushing cholesterol from their blood vessels, unless they had also been put on a high cholesterol diet at the same time.

Asthma, Allergies

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Posted by Elaine (Chicago, IL) on 01/06/2009
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I added Baking Soda to my ACV treatment and had many of the side effects others mention on this site. Baking Soda lowers Vitamin C levels and this can lead to symptoms of scurvy. I had to do a lot of research to find this out. I woke up with a purple spot/bruise on my leg and that convinced me, as I had not bumped into anything to bruise myself. The purple bruise looking spot is a sign of scurvy. Luckily, it was recommened to me to take Vitamin C for Constipation. I was sooo sick (my asthma was out of control) last night and the night before. I did not know that Vitamin C actually helps Astmatics.

I took 6 mgs of Vitamin C last night in error. I picked up the wrong size of measuring spoon!!..luckily! I had been up the prior two nights coughing up mucus, but last night I slept through the night. I couldn't figure it out since I needed to take bendryl the other nights just to not choke on the mucus. It appears that the 6 mg of Vitamin C did it's job to replenish my Vitamin C and to help with my asthma.

I woke up with the usual morning junk to cough up and spit out. I took 1000 mg of vitamin C and it stopped this problem dead in it's tracks. People need to read about what vitamin C does, especially for people with Asthma and food allergies. Also, the baking soda should NOT be recommended on this site.

It depletes the Vitamin C. If someone is already low in Vitamin C it can cause Survy Symptoms as it did in me.

I love this site, but I think promoting Baking Soda that depletes Vitamin C is wrong. Also, I love Apple Cider Vinegar and it is promoted her as the top natural relief, but I never hear any talk of vitamin C. It works wonders for Asthma, Hay fever and a load of Respiratory illnesses and other illnesses.

Replied by Ron
(Emporia, Kansas)
12/23/2009

Hi Elaine,

I believe you meant 6 grams (g) of vitamin C, not milligrams (mg.)...6 grams would be 6,000 mg.. Linus Pauling took about 10 grams a day.

That is very interesting that Vitamin C cleared up your mucous enough to sleep through the night. I occasionally have a stuffy nose when sleep. I'll try this out and take 6 grams and let you know if it works for me. I currently take 3,000 mg a day.

Replied by Ron
(Emporia, Kansas)
12/25/2009

Hi Elaine,

This is the follow up to my last post. I tried 3 grams of vitamin C powder before bed 2 nights ago and my sinuses were very clear for 6 1/2 hours. Last night I tried 6 grams before bed with the same results...6 grams was a little much for me in one dose. Thanks for the tip.

Replied by Kelly
(Seattle)
02/14/2016

In reply to Elaine's claim that baking soda lowers vitamin C, with all due respect, that's simply not true.

According to experiments, "In two normal young adults the rate of urinary excretion of ascorbic acid, during controlled conditions of vitamin C [ascorbic acid] depletion and saturation, was consistently lower during periods of administration of NaHCO3 to produce an alkaline urine, than when NH4C1 was given to produce an acid urine."

NaHCO3 is sodium bicarbonate, or baking soda. Vitamin C excretion was LOWER when baking soda was given, not higher as Elaine concluded from the fact that she had some bruising.

Baking soda helps one retain vitamin C.

Bacterial Vaginosis

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Posted by Jeff (Pawtucket, Ri) on 12/24/2009
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Vitamin C cured my wifes' bacterial vaginosis. She used 250mg of ascorbic acid by breaking off 1/4 of a 1000mg caplet and using it as a suppository. Within one day the odor was gone. She plans on continuing this for a week or so to make sure it's gone.

Replied by Friend
(Toronto, Ontario)
10/22/2011

I tried this, too, and it cleared up the odor and discharge by the next morning. Been struggling with BV for several months now. Feels like a miracle.

And to any women reading this... I tried hydrogen peroxide, acidophilus, folic acid etc to no avail.

Truly, I stuck half a 1000mg vitamin c tablet in my vagina and by the next day the classic bv odor and sticky discharge was gone. (rinsed the vitamin in hot water first to get off any lubricating coating).

If you've tried everything else, try this.

Good luck!

Replied by Hotlava
(Seattle, WA)
05/29/2014

hey, make sure you don't use powdered ascorbic acid for this! Use a tablet, which is buffered. otherwise, that acid will burn delicate tissue.

Best Type of Vitamin C

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Posted by Rick (Woburn, Ma) on 03/02/2013
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A great way to take your Vitamin C and to break that soda/ diet soda habit. Pick up some Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) in powder form (available from any of the major on-line vitamin retailers). In a 10 to 12 once glass of water, add 3 (three) 1/4 teaspoons of Vitamin C (each 1/4 teaspoon of C is equal to 1 gram (1000 mg). To this, add 3 (three) 1/8 teaspoons of baking soda. The baking soda will do two things; it will reduce the pH of the Vitamin C to around 6, which is much more palatable to the stomach, and secondly, it will carbonate the drink (for those who are adicted to carbonated beverages). Add stevia sweetner to taste. This tastes similar to a lemon/ lime soda. I have replaced my diet soda habit with this stuff. You can also add a drop of spearmint oil or the oil of your choice, for a different taste.

Best Type of Vitamin C
Posted by Peachy (Richmond, Bc, Canada) on 01/22/2011
 ★★★★★

Re Vitamin C: I saw Linus Pauling on the Les Brown (Toronto) tv show back in the 1980's He said just get the cheapest stuff - pure ascorbic acid powder. He would take about 18 grams a day. I have only taken up to 18 grams when I have been sick (flu, exhausted, colds). Hey he lived to be 94!

His recipe was put one teaspoon ascorbic acid powder in glass of water, and add one quarter teaspoon baking soda - that's it - makes it fizz - the baking soda buffers the tummy coz straight vitamin C is just way too acidic. On the show he said it was great for cancer patients going through clinical trials, (helps with immune system). (helps build white blood cells, with wound healing, building collagen - you don't get wrinkles! ).

I drink my drink through a straw and then have more water afterward.. Slight sour fizzy taste. Really nice actually. Since that show I have used the ascorbic acid powder - making my C fizzies as I call them - first of all to help with hay fever allergies (the ones where I sneeze 17 times and want to rip my itchy eyes out, and put cold washcloths over my face to sleep) - I got to the point where I only took the vitamin C and also eye drops for itchy eyes - got off all the over the counter drugstore medications (in my early teens used to get needles for hayfever, man I hate needles - that used to knock me out- didn't help much then either)Also very good for allergic reactions like hives (like when I've had shrimp and have broken out in welts, arargh)... A C fizzy or two takes it all down, calms everything back to normal. If I think I need a lot, I will space out the drinks about half hour or so. You can tell when you reach your tolerance limit, when your bowels start to get loose (the gut just can't process anymore).

In last few years I discovered that Pauling figured that heart disease is a subclinical form of scurvy - ie not enough Vitamin C!!! Check out paulingtherapy, and I think there is a youtube of him saying that as well. After I found that out I started buying it by the kilo from nutrabio because I would go through my little bottles from the health food store so fast. I plan to live to be 90 as well!

Another new discovery is ______ vitamin c where they have encapsulated the vitamin c with nano technology (think a grain of sand on a football field - very small) - with this the C bypasses the digestive system and goes straight to where it is needed. I have just started taking these last month. I will have my C fizzy drink before breakfast to start the day, and sometimes one in afternoon, and a pkt of the lypo-c in juice in between times (you won't feel the difference when you take the lypo-c coz it goes straight to your cells - also see tomlevyMd. Apparently this is the closest one can get to having Vitamin C intravenously. Check levy's video of gentleman in new zealand who was pretty much on death's door, and his family rallied around refusing to let the docs take him off life support - with much ado, they got him on IV vitamin c - and he recovered!

Also just listening to Dr Hal Huggins radio interview, he said if you take 4-5 pkts of the Lypospheric C, it is like getting a shot of IV C. I am so trying this..

One more thing, people would ask me why do I take the Vitamin C fizzies - I said the only way I can explain it is that it feels like it turns on the electricity in the body. And from what I have read about the heart and brain's electrical fields, I can speak from personal experience that the vitamin C I take helps bring everything back to 'normal' for me. And yes, (oh vanity) - a lady at work guessed my age to be 14 years younger.

Best Type of Vitamin C
Posted by Maria (Gippsland, Australia) on 01/07/2011
 ★★★★★

For over a decade I have been using large amounts of Vit C on an almost daily basis.

The amount tends to vary a little depending on my needs, but always taken in smaller doses throughout the day.

I have used many expensive brands, including Ester C & Acerola but have not heard of nor used lypho-spheric vitamin C, and now only buy the inexpensive powder form of sodium ascorbate. If you use a lemon for something, instead of throughing out the peel, eat the pith (white part) and this way you are getting your bioflavanoids. If the lemon is organic you can also eat some of the yellow rind (not a great taste) as it contains limonene.

Having the pith most days and the sodium ascorbate, I have found this to work as well as any brands I've tried and better than most. I am very fortunate to have access to meyer lemons as the pith tastes quite nice.

Best Type of Vitamin C
Posted by Candy (O Fallon, Mo, Us) on 08/26/2010

Can anyone tell me if citric acid and ascorbic acid are the same vitamin c supplement. I know one has one more molecule of oxygen. Can citric be used as a vitamin c supplement just like ascorbic acid?

Replied by Stacey
(G-boro, Nc)
08/27/2010

Ascorbic acid is a patented form of vitamin C. There are actually several patents for producing ascorbic acid. The health claim is that it is more digestible and there is more bioactive vitamin and antioxidant content. Citric acid is an acid used primarily for food preservation. It does contain some vitamins and antioxidants, but not enough to make it valuable to health.

Replied by Tom
(Regina, Sk)
08/28/2010

Stacey: NO, ascorbic acid is not the patented form of Vitamin C! Ascorbic acid is the chemical name for plain ol' Vitamin C, first identified generations ago. You maybe meant ESTER-C, which is a patented form of Vitamin C.

But look what The Vitamin C Foundation says about it:

It is true that Ester-C reaches cells and enters them faster. An anonymous informant with ties to the U. S. Biological weapons program told us:

"Ester-C is not an ester. My late friend was a former scientist involved in biochemical warfare with a high security clearance. He dissected the patent and had several meetings with Dr. Virlangieri, one of the researchers that touted its virtues. My friend favored good old ascorbic acid or sodium ascorbate. He told me quite literally that ester-C was "two pounds of 'dung' in a one pound bag. " He was an avid Pauling devotee and was concerned that under certain conditions, ester-C was dangerous and contraindicated. The prevailing propaganda changed from its being an ester to its providing threonine metabolites. He told me that Pauling would have laughed the ester-C boys back to chemistry class! " R. L. As for citric acid, it also is the chemical name for that one specific molecule, and so if buying a bottle of it, that had better be all that's in that bottle! There will be no other molecules of any kind in there, certainly no minerals or any antioxidants (reducers).

Best Type of Vitamin C
Posted by Spence (Sparta, Tn) on 12/12/2008
 ★★★★★

In reference to C side effects I have a heart failure problem and I mega dose alot of supplements for this condition. In regards to Vitamin C I normally take 6000mg divided into 3 doses daily. In the winter during cold season I increase my doseage to 9000mg daily to ward off colds etc. I personally use vitamin C with rose hips absorbic acid capsules. The only side effects I am aware of not to say there may be others is loose bowel movements if you injest more C than your body can handle. No big deal. Just back off a little. I also found in my case I can gradually build back up slowly with no more of these issues. While we know the C vitamin is a plus for many ailments you might want to consider a B complex supplement as well. I personally prefer the 100mg complex capsules and take them 3 times a day with the C. The benefits are numerous. But hey! I'm no doctor. I just know what works for me. One more tip if I may. Mega doses of water soluable vitamins for the most part are safe within reason where as oil base supplements is a whole different can of worms and should be monitored carefully. Spence

Replied by Tryingtostayhealthy
(Half Moon Bay, Ca, United States)
05/04/2011

I take 5 grams ascorbic acid powder and 4 grams lysine powder mixed in a glass of water every day (Pauling Protocol). I add a pinch of bicarbonate of soda and drink a little bit throughout the day. The side effect I have is that I have to urinate every hour. I feel fairly certain the C is the cause because when I stop a day the problem decreases. I know vitamin C is a diuretic but is there anything I can do to lessen this problem?

As background info I am a 56 year old male who had a heart attack 18 months ago and had 2 stents placed at that time. I take simvastatin (Zocor generic statin drug) and 1 full aspirin daily. I cannot be certain what is the major benefit whether it is the stents, drugs, exercise, or the vitamin C and lysine mixture but I am feeling good and not had any problems since. My hunch though is that it's the vitamin C - lysine mixture and exercise that is helping quite a bit.

I plan to keep taking the vitamin C and lysine forever so I would like to find a way to cure the frequent urination problem. Thank you for any suggestions.

Replied by Mmsg
(Somewhere, Europe)
05/05/2011

try taking less.

Replied by Jay
(Toronto, Ont, Canada)
05/05/2011

Tryingtostayhealthy from Half Moon Bay, Ca, United States writes: "I take 5 grams ascorbic acid powder and 4 grams lysine powder mixed in a glass of water every day (Pauling Protocol). I add a pinch of bicarbonate of soda and drink a little bit throughout the day.

There is research to show that any benifit of a single large dose of vitamin C is significantly reduced in the human blood stream within 5 hours. Split your dose across your day at 4 hour intervals to maximize its benefits. This makes sense since most animals make their own vitamin C and have a continuous flow of it into their bloodstream rather than a big "hit" once a day. They also make even more than normal amounts of vitamin C to cope with stress or injury. Also spreading the supply across time as required allows the body processes that can use the extra vitamin to basically operate their processes continually rather than starting up when adequate vitamin C is available and then shutting down these processes a few hours later when supply is low.

FYI: Doctor Irwin Stone and Doctor Mathias Rath both worked with or corresponded with Doctor Linus Pauling on vitamin C and both of these men have written books on vitamin C and the heart. You can find both books free online.

Replied by Moreytftf
(Lewiston/auburn, Maine)
01/11/2013

In response to Jay from Toronto, Ont Canada. Dr Weil also wrote books on many things including high dosage of vitamine C and it was very helpfuil for me... Look up 8 weeks to Optimal Health there's also an audio book that he reads himself which I enjoyed because I could listen while I walked.

Also, I'm not sure what caused your heart attack but you may be interested in research done by a man named Dr Max Gerson and his daughter Charlette. They have both been curing cancer, and many other ailments for over 70 yrs, by nurishing the body with what the body needs in order to regenerate. It might be worth looking into.

Wishing you all the best of luck. ~T~

Bill Thompson's Protocol

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Posted by Bill (San Fernando, The Philippines) on 11/23/2013
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Vitamin C for healing and repair should really be taken as ascorbate(more alkalizing) and not as ascorbic acid. The way to take ascorbate is at a maximum dose of 1000 mgs(1/4 teaspoon). If you take an all-in-one single per diem dose of 5000 mgs then much of the vitamin c will simply be lost and not be absorbed into the blood. So best to take the 5000 mgs of Vitamin C as 5 separate 1000 mg dosages during the day for best absorption and effect.

To make the ascorbate form from the ascorbic acid form in water, just add baking soda(Arm & Hammer is fine to use) until the fizzing stops and take each dose like that. This creates the alkaline form -- sodium ascorbate. Using baking soda will not interfere with absorption of Vitamin C -- in fact it helps absorption. This can be more clearly understood because the ascorbic acid form of Vitamin C is never used by IV(dangerous and acidifying for the blood) so that's why the the alkaline form is normally always used for Vitamin C by IV.

Bill Thompson's Protocol
Posted by Bill (San Fernando, Luzon, Philippines) on 06/15/2010
 ★★★★★

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I've written quite a bit about Vitamin C on EC, and just thought that I would put down some other thoughts, which will, hopefully, be helpful.

First, Vitamin C is not just a simple supplement. Most people regard Vitamin C as just a vitamin supplement called Ascorbic Acid. This is also not strictly true. Vitamin C actually consists of a group of natural chemicals -- usually found together in varying amounts in fruits/veg -- that work together in a synergistic way with Ascorbic acid/ascorbates to benefit our bodies. Some of the other substances involved in Vitamin C's effectiveness are:

Biovflavenoids
Ascorbinogens
rutin
P-factor
K-factor
J-Factor

And as far as I can understand, these additional compounds or co-factors are all required in quite small amounts(probably used as catalysts, enzymes, coenzymes etc.), along with the ascorbic acid and this is what really constitutes Vitamin C. Also, since Vitamin C itself is so poorly researched, there are probably alot of these co-factors that haven't even been researched or discovered yet.

From the above, and logically, it would therefore make great sense to both eat fruit and vegetables high in these Vit C co-factors whilst also supplementing with ascorbates or ascorbic acid since these co-factors are bound to enhance and improve the overall effect of taking Vitamin C supplements as well.

Here are some other facts about Vitamin C, some of which equally apply to the supplementing of any other vitamin or mineral:

* Always take Vitamin C as sodium ascorbate (more alkaline form) and not as ascorbic acid. If you take the ascorbic acid form, then you must always take it at mealtimes, so that it can be converted by the bicarbonates produced in the duodenum during digestion to ascorbate and then it will be absorbed. So why not convert the Ascorbic Acid to ascorbate first, then there would be no need for conversion from acid to salt form during digestion and you could also take even more ascorbates outside mealtimes?

* If you take Vitamin C during mealtimes, then a third of this vitamin will be excreted and lost after digestion by the intestines. So, if you are taking, say, 900 mgms of Vitamin C then 300 mgms will be excreted and lost. By the way, this is not all bad, because taking Vitamin C also provokes a healthy intestine.

* Linus Pauling, during his own Vit C research wanted to know how much vitamin c was excreted in a 24 hr period, so he took 10 grams of vitamin C and collected and checked all his own urine during a 24 hr period. He found that 15% of the Vit C taken was lost through his kidneys over this 24 hour period.

* It is always best practice, as Ted from Bangkok has said on this site numerous times, to take all water soluble vitamins, minerals and amino acid supplements in their powdered or capsule forms and not as tablets. I was forced to use the tablet form of Ascorbic Acid(I couldn't find the powder form here in the Philippines where I live) and convert this to ascorbates using Baking Soda, but the resulting solution always looked cloudy, dirty and tasted funny because of all the adhesive fillers such as Calcium Triphosphate, Magnesium Sterate, Stearic Acid, Microcellulose, Starch etc. But, on my recent trip to Bangkok, I managed to purchase pure chemical grade Ascorbic Acid powder fairly cheaply and after I convert my powder dose to ascorbates using BS, the solution is now always crystal clear with no more unnecessary impurities and has a far nicer taste.

I've also stated that I believe that there is no such thing as a rigid RDA concerning vitamins, minerals and amino acid supplementation. As evidence and proof of this, here is an extract from a significant essay by Dr Frederick Klenner on Vitamin C which lists all the reasons why dosing is so difficult:

1. The age of the individual;
2. Habits -- such as smoking, the use of alcohol, playing habits;
3. Sleep, especially when induced artificially;
4. Trauma.-- trauma caused by a pathogen, the trauma of work, the traumaof surgery, the trauma to the body produced accidentally or intentionally;
5. Kidney threshold;
6. Environment;
7. Physiological stress;
8. Season of the year;
9. Loss in the stool;
10. Variations in individual absorption;
11. Variations in "binders" in commercial tablets;
12. Body chemistry;
13. Drugs;
14. Pesticides;
15. Body weight;
16. Inadequate storage.

Extract from Dr Klenner on Vitamin C -- This is also well worth a read !!

In my own protocol of vitamins and minerals, I now just take mega-doses of Vitamin C as ascorbate (about 5 grams/day in split doses) outside mealtimes as well as dessicated liver and kelp tablets at mealtimes every day. I also take Ted's alkalizing remedies regularly and now supplement magnesium chloride and iodine(both in larger amounts than recommended by the FDA or WHO) either transdermally or orally on a weekly basis. I also have a body friendly diet as Ted recommends. On a monthly basis, I regularly detox heavy metals using sodium thiosulfate as well as taking my own tri-herbal anti-stone or anti-calcium protocol consisting of a decoction of chanca piedra, heart vine, tumeric and neem leaves. I also take Ted's anti-fungal borax remedy once or twice a month as a preventative. That is essentially my protocol, but I have extra backup in the form of lysine, aspirin, methylene blue, zinc gluconate, betaine HCL, protease enzymes, cayenne, clove oil etc. that are all taken on an "as needed" basis if any illness does occur.

Broad Benefits

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Posted by Regina (Cacoor, Cavite, Philippines) on 05/14/2008
 ★★★★★

According to over 70 years of scientific, medical and clinical research, natural vitamin c is necessary to over 300 metabolic funtions in our body and its is also regarded as the "Mother of all vitamins" because it can worked out in our body without any other vitamins but other vitamin from a-zinc need vitamin c in order to be absorbed and function in our body. And according to Dr. Erwin stone, a biochemist, there is no one single factor in our body that is not affected by vitamin c. meaning human body is very much dependent on this particular vitamin that whenever it is depleted from our body, we surely will suffer a disease called scurvy. Human body does not manufacture vitamin c that is why we take it from foods that we eat everyday, and from supplements. According to study with Dr Linus Pauling, our body needs at least 1000 to 2000 mgs/day for it to function normally and protect the body from free radicals that usually destroys our cells. But in case of disease, we need to take more to fastly recover from illness. Also, vitamin c gives us energy which we need everyday not only for our mobility but more importantly for our body's cellular activities. Vitamin c also aids in the production of collagen which is the 2nd most important function of vitamin. Colagen helps strengthen and repairs the body tissues especially the heart and all other organs. it also promotes the immediate healing of wounds. Also because vitamin c is anti-oxidant, it aids our liver to facilitate the elimination of toxins and free radicals from the body. It also boost the immune system keeping the body cope and heal itself from any ailments. There are varied vitamin c in the market today. There synthetic or chemically induced vitamin c and the natural vitamin c. Most common vitamin c that is available in the market is the synthetic brands which is the acidic based. In my opinion and experience, the most effective one is ________ because aside fom being natural it is also an alkaline vitamin c with a pH of 72-78, which is found to be the most potent anti-oxidant. It gives us all we need from a vitamin c, we get the goodness of vitamin c and alkalinity.

Me and my family started using ___after my five (5) year old son had a surgery for a Mesynteric augmental cyst that developed outside of his intestine as big as my son's fist. after the operation his pedia sugeon gave him this natural vitamin c. His wound which was about 4 inches long healed in just a matter of days. And also the best thing that happened to us with this vitamin c is that the recurrent asthmatic syndrome which my three kids usually experienced and made us visit the hospital almost every month was gone. Now they are more healthy than ever before. My sinusitis, arthritis, backpain, migrain as well as vertigo were gone. I am taking 2,000-6,000 mgs/day.When I share the product with my friends and relatives they claimed relief especialy when they under stress. I also share the product with my friend who was suffering from "psoriasis" i was truly amazed because she was relieved from the disease in just one week of taking 10,000 mgs/day of course with our company physician's advice.She suffered from this i should say depressing disease for over 10 years. I also share this particular vitamin c to many. My friend who is a hypertensive, it regulated her blood pressure by taking 3,000- 5,000 mgs/day. There are also a lot of people with heart disease who are saved from by-pass surgery because of this vitamin c. By the way, our company physician have been prescribing this vitamin c for more than five (5) years already and it helped a lot of hopeless people in our place especially those suffering from the dreaded cancer. For me vitamin c is very essential to every human forms. In fact, i consider this as the twin of our body becaue without this essential nutrient we will surely suffer from scurvy when our body doesn't get enough vitamin c. But we should be careful in choosing the kind of vitamin c. Better choose only the natural, non-acidic, alkaline vitamin c or eat a lot of alkaline forming fruits and vegetables. Sad to say, we don't get enough vitamin c from eating fruits and vegetables because of so many factors. That is why we need to take supplements.

Replied by JoJoe
(Dipolog City, Zamboanga del Norte,Philippines)
12/23/2008
★★★★★

Regina you're right .i've been witnessing my brother suffering from the result of too much drinking liquor (wine). As his brain tissue was very much affected by acidic tension and crush its normal function down to earth level (became FOOL) ,as being poor in status living, things go hopeless and devastating. Having so many empathetic and sympathetic experiences, i give him ____ C 10,000 mg or 20 capsules of it. After taking it, a remarkable result had shown automatically in a couple of minutes.Thanks to ____, my brother now is in good condition(good health) and strong through it. He's now including it in his daily meal.

in my opinion...it's important to learn and study vitamin c in very simple way by using an alkaline tester (acid tester used by doctors) in order to know the veracity (truth) on your vitamin c supplements and also put your supplements in in a clear glass of water and observe it thouroughly, anything made it muddy or foggy or dirty looks are SYNTHETICS or acidic. In many ways, make sure your supplements are Alkaline based not acidic base by knowing the PH factor that our body requires.

hope it ads something on you and please do not criticise my English workmanship or my weakness in words, for such experience cannot be question by someone like you. thanks

Replied by Bridget
(Gilbert AZ)
03/17/2024

I'm battling multiple health issues. Does anyone know what vitamin c she is talking about. It shows a blank space every time she says what it is.

Art
(California)
03/17/2024
2332 posts

Hi Bridget,

My impression is that the writer is referring to sodium ascorbate which has a higher pH that is closer to the blood pH than ascorbic acid. It is considered a more alkaline type of vitamin C and is sometimes referred to as buffered vitamin C.

Art

Broad Benefits
Posted by ann (potosi, mo.) on 04/29/2008
 ★★★★★

I have used vitamin c for years for bleeding gums, bad nosebleeds and any other bleeding problems. I either take a stress vitamin with 500vit c or just a vit. c by itself -preferably a chewable one. Especially during menopause -taking 500 vit c every 3-4 hours will stop hemoraging and blot clots and normalize the flow. You must take it every 3-4 hrs. or it will start up again. It is better if at least one of the doses is a stress b vit with 500 added vit.c in it. I fell and hit my head on a concrete wall and opened a 4 inch gapin my scalp with excessive bleeding. I chewed 2 500 vit. c and immediately the bleeding completely stopped, helping me on the inside and outside of my head. I didn't have to have any drainage from fluid buildup inside my head and the wound healed very fast. Vit c normalizes the blood-helps with blood clots that are already there to help dissolve them and is so important is excessive bleeding that no one should ever go to the dentist or go into surgery without taking it if you bleed easily. It could save your life. I used to literally take a sheet to bed with me after haveing a tooth pulled to wipe the blood on. After I learned about vit c and took it before i went to the dentist, the bleeding stopped before I got off the parking lot. I really think I could have even done better without the cotton! Hope this helps someone keep from having an hysterectomy or other complications. I have used vit c for these things for over 30 years. I don't take it on a regular basis, mostly if I get sick with a cold or stomach flu which about 10 grams -I take it in peanut butter and syrup- the powdered vit c. Take 2 doses about a hour apart sometimes will kill stomach flu completely out if you catch it in time. Thanks.


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