VITAMIN C (Ascorbic Acid)

General - water-soluble; anti-scurvy factor;

• Saturated adult human body contains about 5,000 mg; 1,500 mg on 100 mg/day intake; lost at rate of 3% per day; signs of scurvy begin at 300 mg body content;
• Made by almost all plants; most animals make Vitamin C in liver or kidneys on need;
• Due to a mutation millions of years ago, humans & a few other species lack enzyme needed to convert glucose to vitamin C & depend on dietary sources;
• Scurvy prevented by less than 100 mg/day; need for optimum health fluctuates widely;
• Vitamin C dependency can be seen as “potentially fatal inborn (genetic) error in glucose metabolism” (genetic condition like albinism, sickle cell anaemia & haemophilia) requiring between 1,500 and 4,500 mg/day for other important functions in the body;
• 150 pounds (adult human weight) of rat, mouse, housefly, dog, squirrel, goat, cow, mountain lion, etc. make between 2,000 & 15,000 mg/day & 4 or 5 times that much during periods of injury, stress or prolonged physical activity;
• Diets recommended for captive monkeys provide 4,000 to 5,000 mg/day of ascorbic acid per 150 pounds of body weight; human should have similar requirements (cell biochemistry is similar);
• History: scurvy described by Hypocrites in 400 B.C.; limes to British sailors in 1747 prevents scurvy (“scourge of the navy”) deaths on sea voyages & “limeys” rule the seas for 200 years; structure identified in 1932; synthesized in 1934; world-wide attention in 1970;

Nutrition

• Sources: best: black currant, sweet pepper, parsley; good: cauliflower, potato, sweet potato, broccoli, Brussels sprout, strawberry, citrus, guava, mango, fresh vegetables, fresh fruit; C content increases with matured development of plant; adrenal glands of freshly killed animals;
• Supplements: acid, mineral salts & effervescent powders; tablet, timed release tablet; capsule, multi-vitamin & multi-mineral-vitamin formulations;
• Absorption from duodenum & small intestine, both passive diffusion & Na-dependent active transport; circulates freely; low concentrations (30 - 60 mg) 100% absorbed; absorption: 90 mg dose = 80%; 1,500 mg = 49%; 3,000 mg = 36%; 12,000 mg = 16%; unabsorbed vitamin C continues into bowel, draws water by osmotic effect & makes watery stools;
• Improved by: frequent small doses absorbed better than few large doses;
• Antagonized by: smoking, stress, high fever, antibiotics, cortisone, inhalation of DDT or petroleum fumes, aspirin;
• Stability: destroyed by heat, light & oxygen; destroyed by long storage (15% /month) & cooking (30 - 50%); 50% lost within 1 week of irradiation (potatoes); C loss from broccoli: microwaved = 15%; pressure cooked =20%; steamed = 30%; boiled = 55%; destroyed by baking soda;
• Storage: throughout the body; highest (50x) concentration in adrenals; elevated (3 - 10x) in kidneys, lung, liver, placenta; also high in pituitary, white blood cells, brain, thymus & eye lens; muscles hold about 600 mg; foetal plasma is 2 - 4x higher than adult;
• Excretion: oxidized form excreted through kidneys within few hours after consumption; also lost through sweat;
• Metabolism: oxidized to dehydroascorbic acid; re-usable after being reduced to ascorbic acid again; excretion increased by sulpha drugs; increased C requirement in elevated serum copper (schizophrenia, stress, smoking, menstruation, the “pill”, last months of pregnancy) or iron (injury);
• Interactions: aspirin, alcohol, analgesics, antidepressants, anticoagulants, oral contraceptives & steroids may decrease body’s C levels; vitamin C is used up in detoxification of drugs; copper cooking utensils destroy C present in foods; C can give false reading on blood glucose tests;

Functions of vitamin C

• Required for synthesis of connective tissue substances chondroitin sulphate & collagen, that are structural & cementing materials of the body & give structure to muscle, vascular tissue, bone, cartilage & scar tissue;
• Necessary for wound healing; aids in forming red blood cells;
• Hydroxylates (OH addition) lysine to hydroxylysine & proline to hydroxyproline;
• Prevents capillary bleeding into intercellular spaces (gums, skin);
• Keeps bone matrix (mainly of collagen) capable of holding Ca & P for strong bones;
• Keeps cartilage (mainly collagen) able to hold bones in place at joints;
• Critical to certain time in dentin layer formation during tooth development;
• Antioxidant (reducing agent), protects vitamins B-1, B-2, folic acid, B-5, A & E from oxidative destruction; enhances immune system function; protects brain & spinal cord from damage by free radicals; many beneficial effects of vitamin C result from its antioxidant rather than its vitamin properties;
• Prevents harmless substances from being oxidized to carcinogenic state (e.g. nitrates to nitrites, to nitrosamines);
• Promotes synthesis of mucopolysaccharides, that inhibit growth of cancer cells;
• Ascorbic acid sulphate may provide sulphates for mucopolysaccharide synthesis; crosses bloodbrain barrier; mobilizes cholesterol from tissues for removal from body; lowers cholesterol;
• Protects against stress of surgery, radiation & chemotherapy (cancer treatment);
• Detoxifies histamine, relieves symptoms of niacin flush, hay fever, frostbite, poisoning;
• Necessary for synthesis of carnitine, transporter of fats into mitochondria, that “burn” fats to produce energy;
• Required to make neurotransmitters (tyrosine to noradrenaline, tryptophan to serotonin);
• Necessary for phenylalanine & tyrosine metabolism; indirectly involved in thyroid hormone production;
• Required to make peptide (protein) hormones which stimulate synthesis of pigment-producing hormone & adrenal steroid hormones;
• Required to convert cholesterol to bile acids; helps regulate blood fats;
• Catalyzes conversion of folic acid to its active form;
• Helps calcium absorption by preventing formation of insoluble calcium complex;
• Enhances absorption, storage & use of dietary iron; keeps iron in reduced (Fe++ ferrous form); activates some iron-containing enzymes; improves iron absorption up to 400%;
• Synergists: vitamin E, beta carotene, B-complex (esp. B-6, B-12, folic acid, B-5), testosterone, somatotrophin & bioflavonoids;
• Antagonized by: alcohol, air pollutants, industrial toxins, heavy metals, tobacco smoke; aspirin, antidepressants, diuretics, indomethacin, prednisone, estrogens;

Quantities

• Measurement: milligrams;
• Optimum: (SONA) average ranges from 150 to 1,000 mg/day; maintenance of tissue saturation requires about 10,000 mg/day;
• Individual optimum must be determined for each individual; varies with age, life style, state of health or illness; normal “bowel tolerance” of 3,000 mg/day may increase 10 or 20x during infection & illness; ascorbic acid may increase urinary loss of water-soluble B-complex & minerals slightly;
• Minimum: (DRI) set at 90 mg/day;
• Less than RDA: 40% of population, according to U.S. government survey; almost 100% of population, according to Irwin Stone & Linus Pauling;
• Deficiency results from inadequate diet; inadequate absorption; increased need; increased metabolism; smoking (20 cigarettes/day requires 40% more C); increased loss;
• At risk: institutionalized elderly (95% deficient); chronically ill; long-term drug therapy; people on junk food diets; poor people; infants during fast growth (5 - 24 months); infants 6 months on cow’s milk (not breast fed); people with cancer (75% deficient);
• Symptoms include: scurvy: sore, bleeding gums; loosening teeth; tender, aching joints; capillary degeneration accompanied by skin bruising (petechiae) & haemorrhaging; anaemia resulting from breakdown in collagen & chondroitin sulphate metabolism; gangrene & death if left untreated;
• Sub-clinical deficiency (sub-clinical scurvy) can manifest as bleeding of gums, impaired digestion, proneness to colds & infections, bruising, nosebleeds, slow wound healing, mild anaemia, lowered disease resistance, premature aging & wrinkling of skin, lassitude, fatigue, drowsiness, insomnia, feeling run down; short of breath, muscle cramps, aching bones, joints & muscles; loss of appetite;
• Infant scurvy: irritability, anorexia, growth failure, tenderness of hips, anaemia, delayed wound healing, drop in white blood count; onset rapid & untreated, can quickly result in death;
• Toxicity: non-toxic at 100x RDA, to levels approaching 3 kilograms/day for an adult; above upper limit (bowel tolerance) of body’s need for vitamin C, diarrhoea results;
• Reversed by lowering dose;
• Illness requires more vitamin C than health & increases “bowel tolerance”; gradual increase in daily consumption avoids diarrhoea & mild gastric disturbances;
• “Rebound scurvy” from suddenly stopping large doses has not been confirmed;

Therapy with ascorbic acid

• 60 - 10,000 mg/day used routinely; 10,000 to 100,000 mg/day used in some conditions (some flu viruses, cancer);
• 300 mg/day or more speeds healing when taken before & after surgery & other injuries; speeds healing of skin grafts;
• Decreases pain & swelling of arthritis & frees joint movement; preserves integrity of intervertebral discs, preventing back problems;
• Enhances immunity; protects against cancers; stimulates interferon production; blocks formation of nitrosamines from protein preservatives (nitrates & nitrites);
• Increased intake protects against bladder cancer; relieves pain of cancer, preventing breakdown of natural endorphins;
• Protects against oesophageal, laryngeal, stomach, cervical & lung cancer development;
• Protects from some effects of smoking on health; eases withdrawal from drugs (heroin, barbiturates, methadone); reduces withdrawal symptoms during detox of alcoholics;
• High doses are effective against shingles (herpes zoster), herpes I & II & all viruses and bacteria against which it has been tried; tissue saturation kills dormant viruses hiding inside cells;
• Protects against oxygen starvation of cells (animals);
• High doses alleviate constipation; heals varicose veins & haemorrhoids;
• Lowers high serum cholesterol levels; prevents damage to inside of arteries & formation of atherosclerotic plaque; improves survival rate after heart attack (free radical damage control);
• Helps relieve gout; may help some aspects of diabetes; prevents cirrhosis of liver;
• Neutralizes chlorine, nitrates & chloramines in water supply;
• Appears to prevent cataracts;
• Helps overcome male sterility (sperm clumping);
• Enhances body’s use of minerals, especially zinc, magnesium, copper & potassium;
• Prevents & heals inflammation: urethritis, colitis, pancreatitis, conjunctivitis & phlebitis;
• Effective in leukemia & rheumatic heart disease;
• Relieves eczema, canker sores & fever blisters;
• Large doses lower susceptibility, decrease severity & shorten duration of colds & flu;
• Decreases histamine release, alleviating asthma, hay fever, allergies, niacin flush;
• Prevents phosphate type kidney stones from forming;
• Helps decrease mental illness & improve mental functioning;
• Detoxifies lead, cadmium, mercury, iron, copper, arsenic, benzene, carbon monoxide, some pesticides & many other toxic substances & drugs; detoxifies insect, spider & snake bites; rabies; heals poison ivy & oak if taken internally + paste applied to skin;
• Helps heal burns & wounds; helps victims of shock from injury, electricity, lightning; protects against frostbite, effects of cold temperature; protects against prickly heat & heat stroke;
• Slows ageing (requirement for C increases with age);
• Doses of 5,000 mg/ day drastically reduce duration of whooping cough in children;
• Doses from 1,000 - 30,000 mg/day can help mental lassitude, confusion & depression;
• Mega-dose ascorbic acid, B-3 & high protein diet reduces psychotic episodes; depressive part of manic-depressive illness improved by C (combined with low vanadium);
• Higher blood levels of ascorbic acid correlate with higher IQ’s; recommended during pregnancy.