http://www.earthclinic.com/Supplements/vitamin_c3.rss http://www.earthclinic.com/template_img/logo.jpg http://www.earthclinic.com/Supplements/vitamin_c3.rss Vitamin C Cures and Side Effects. Mon, 13 Feb 12 04:54:35 -0600 en-us http://www.earthclinic.com/Redirect.php?pageLink=/Supplements/vitamin_c.html&name=CA_68069 /Supplements/vitamin_c3.rss1 Wed, 30 Nov 11 16:32:38 -0600 Dana from Bend, Oregon, Usa writes: "Is food grade Citric Acid powder a viable type of vitamin C supplement? I bought this thinking it was a healthy alternative to tablets, capsules and then realized that maybe ascobic acid was really what I wanted. Is there any benefits from citric acid or a way to take it for supplementation? " http://www.earthclinic.com/Redirect.php?pageLink=/Supplements/vitamin_c.html&name=LA_64657 /Supplements/vitamin_c3.rss2 Thu, 06 Oct 11 22:14:34 -0500 [YEA] Jan from High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England, Uk writes: "Try Ester C, available in health shops, good luck! " http://www.earthclinic.com/Redirect.php?pageLink=/Supplements/vitamin_c.html&name=INTERACTIONS_62758 /Supplements/vitamin_c3.rss3 Tue, 06 Sep 11 17:42:31 -0500 Broken Hearted from Kansas City, Missouri,usa. writes: "This post is for PHYSICIST GARY WADE and Bill Thompson from San Fernando, Luzon, Philippines or anyone who has the answer. Hello, physicist Gary Wade, I read your recommendation on the treatment of lipid coated viruses with BHT.. , and I was interested, because I wish to use it to treat a highly resistant and difficult to treat hcv. As a result, I am reading other articles. One article said that vit. C should be taken with some sodium bicarbonate to reduce its acidity; some other article opposes this view, saying that sodium bicarbonate reduces the absorption of vit. C, but in your recommendation, you were silent in this. As a result, I am not taking the issue of NaHCO3 seriously. My main reason of writing this, is what I read on the negative effects of high doses of vit. c on the following minerals: CALCIUM, NICKEL, COPPER, ZINC, MANGANESE. This article said that high doses of vit. C reduces these minerals in the body. In case of calcium, this mineral becomes removed from the bones, causing them to be brittle and easy to break. Please, I request Physicist Gary Wade and Bill Thompson to address this issue, which is troubling. Please, any other person who has the answer can also address the issue. I will delay my treatment with BHT until I read people's opinions on the issue I have raised, because vit. c is a major component of Physicist Gary Wade's course of treatment with BHT. Also, I wish to know if I can take the following: Silymarin, Methylsulfonylmethane, Selenium, Magnesium, Calcium Citrate, Potessium Iodide during treatment with BHT, and what can be regarded as the needed daily dosage, considering the daily usage of 8grams of vit.c. Also, in a difficult case as the hcv that I have, can I add Oil of Oregano to my treatment? Will there be drug interaction that will be harmful to me or that will reduce the effect of the BHT? I thank you all that will contribute your knowledge to give informed answers to these concerns. May GOD bless you all. " http://www.earthclinic.com/Redirect.php?pageLink=/Supplements/vitamin_c.html&name=GF_59560 /Supplements/vitamin_c3.rss4 Sat, 16 Jul 11 01:44:16 -0500 [SIDE EFFECTS] Moshi from Fremantle, Western Australia, Australia writes: "I found that taking 4000mg of buffered VitC powder robbed my body of magnesium. Maybe because of the calcium in the buffered form. High dosage of VitC has also been reported to cause cystitus, contribute to kidney stones & to kill off intestinal flora (acidophillus). I have tried taking ascorbic acid with some added bicarb but still find it irritates my system over 1000mg a day. I am now switching to fulvic acid, a strong anitoxidant, recommended by Ted, I'll keep you posted. " http://www.earthclinic.com/Redirect.php?pageLink=/Supplements/vitamin_c.html&name=VC_58259 /Supplements/vitamin_c3.rss5 Wed, 22 Jun 11 20:00:57 -0500 Bill Thompson from San Fernando, Luzon, Philippines writes: "The below article was originally published in Earth Clinic's June, 2011 e-newsletter. Vitamin C - More than Just an Anti-Oxidant By Bill Thompson, Contributing Writer Published: June 22, 2011 bt130550@gmail.com Vitamin C History As far back in history as 1747, a Scottish physician called James Lind discovered through a simple experiment that, by taking lime or lemon juice every day, British sailors avoided contracting scurvy. He didn't know why this was, but from that point on, all the British Navy started issuing daily rations of lime juice, which is probably how the nickname "Limey" originated for Brits in the old days. Two hundred years later, a Hungarian called Albert Szent-Gyorgyi actually discovered Vitamin C and got a Nobel Prize for his efforts in 1937. An interesting and active man, during WW 2 Szent-Gyorgyi was a key member of the Hungarian resistance. Adolf Hitler himself issued a direct order for his arrest. After the war Szent-Gyorgyi's research interests moved towards studying the effects of free-radical damage as a reason for cancer onset. Another interesting fact about Szent-Gyorgi was that he always supplemented at least 1 gram of Potassium Iodide every day - that's 1000 mgs of KI (which is about 8000 times higher than the current RDA for iodine). He lived to the age of 93. In those days, people had no fear of iodine supplementation. A well-know protégé and supporter of Szent-Gyorgi's work, Ralph Moss, has since carried on his wonderful research work. Later research by Dr Denham Harman enabled more understanding on the dangerous effects of free-radicals on the body to further enhance the work of Albert Szent-Gyorgyi. Harman's essential discovery and proof was that anti-oxidants like Vitamin A, C & D actually help to extend human life by eliminating free-radical damage. But something that was always ignored by peer reviewed writings on Dr Harman's research was the fact that he regarded BHT(Butylated Hydroxytoluene) as a super anti-oxidant. He also discovered other conclusive facts from his anti-oxidant research along the way that have been completely and conveniently ignored for years by organizations such as the FDA and WHO: "In 1961, Harman published a study showing that the degree of polyunsaturation in fats had a dramatic effect on cancer rates in mice. The most highly polyunsaturated dietary fats [vegetable oils] were found to be the most carcinogenic. In 1968 Harman published a dietary antioxidant study showing that the food preservative BHT fed over a lifetime to mice produced a 45% increase in life span. Harman became concerned that although many of his studies showed an increase in average lifespan by antioxidants, none showed an increase in maximum life span." -- Source -- Wikipedia Then came Mathias Rath's and Linus Pauling's research on the usage and correct dosages of Vitamin C which broke so much new ground - this research consequently gave birth to the well-known Orthomolecular Medicine movement, whose approach was to use natural nutritive methods at correct dosages discovered through intensive research in order to alleviate and cure disease. They both went on to discover the usefulness of high dose Vitamin C (as Ascorbate) and high dose Lysine - a simple amino acid protein pre-cursor -- as a very simple cure and preventative for heart disease, arteriosclerosis, high blood pressure etc. It was found that Vitamin C simply acted to remove the actual arterial plaque blockages while the Lysine removed the Lipoprotein(a) or Lp(a) from the blood in order to stop the plaque reforming again. In talking about arteriosclerosis, Pauling always liked to refer to this problem simply as "arterial scurvy" in order to drive his point home about the importance of correct dosages of Vitamin C in the human diet. And, when natural epigallocatechins (green tea tannins) were added to the vitamin C and Lysine protocol, this treatment would stop cancer tumor growth, prevent angiogenesis, and also help to prevent metastasis. Few people know about the Pauling-Rath research because the drug industry has done its utmost to suppress or spoil this vital research information for years. Ted from Bangkok has also recommended the use of larger dose Vitamin C with larger dose Lysine (sometimes combined with aspirin), which can help to cure some strains of ordinary flu as well as H1N1. He also recommends this as part of his cure protocol for cancer and as a cure for chlamydia, herpes, pneumonia and dengue fever. The simple point I am making here is that Vitamin C is far more than just an anti-oxidant. What comes out from all the independent research is that Vitamin C is also a vital ingredient for building or repairing collagen or body tissue; Vit C supports and greatly aids and boosts the immune system; Vit C can chelate and remove dangerous heavy metals from the body; it also greatly helps in accelerating cross cell-wall nutrient transport and absorption of nutrients. This is why, for instance, Vitamin C should always be taken with iodine supplementation - Vitamin C simply accelerates the absorption of iodine, overcoming any iodine transport problems - which is not only useful for thyroid problems but is also used in every other iodine cell receptor in the human body as well. Correct Vitamin C Dosages The current recommended daily RDA for Vitamin C is about 75 mgs. In his own research on Vitamin C, Pauling mentions that humans, apes, bats and guinea pigs cannot produce their own Vitamin C internally because they lack one vital liver enzyme - so they have to get their Vitamin C from an external food source. However, cows, horses, goats, dogs and cats and many other mammals all produce their Vitamin C internally simply by metabolizing glucose into Vitamin C in their livers. Pauling further goes on to say that just a small goat automatically and internally produces 12 grams of vitamin C on average per day and in times of stress can up that amount to 18 grams a day. Cows, horses and goats rarely, if ever, get heart disease or cancer. So now how do 12 grams of Vitamin C produced automatically and naturally everyday in a small goat stack up against the RDA Vitamin C dose of 75 mgs recommended for humans? I personally take 1000 - 3000 mgs of Vitamin C every day (much more if I'm ill). I also make sure that I eat plenty of fruit - mangoes, melons, apples, oranges etc - on a daily basis. Thus I get the benefit of Vitamin C as ascorbate but I also benefit from the fruit, which contains the added benefit of bio-available Vitamin C co-factors such as bio-flavonoids, ascorbinogens, rutin and tyrosinase as well as many mineral co-factors that also work as associated enzymes to further enhance Vitamin C's positive effects on the body. Linus Pauling regularly took about 8 - 10 grams of Vitamin C (sometimes twice as much as this) per day for years and years and he died at the ripe old age of 93. When Should I Take Vitamin C? Lastly, you can take Vitamin C, which is a water soluble vitamin, either during mealtimes or outside mealtimes. But, as Linus Pauling proved from his own research, if you take Vitamin C at mealtimes then you will automatically lose 1/3 of your dose through normal intestinal excretion. So if you take Vitamin C - it's always best to take the ascorbate or alkaline form outside mealtimes - your body will simply absorb more of the Vitamin C dosage and you will thus get a much greater benefit. The other oily vitamins such as Vitamins A, D, E and K should all be taken at mealtimes for proper digestion and emulsification by the pancreatic lipase enzymes and bile respectively. What Supplement Form is the Best? This section applies to all vitamins, minerals and amino acid supplement forms that you can buy - not just to Vitamin C. Let's go through these one by one: Tablet Forms I would avoid this supplement form for the following reasons: This form contains many caking additives (to form the tablet) such as Calcium Diphosphate, Magnesium Stearate, Stearic Acid, plant cellulose etc. Some people are even allergic to some of these caking substances. The waxy, hard tablet forms will not be easy to break down and digest in the body. To test this - just drop the tablet into a glass of water with a little vinegar. If it doesn't dissolve into solution in about 20 minutes. - the tablet is useless. Caking agents are waxy, sticky substances that help form the tablet. This wax will also tend to embed and trap the nutrient supplement in the wax, which will then not be absorbed by the intestine. The best way to take tablets is to first crush them up using a mortar and pestle and then to dissolve the powder in a glass of water. Note that the water will look opaque and unclear due to the heavy presence of these waxy and insoluble caking residues. Multivitamins In my opinion, this is the worst possible supplement form of all to take. All the disadvantages that apply to the tablet form also apply to the multivitamin form. But I would also add these disadvantages as well: Multivitamin forms always contain lesser amounts of vitamins, minerals and amino acids than even the RDA. This is because it would be physically impossible to put all the correct RDA dosages for vitamins, minerals and amino acids into one multivitamin pill. If you did, the pill would probably be bigger than a ping pong ball!! That's why I think the multivitamin concept - all beneficial daily nutrients in one pill - is so utterly ridiculous. Minerals such as Iron, Zinc, Magnesium, Manganese and Calcium, for example, are all combined into one multivit pill. All these minerals, when taken in the wrong form, are mutually antagonistic and will compete for absorption pathways in the intestines. No use at all. Many multivitamin forms contain various synthetic (patented) minerals, vitamins and amino acids etc. These forms are not handled in the body as well as the natural more bio-available food forms. Such multivit forms are usually also more expensive because they contain these synthetic, patented nutrient forms. I read an interesting article awhile ago written in an alternative health magazine. The journalist went to a sewage works to interview the sewage manager. During the interview the manager happened to mention that every day, whenever he went out to inspect the human sewage - he would see hundreds and hundreds of multi-coloured pills in the sludge - multivitamin pills - all undissolved. Liquid Tonics, Dissolvable (fizzy) and Chewable Forms I wouldn't trust these forms because, generally, they will include additives such as aspartame, flavourings, high fructose corn syrup or sugar and other additives to make them taste better. Also, the liquid tonic form will have a greater tendency to oxidize in the sunlight. Avoid. Capsule Form These should contain just the powdered herb, mineral or vitamin and nothing else - no additives or caking agents etc. This powder should be contained in an enteric-coated capsule. This form is OK - my number 2 choice. Powdered Form My top choice. This is the best form if you can get it - no additives or preservatives or caking agents. When I first bought my powdered Vitamin C (as ascorbic acid) and dissolved the dose in a glass of water with some baking soda powder to convert it to ascorbate - after the fizz - it was crystal clear, just like a simple glass of water. © 2011 Earth Clinic. All Rights Reserved. " http://www.earthclinic.com/Redirect.php?pageLink=/Supplements/vitamin_c.html&name=EXCITOTOXIN_58260 /Supplements/vitamin_c3.rss6 Wed, 22 Jun 11 20:19:49 -0500 Earth Clinic from writes: "The below article was originally published in our June, 2011 e-newsletter. ----------------------------------- by Daniel P. Kray, Senior Editor Published June 22, 2011 We like Vitamin C for a lot of things, from prevention to post-infection treatment. That's why we're concerned about the popularity of certain hyped Vitamin C products. A natural cold and flu remedy would be great, but what sort of extra baggage is hitching a ride on these packs of Vitamin C supplements? Turns out, a pair of unnecessary ingredients, aspartic acid (or asparagine) and sucralose, are often tagging along. You may have to look into the fine print of the ingredients list, but you'll be surprised at how often they show up. L-aspartic acid is one of our non-essential amino acids. The body makes it, so we don't need to get it from our diets. We definitely need it for energy creation, nerve function, and a host of other bodily activities. But like most good things, too much can be bad. In excess, aspartic acid becomes an excitotoxin, revving the neurons and nervous system up so high that nerve damage can be a result. In effect, excitotoxins cause our neurons to die from excitement! In fact, if the facts behind Aspartame make you uncomfortable, aspartic acid is a large part (40%) of the reason. In our bodies, this artificial sweetener breaks down into phenylalanine, methanol, and aspartic acid. Methanol is just plain toxic, but the overdose of amino acids can likewise do great harm. Sucralose (Splenda) is of course much the same thing as Aspartame-an artificial sweetener. This one mostly passes out of the body without being metabolized, but some 15-20% does not pass out of the body immediately. Since sucralose is an organochloride (an organic chlorine compound), many of us are justifiably concerned about the possibility of introducing free chlorine molecules into our bloodstream and tissues. Makes you nostalgic for good old belly-expanding glucose! Since the liver can produce aspartic acid whenever bodily levels are low, we never experience true aspartic acid deficiencies, so there is no need to get it through supplements. Easy then, we won't take aspartic acid supplements. That is, unless we don't know it's there in our other supplements! Now, weight lifting supplements often contain aspartic acid along with a medley of the other amino acids, so there is an issue there. However, for the Earth Clinic community we're more concerned about products like Ester-C (the brand) and Emergen-C, both of which add aspartic acid to their Vitamin C supplements. Just check out the Other Ingredients on the fine print on this ingredients list to see for yourself. Products advertised as energy boosters frequently contain aspartic acid, as do whey powder products. Airborne and Super C Vitamin C products do not seem to use aspartic acid (please do not read that as a general endorsement); however, Airborne and Super C do contain sucralose as a sweetener, as do FRS Healthy Energy products. Additionally, you're likely to find aspartic acid in these products: Various collagen formulas Bragg Liquid Aminos Many potassium-magnesium supplements Many folic acid tablets Many lipoic acid supplements Many Nature's Plus products Some Solgar vitamin supplements Some Nutritech supplements Now, plenty of foods naturally contain aspartic acid as well, and the body is happy to find it there. It is nature-made, not man-made (unlike sucralose). We don't want to alarm anyone, just let you know what you're potentially putting in your body. Toxic levels of this amino acid are definitely possible, so take a look at your supplement labels and make the best choice for your own health. The following Earth Clinic reader contributions (and a note from Ted) should help you make the decision that is right for you. Vitamin C and Excitotoxins Catherine from Seattle, WA writes: "I was fighting a sinus infection last week after landing in California and went to a Whole Foods to get some Vitamin C. I decided to get Emergen-C to add to water because it had a really tempting fruity flavor. Immediately after taking my first packet (which was delicious), I felt a weird sensation in my head and then I got really edgy (as in bad mood edgy). I read the ingredients on the box and sure enough, the vitamin C used in this brand is Aspartic acid, an excitotoxin. The Emergen-C also contained "natural flavors", aka MSG. I waited 24 hours and tried again to see if I would have the same side effects. Again, within a minute of drinking the packet, I got the same sensation in my head. My question is, are you doing more good or harm to the body when you take this form of vitamin c?!!" Ted from Bangkok, Thailand replies: "Aspartic acid is a well known excitotoxin and so is monosodium glutamate or MSG. In the long run it's going to destroy the immune system through a neurodegenerative disorder. Once the excitotoxin is destroyed the immune system is down. Now in a pharmaceutical formulation adding this results in the need to take that since you get sicker and so you might feel some relief, the long term is it's going to make a person sicker, which result in greater sales for product with excitotoxins added. Now imagine a child who is a borderline autism, ADHD, these can result in many other neurodegenerative disorders and metabolic acidosis. As for me decades ago I took accidentally soft drinks with aspartame resulting in deafness, but also a permanent partial macular degeneration of the eyes. So the systematic destruction is almost wholesale if given long term use. Luckily Emergen C is not sold in Thailand, although some friends of mine have given me this, I don't take it. I prefer to buy bulk vitamin C and mix them myself. There are other excitotoxins, but aspartic acid, aspartame, monosodium glutamate, and glutamic acid are the most well known... Therefore most effervescent products sometimes they are not labeled so I ended up calling the factory sometimes. One easy way to measure excitotoxin poisoning is that the urinary pH suddenly become very acid, such as pH 5.5 or lower and even taking more baking soda barely raise the pH long enough to be satisfactory. Such as it can't raise the pH for the entire day. It also takes weeks for the pH to be near normal after taking b complex and baking soda for a week or two. A long term taking of this can also resulted in higher urinary sugar and damaged pancreas, besides damaging the brain. One of the worse advertisement I have seen is Michael J. Fox supporting Diet Pepsi, which contains aspartame, and he himself has Parkinson's disease, which will make such conditions much worse. The remedy is not to take aspartame for Parkinson's disease or to undergo stem cells, since it's not yet legal at the moment and stem cell research has been blocked for at least 8 years. Methylene blue taken at 2 drops at 0.1% concentration might reverse some of the effects of excitotoxins as it is one of my remedies for Parkinson's disease also. Taking excitotoxins is a long term damage that may lead to degenerative disorders, metabolic acidosis, and lowered immune system. Therefore I would avoid them as best as I can. Ted" Supplements Brought on Rage Wes from Webster, TX writes: "I'm 220 and work out almost everyday. I started taking 2000mg of vitamin C. Ester C tablets. A few days later I noticed I was very easily enraged. I did this for about 4 weeks and decided it wasn't worth it. I recently started taking and animal pack vitamin package. After taking for several days I noticed the same effect. Read the ingredient 2000 mg Vitamin C. So I stopped taking it. Is there anyway to counteract the aggressiveness. IE some other vitamin." Christine replies: "This afternoon, I visited your site and noted a comment by a reader who said that Ester C made him enraged. It's not the Vitamin C, it's the aspartic acid in the Ester C product. I verified this with an aspartame activist. Aspartic acid is an excitotoxin, a poison that kills brain cells. Yep, it's the same stuff as in aspartame. All of the studies done on Vitamin C were done with sodium ascorbate, which is a type of chemically buffered Vitamin C. It's best to take it as a powder in water, because you can get gastritis if you take too many pills." © 2011 Earth Clinic. All Rights Reserved. " http://www.earthclinic.com/Redirect.php?pageLink=/Supplements/vitamin_c.html&name=SIDEEFFECTS_58057 /Supplements/vitamin_c3.rss7 Sun, 19 Jun 11 19:01:17 -0500 Anna from Montgomery, Alabama writes: "A response to Vitamin C by Paulina from Finland who said a person can't overdose. 03/18/2011: Paulina from Helsinki, Finland replies: "that's not true. YOU CAN'T OVERDOSE VITAMIN C AND IT DOESN'T HAVE ANY SIDE EFFECTS, your immune system can get only stronger, bad bacteria in kidneys, intestins & reproductive passages are going to be killed! And you may sneeze as a effect your body is fighting infection, which is much beter than not sneezing while the body is not fighting anything!" http://www.earthclinic.com/CURES/sinus_infection.html#TEDS She's absolutely wrong. I'm a nursing student and have taken a nutrition course, so let me tell you what actually happens. 70 mg is the normal daily recommended dose for people, but it's okay to take up to 1000mg a day. If a person takes over 1000mg a day for long enough, the body gets use to it. When the person stops taking the Vitamin C, the body thinks it's not getting enough and the body will actually develop scurvy. So yes, a person can overdose on Vitamin C. Just because it's difficult to OD on something does not mean it isn't possible, so treat any vitamin or mineral with respect and take only as much as you need. Also, taking a bunch of Vitamin C when you have a cold will not make it go away faster; Vitamin C upholds the immune system, but it doesn't give it a boost. It won't make something go away if you take a lot of it. " http://www.earthclinic.com/Redirect.php?pageLink=/Supplements/vitamin_c.html&name=GF_57622 /Supplements/vitamin_c3.rss8 Sat, 11 Jun 11 11:00:05 -0500 Angel from Dubai, Uae writes: "Is it fine to take vit c in form of tablet without crushing and mixing sod. Bicarb in it? Will it be effective or do I have to add sod. bicarb?I brought vit c which says it contains L-ascorbic acid. Is L ascorbic acid same as sodium ascorbate? Also which one is better? " http://www.earthclinic.com/Redirect.php?pageLink=/Supplements/vitamin_c.html&name=GF_57575 /Supplements/vitamin_c3.rss9 Fri, 10 Jun 11 11:34:20 -0500 Andrea C from Cardiff, Wales writes: "AFTER SOME ONE MENTIONED THIS ON THE C VIT PAGE I DID A LOAD OF RESEARCH ON IT, AND FOUND A UK WEB SITE THAT ARE SELLING IT CHEAPER THAN N E 1 ELSE. THEY ASKED Y I WAS TAKING IT AND WHEN I EXSPLAINED MY DIFFERENT HEALTH PROBLEMS THEY SOLD IT TO ME CHEAPER AGAIN! AT THE MOMENT I AM TAKING ASCORBIC ACID BUFFURED WITH SODIUM BICARBONATE AND OVER 3 DAYS HAVE BUILT UP TO 32 GRAMS TAKING A TEASPOON FULL OF ASCORBIC ACID AND HALF A TEASPOON OF SODIUM BICARBONATE. WELL ACTUALLY, ITS ONLY 4pm, SO THE DAYS NOT OVER YET! I'M VERY WINDY AND BLOATED, BUT THATS TO BE EXPECTED SO I THINK I SHALL CUT THE BICARB DOWN TO 1/18 OF A TEASPOON! ONCE I GET THE LYPO-SPHERIC VIT C I WILL POST TO LET EVERY 1 KNOW THE RESULTS. OH I FORGOT TO MENTION I CAN'T SLEEP! AND WHEN I DO MANAGE 2 SLEEP ITS ONLY FOR 2 HOURS, NOT MY USUAL 6. AND THATS ONLY BEEN THESE LAST FEW EVENINGS SINCE I STARTED THIS PROTACOL. LOVE ANDREA C X X X " http://www.earthclinic.com/Redirect.php?pageLink=/Supplements/vitamin_c.html&name=SOURCES_56818 /Supplements/vitamin_c3.rss10 Wed, 25 May 11 16:42:25 -0500 [WARNING!] Granny Laura from Waco, Tx Usa writes: "I have to speak to the contributor that can't find a Vitamin C source that doesn't make him sick. All Vitamin C isn't from the same source. I had to see a good allergist to find out that the Vitamin C I was taking was made from CORN! It left me shakey and unable to sleep for 3 days, and I had cut a 100 mg tablet in half so all I got was 50 mg! Since finding that I am allergic to corn, I now take Vitamin C in the Palmitate form, as labeled on the bottle. And, I'm taking about 10 grams a day. I take TwinLabs Allergy C, it is buffered w/calcium and magnesium. An aside, Vitamin C helps you to absorb the cal/mag for your bones. It's a win-win! " http://www.earthclinic.com/Redirect.php?pageLink=/Supplements/vitamin_c.html&name=BUFFERING_55392 /Supplements/vitamin_c3.rss11 Tue, 26 Apr 11 16:10:56 -0500 Francisca from Michelbach-le-bas, Alsace, France writes: "How do I buffer Vitamin C powder? In a book I am reading right now Linus Pauling says that he used to buffer his Vitamin C by dissolving it in orange juice but how does it work given the fact that orange juice is also an acid? Or else he added bicarbonate of soda but he doesn't say how much. Right now I am taking 2g powder and 4g in tablets. I don't want to take more tablets because of the fillings as I am afraid that if you take many a day they will do you more harm than good. Also, in the book he says that he used to take 12g in the morning but I ask myself whether he took them in many glasses of water as I find 2g in a glass of water already quite strong. " http://www.earthclinic.com/Redirect.php?pageLink=/Supplements/vitamin_c.html&name=ELL_50675 /Supplements/vitamin_c3.rss12 Thu, 06 Jan 11 22:28:26 -0600 Victor from San Diego, California writes: "A few weeks ago I started taking vitamin C as ascorbic acid in powder (crystal) form. I take it every four hours (six times a day) 20 min before meals, and make sure I rinse my teeth every time. My current daily intake is about 10 grams. (I had gone up to 36 g, but then abdominal bloating and even diarrhea kicked in, so I had to scale back). I noticed increased energy levels, increased libido, and also vivid dreams every night. I kept in mind that all these could be simply placebo effects. Then at Christmas time my partner caught flu. I stayed at home with him during the whole time. He caughed and sneezed at me, as if I was his favoured target, and... I didn't even get a running nose or sore throat. Nothing, zero, nada. And I have not been vaccinated for many years. Unfortunately, my friend is a pretty stubborn individual, so I couldn't convince him to try this treatment until almost the end of his illness. I think it still helped him recover sooner though. Anyway, I became quite convinced and a vitamin C fan. Next I am tempted to try the so called lypho-spheric vitamin C. Does anyone have any experience with that? " http://www.earthclinic.com/Redirect.php?pageLink=/Supplements/vitamin_c.html&name=ACEROLA_48154 /Supplements/vitamin_c3.rss13 Tue, 02 Nov 10 16:40:23 -0500 Francisca from Michelbach-le-bas, Alsace, France writes: "Thanks for all the advice I got here. I ended up buying Acerola because that was what my pharmacy advised as it is a natural vitamin C. My question is, although I saw 1000 on the box and assumed that it was mgs it seems that it only contains 170mg which is very little. They say one shouldn't take more than one pill (it is those chewable pills). I don't know whether maybe being natural Acerola is more potent than other vitamin C or that this is just one of those things they write on supplements which more often than not doesn't make sense. Before, while I was taking normal Vitamin C I was taking 3000mg to 4000mg which, as I have a lot of allergies, I think is good." http://www.earthclinic.com/Redirect.php?pageLink=/Supplements/vitamin_c.html&name=ADVICE_47951 /Supplements/vitamin_c3.rss14 Wed, 27 Oct 10 10:54:42 -0500 Francisca from Michelbach-le-bas, Alsace, France writes: "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?" http://www.earthclinic.com/Redirect.php?pageLink=/Supplements/vitamin_c.html&name=RF_45483 /Supplements/vitamin_c3.rss15 Thu, 26 Aug 10 20:36:48 -0500 Candy from O Fallon, Mo, Us writes: "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?" http://www.earthclinic.com/Redirect.php?pageLink=/Supplements/vitamin_c.html&name=LDVC_43551 /Supplements/vitamin_c3.rss16 Thu, 24 Jun 10 15:48:26 -0500 Jennifer from Rochester, Ny writes: "Please read the following link for information on taking large doses of Vitamin C for its healing properties. http://www.orthomed.com/titrate.htm Wishing you well, Jennifer " http://www.earthclinic.com/Redirect.php?pageLink=/Supplements/vitamin_c.html&name=RF_43241 /Supplements/vitamin_c3.rss17 Tue, 15 Jun 10 11:46:11 -0500 Bill from San Fernando, Luzon, Philippines writes: "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." http://www.earthclinic.com/Redirect.php?pageLink=/Supplements/vitamin_c.html&name=SKIN_42949 /Supplements/vitamin_c3.rss18 Sun, 06 Jun 10 19:26:44 -0500 [YEA] Sue from Usa writes: "vitamin C solution for complexion I have sensitive skin that reacts badly to most products, even herbal/organic ones. I have had success with making vitamin C solution using the powdered L-ascorbic acid that is often recommended here on Earthclinic. In a small container, mix 1/4 teaspoon of the powder in 1 teaspoon of water -- watch out, it will fizz! -- and then add 1 teaspoon of vegetable glycerin (available at any health food store.) Keep this in a small brown glass bottle, or at least make sure it is away from light and heat. The smaller the bottle, the better, since air in the bottle will destroy its potency. Once it turns yellowish, it is no longer effective, so you'll need to remake it (a few days or even over a week later, depending on storage conditions). Just smooth it onto your face. It has reduced wrinkles and pore size, and seems to have helped the rosacea as well. " http://www.earthclinic.com/Redirect.php?pageLink=/Supplements/vitamin_c.html&name=RF_42669 /Supplements/vitamin_c3.rss19 Sun, 30 May 10 09:34:16 -0500 Pat from Athens, Al, Usa writes: "I'm looking for some suggestions on how some of you find the most palatable ways of taking sodium ascorbate (vitamin c) powder, as I've seen that Ted has in several posts recommended it as a good form of vitamin c. I just wondered if it would be better mixed with something or taken straight up or could be mixed with the ACV or just whatever without an ill effects. Thank you." http://www.earthclinic.com/Redirect.php?pageLink=/Supplements/vitamin_c.html&name=SOLUTION_41317 /Supplements/vitamin_c3.rss20 Mon, 19 Apr 10 12:23:07 -0500 [YEA] Bill from San Fernando, Luzon, Philippines writes: "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. " http://www.earthclinic.com/Redirect.php?pageLink=/Supplements/vitamin_c.html&name=SCIATICA_38576 /Supplements/vitamin_c3.rss21 Mon, 08 Feb 10 16:32:32 -0600 [YEA] Kathleen from Chicago, Illinois writes: "Hi, This is only the second time that I have posted, and I wanted to thank you for your kind words regarding my first post. I promised that I would update everyone IF I was able to finally conquer sciatica. Well, I DID IT! I said that I was going to try Magnesium as suggested on your site. Didn't seem to help me. What finally did the trick was "flooding" with Vitamin C per Dr. Frederick Klenner's web site, Doctor Yourself. Please check out the testimonal under Back Pain (at the bottom of that page). Unlike the testimonial, I was not completely out of pain on the fourth day; it took me six days. I took two grams (2,000 milligrams) every hour I was awake. What I finally figured out was that the man that wrote the testimonial was taking a teaspoon every hour (that's four grams). Just in case you are concerned at the high level of Vitamin C, it is a water soluble vitamin which the body will throw off if it can't use it. There is no known Vitamin C toxicity to humans. The reason it worked is very simple. I had a Vitamin C deficiency severe enough to cause sciatica. Wish I had known that before! What I also didn't realize was that the intermittent backaches that I have had in the last five years or so were also a Vitamin C deficiency and a precursor to the more severe sciatica! I have not had even a hint of a backache since I began treating the sciatica. I am now on a maintenance dosage of Vitamin C of about 10 grams per day (still working out exact amount) which I will remain on for the rest of my life. You know when the body cannot use the level of Vitamin C that you are taking. You get diarreha and just cut back a bit until you have the right level for you. This is what is so critical that I learned from the web site and my horrifying experience. Humans, monkeys, guinea pigs, and fruit bats don't produce their own Vitamin C, but without it, we will die. The web site is based on the Linus Pauling branch of medicine named Orthomolecular Medicine. It was Linus Pauling's theory that we probably began our journey in the tropics and had a more than adequate supply of fruits and therefore Vitamin C. At some point, a differential in our DNA eliminated our ability to produce Vitamin C and worked to our advantage (our bodies didn't have to do double duty and produce Vitamin C as long as we had an adequate supply) until we moved out of the tropics. That's when we got into trouble, big, big trouble. I could go on and on, but I would just like to close with this. Other than knowing that Linus Pauling was the primary advocate for Vitamin C and was marginalized, I didn't know anything about him. He is the only human being that won not one but two Nobel Prizes in two separate areas, the first was Chemistry, and the second was Peace. Also, his work was the basis used to work out DNA! He is probably the most gifted scientist this country has ever produced. So, what was wrong with him? Was he dishonest? Was he not sane? What is going on. He made the unfortunate choice to advocate for Peace during the McCarthy era and was labeled a socialist. The government went so far as to revoke his passport for a few weeks, but changed their minds so that he could pick up his Peace prize. The second reason is that the medical establishment including pharmaceuticals have no financial gain in health. There is money in illness; there isn't money in health (sorry, I've forgotten where I read that). Check Pauling's biography on Wikipedia. Check out Klenner on the front page of Doctor Yourself under the Orthomolecular Medicine link and then History on that site. Klenner worked out that Vitamin C only works in large doses throughout his long, illustrious career. My primary reason for advocating natural alternatives for myself is safety. It was a blood pressure generic Lisinopril that triggered my sciatica and my descent into an unfathonable Dante's inferno. I will use SAFE alternatives in the future as often as possible. Good health to everyone this year! " http://www.earthclinic.com/Redirect.php?pageLink=/Supplements/vitamin_c.html&name=PREGNANCY_36945 /Supplements/vitamin_c3.rss22 Sat, 02 Jan 10 23:52:36 -0600 [YEA] Mary Grace from Chicago, Il writes: "After reading the rules for posting, I'm sorry I can't put a link here to the website that explains the benefits of Vitamin C but hopefully by just googling Dr. Klenner, you can find this information. He did a study of pregnant women taking Vitamin C and 100% came through without miscarrying. I am 5 weeks pregnant now with my 9th child and have always taken Vitamin C through pregnancies. My mother had 5 children and she used to take high doses of Vitamin C. There are such great benefits so for those that are concerned, please do a little more research and don't stop taking your C." http://www.earthclinic.com/Redirect.php?pageLink=/Supplements/vitamin_c.html&name=BV_36517 /Supplements/vitamin_c3.rss23 Thu, 24 Dec 09 13:46:51 -0600 [YEA] Jeff from Pawtucket, Ri writes: "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." http://www.earthclinic.com/Redirect.php?pageLink=/Supplements/vitamin_c.html&name=AVC_35328 /Supplements/vitamin_c3.rss24 Wed, 25 Nov 09 12:48:27 -0600 [QUESTION] Britt Stevens from Philadelphia, Ms writes: "Hi Where can i purchase alkaline vitamin c? I want to make sure i buy the correct type." http://www.earthclinic.com/Redirect.php?pageLink=/Supplements/vitamin_c.html&name=SIDEEFFECTS_35153 /Supplements/vitamin_c3.rss25 Fri, 20 Nov 09 20:59:49 -0600 [SIDE EFFECTS] Rupa from Canada, On writes: "Does Vitamin C causes hair fall? I have been asked by doctor to take iron tablet as my hair was falling. I learned that iron tab (300mg) taken with Vitamin C helps to absorb iron (folic acid) faster. So I took together Vitamin C and iron tablet. But to my surprise my hair fall increased as never before. The rate of fall is higher. I almost lost so many hair. I am confused why it is so. May be Vitamin C is acidic in nature and that may causes hair fall? Or It is some thing like fall is the season for hair fall too?"