8 Vitamin C Benefits (and Some Common Side Effects)

It is easy to make alkaline vitamin C, also known as Sodium Ascorbate. Simply buy vitamin C powder (usually as Ascorbic Acid). About 1/4 teaspoon of this is equal to 1gram. So to make it sodium ascorbate mix with this about 1/4 of Sodium Bicarbonate (baking soda), and half a cup, or so, of water. Stir it around until the crystals dissolve and the fizzing stops. And, now you have 1gram of Sodium Ascorbate; and alkaline form of Vitamin C.

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?

Hi Rupa,

The only thing that has worked for me is 5,000 mcg of Biotin in capsule form once a day. It took a couple weeks for it to stop falling out, but it stopped. I take a minimum of 3,000mg of vitamin C daily, so, for me vitamin C is not a factor. I have never run across data that a lack of iron causes hair loss. Time of the year shouldn't be a factor either.

side effect of vitamin c on polio affected person

i sir/madam, my name is Rahul and i am handicapped (affected by polio) my age 20 years. And i have polio since i was 5years. i read an article on internet of Dr. klenner about vitamin C helps to cure polio but the amount of vitamin C is mentioned is very high (400mg) per kilogram of weight in every 2hours so i just want to if i take vitamin C in such massive amount then is ther a chances of any side effects and what are they? please help me.Thanking you

Has anyone tried these antiviral remedies from Ted on covid?

Hi Rahul,

If you are 20 and you've had polio since your were 5, then Dr. Klennar's approach might not help you. In the late 1940s when polio was out of control here in the U.S., Dr. Klennar had success with about 60 cases of Early Stage Polio using high doses of vitamin C. Vitamin C was given by injection and by mouth.

The name of the article where I got this information is: The Origin of the 42-Year Stonewall of Vitamin C by Robert Landwehr

http://www.orthomolecular.org/library/jom/1991/pdf/1991-v06n02-p099.pdf

I did a study a couple years ago for a local friend of mine who is in his 70s and was a polio victim at the age of 20. The only thing I found that might help was Co-enzyme C-10. It is based on this study.

12 patients...7-69 years...all with types of muscle dystrophies...100mg/day for 3 months...a 2nd trial of 15 patients was similar. "Definitely improved physical performance was recorded. In retrospect, a dosage of 100 mg was too low although effective and safe. Patients suffering from these muscle dystrophies and the like, should be treated with vitamin Q10 indefinitely."

(by K. Folkers, the Merck researcher who has done the most research on Q10)

The title of the article:

"Two successful double-blind trials with coenzyme Q10 (vitamin Q10) on muscular dystrophies and
neurogenic atrophies"... Folkers K., Simonsen R....from PubMed

You can type the title of the article into your search engine and the article will come up.

I have a very odd situation. Vitamin C causes strange side effects in me and my children. These include small, hard nodules in our fingers, sores in our mouths and bruising on our arms. I am 49, but it has always been this way. my children have the same symptoms. My dad has gout ( I have never had any symptoms of that), but I wonder if the two conditions could be related? Has anyone else had anything like this?

Re: side effects vitamin C. I've read that excessive doses can cause copper deficiency. On one website I read:

"In another chronic copper deficiency / high Vitamin C example, a young boy was brought into my office to investigate the reason why his leg bones were soft and becoming increasingly malformed. It turned out that his father was giving him 2,000 mg of Vitamin C a day, starting shortly after he was born, which resulted in a severe, long-term copper deficiency. Reducing the Vitamin C to more reasonable levels, and recommending some copper-rich foods for the boy, corrected the condition."

This makes me very cautious about megadoses over a long period, though the website also says that taking the ascorbate version is a good protection against some side effects. Views?

Hi Kate...Although I don't doubt the instance of the boy suffering copper depletion and its unfortunate effects, the research in the area of the relationship between copper and vitamin c is still quite sadly lacking. However, it has been known for some time that animals such as dogs, cattle and horses can all internally generate their own vitamin c as ascorbates from their own livers, and the amounts generated -- compared to our own recommended RDA -- 75 mgs -- is relatively huge. These animals generate upwards of 8 grams of vitamin c a day for themselves seemingly without harm.

I also admit that the research in this area is sadly lacking and not well understood, but here is an extract on this subject from a research site:

"Although vitamin C supplements have produced copper deficiency in guinea pigs (7), animals requiring dietary vitamin C, the effect of vitamin C supplements on copper nutritional status in humans is less clear. Two small studies in healthy young adult men indicate that the oxidase activity of ceruloplasmin may be impaired by relatively high doses of supplemental vitamin C. In one study, vitamin C supplementation of 1,500 mg/day for two months resulted in a significant decline in ceruloplasmin oxidase activity (8). In the other study, supplements of 605 mg of vitamin C/day for three weeks resulted in decreased ceruloplasmin oxidase activity, although copper absorption did not decline (9). Neither of these studies found vitamin C supplementation to adversely affect copper nutritional status. "
From The Linus Pauling Institute Website

Perhaps the lesson here is to ensure proper daily mineral intake -- including copper -- as a safe dietary regimen with all vitamins, since minerals tend to play such a crucial part -- as enzymes -- in the metabolism and activity of vitamins in our body.

Concerning copper intake, liver is far and away the largest natural source of this mineral and can be taken as cooked liver or simply as dessicated liver tablets.

Hi I just want to ask if anyone has an idea how to make your own sodium ascorbate? I read somewhere about mixing equal amount of baking soda and ascorbic acid, is this correct? Any suggestion will be appreciated as it is expensive here to buy the commercial ones. Thanks.

In response to Lilydy's question about making Sodium Ascorbate - I was told to use twice the amount of Vitamin C powder to baking soda (example, 1 teaspoon of Vitamin C powder mixed with 1/2 teaspoon baking soda). If you mix it with water, it will fizz up so just add a bit of water, wait until the fizzing stops and then add more water. Be careful not to take too much all at once, though. It can upset your stomach! Hope this helps.

Thanks for your suggestion Bessie. Thanks also to Joyce from Joelton,TN who was very accommodating with her response via email. So far I have tried 10% baking soda to 90% ascorbic acid combination based on the ratio I observed in a lot of commercial sodium ascorbate. So for example, for 1 tsp of baking soda, I mix this with 9 tsp ascorbic acid. From this, I use 1 tsp of the mix in one or half a glass of water or juice. So far I don't have any issue of diarrhea from taking such combination. I take twice a day for days that I need more immunity.

Hi, I watched the YouTube video: Deirdre Layne presents Sodium Ascorbate with interest. It was good to find out that I can save 20% of the cost of my buffered vitamin C by doing it myself with baking soda. But, in the middle of the video Deirdre mentions that the solution dissolves better with Hot water. Question, isn't Hot water going to denature the vitamin C? Thanks, Tomas

I feel the same way after taking the emergen-c. I had to give it way. I didn't know that Aspartic acid was an excitotoxin.

Hello Catherine: Unless you consider killing off your brain cells good, ingesting excitotoxins, or neurotoxins is very bad. When you read up on excittoxins, you will find the same two majors so rampant in our processed foods, monosodium glutamate and aspartame, are also blamed for making our bodies kick out excessive insulin which starts us down the progression of insulin resistance and development of diabetes mellitus, type 2. Personally, I don't care to ingest any of them but it is very difficult to avoid them in our foods these days.

Russell Blaylock tells us that any hydrolyzed plant (corn, soy, pea, etc) protein is the most deadly form of all of MSG because it kills off two different types of neurons, because it contains both MSG and aspartame. Since this would hold true for ingredients listing both monosodium glutamate and aspartame in the ingredients, stay away from those foods containing either one these toxins. Read labels carefully before buying as I have found a couple of canned vegetables listing ingredients: monosodium glutamate, spices, hydrolyzed plant protein, and natural flavors all on the same label.

To make this story more pitiful, they were not at the end of the ingredients list and the ingredients are supposed to be listed beginning with what it contains most of first and listing those with very small amounts last.

wow! i am upset by this. i have been taking emergen-c for years and i didn't know that this was anything other than an amino acid.

so - i need to find another vitamin/mineral blend that is easy to take. i just looked up airborne's ingredients and am sad to say that they contain acesulfame potassium which is an artificial sweetener... as well as sorbitol...

can anyone give me the name of a product that is similar to these and is safe?
thanks
djh

We went to Whole Foods last week, and Trader Joes today, and checked out the ingredients of the Emergen-C sold at both stores. None of the ingredients in any of the Emergen-C boxes listed aspartic acid as the form of vitamin c. It was all vitamin c in the form of Asorbic Acid. Readers from other territories (outside Atlanta), if you get a chance to look, please report your findings. Thanks!

I purchased my Emergen-C at Walmart. It contains Vit C as ascorbic acid, zinc ascorbate, chromium ascorbate, but below at the bottom after other ingredients: fructose, citric acid, natural flavors, tapicopa maltodextrin, malic acid, silica, gylcine, aspartic acid, tartaric acid, cysteine hydrochloride. I can't believe that ingredients would be different depending upon where purchased.

Hi, I got my EmergenC at Whole Foods in Vancouver (925 Main St location). Packaging says the C is from aspartic acid, not asorbic acid.

i have a question about vitamin and mineral supplements. for several years i took emergen-C daily. however recently after reading about it containing excito toxins and checking the label and seeing that and perhaps MSG - i stopped. now i am only taking a multi vitamin and some triphala powder (very high in vit. c) and also some ACV each day. my question is: does anyone know a good replacement for emergen-C? i don't want to take a bunch of pills, would prefer a powder i can mix in water or juice. i am just worried that now i am not getting enough minerals!

OR SHOULD I JUST START TAKING THE EMERGEN-C AGAIN??? help!
i never really had any side effects that i could tell from it.

Can vitamin c cause urinary tract burning sensation and hair lose? I take 1000 mg daily for one year. is it overdose? Im 45 yrs old.

I found that 3% H202 helped me with my pneumonia and airway track infections which I have had twice this year: My breathing is so much better. Also found it to move on sore throats and blocked noses from flu..gone instantly: I use it daily as spray inhaler: And I will find it does so much more:

Change:
Vitamin C Powder: IT WORKS and simple

It worked for me: Skin cancers gone
Now another that is wonderful is Vitamin C powder....great to move on skin cancers, boils, warts and many many other things....Method to use the powder is to wet infection by either sorbaline or olive oil....then taken a large pinch of Vit C dust and rub into the infected area keep rubbing until it turns into paste then keep rubbing until it disapates......do each day until skin cancer moves away: It worked for me: Skin cancer is just a virus...I also have heard that it also helps with cancers within...

NOTE: Now it must not be used on Kemo people to use it.....as it will not work..it will crystalize inside ones body: The powder can be taken orally with water or juice it can be purchased from either a chemist or health food stores for around $10 Aus

And it does much more: Injections of high dosage Vit C into infected area's also helps for ones who R ill...I also wonder about aids plus other viruses and infections? Much more

Ken

Vitamin C is truly a medicine to take everywhere you go. I've used it for a spider bite I got while canoeing down a creek. My arm swelled and hurt and I didn't realize why at first. It finally dawned on me that I had brushed a limb at the start of the trip and spiders galore fell in the boat with me. Evidently one bit me!

I took 3-4G every 1.5 hours or so after getting home and continued the next day. Never got any signs of overdosing ie gas or diarrhea. I estimate I took 40G over 24 hours! It killed most of the swelling by nightfall the day of the trip!

Also had an employee get stung by a wasp. He told me the last time he got bit he had to go to the hospital. I gave him 5G and sent let him leave. He told me in an hour or so the pain and swelling had diminished greatly. He didn't have anymore vitamin C but he didn't need to visit the hospital!

Oral vitamin C therapy as recommended by Dr. Robert Cathcart was employed to resolve within 14 days a case of mononucleosis contracted by my 17-year-old grand-daughter.

Procedure:
1st 24 hours, 7000mg ascorbic acid powder in orange juice every hour.
Subsequent days: 1000mg every hour until bowel tolerance syndrom; thereafter, an amount of the vitamin every three hours just short of bowel tolerance syndrome.

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.

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.

First off 2000 mg of vitamin C is too much, for an oil soluble Ester C. Most remedies I used revolves around the use of a much safer water soluble sodium ascorbate. To reduce the problem of ester C is to remove them. Since ester C is oil soluble, one tablespoon of granulated lecithin is preferably three or four times a day to displace it, and drink plenty of water. The other thing that may reduce rage effects is taking plenty of amino acid supplements plus some added tryptophan amino acid. A 1/2 teaspoon baking soda in 1/2 glass of water taken at least twice a day may also further reduce the problem. A neutral pH ester C is really acid for the body as the body is generally more alkaline than the ester C, and hence the baking soda remedy is used.

Another that might be useful in brain biochemistry, to reduce this problem is the flaxseed oil and fish oil, to protect normal brain function, besides the other remedies already considered.

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.

Hope that helps,
Christine

"Aspartic acid is an amino acid. Well, amino acids are good for us, right? Don't they keep us healthy ? The answer is yes, amino acids are necessary for good health, EXCEPT when you separate the individual amino acid from its protein chain, and use it as an "isolate" or by itself. (S.Sawada, et al '98)

In aspartame, these become synergistic toxins; one component playing off the other in a dangerous, systemic downward spiral. This eventually gives way to clinical manifestations; "hard-to-diagnose" health complications, and a myriad of medical symptoms and illnesses, which can eventually cause irreversible medical complications and death.

Aspartic acid, in aspartame, is an excitotoxin. An excitotoxin, is a deleterious substance that excites or over stimulates nerve cells. This occurs in the brain, as well as the peripheral nerves, because aspartic acid, in free form, easily crosses the blood-brain barrier. This pathological excitation of nerve cells creates a breakdown of nerve function, as we will see. (L.E.Rosenberg, McGraw-Hill 1991)

I found the information about aspartame in Ester C product interesting. I've had two spinal fusion and my Doctor wants me to take vitiman C for healthy cell growth etc. I could not take regular vitamin C after awhile needing nexium for months. I switched to Ester C. 6 months ago taking 500-1000mgs. a day. I had have a burning, tingling and pain in legs for months only getting extremely worse over the past 2 months. Now I am taking Neurontin 300mg;bid. My neurosurgeon wants me to go through an EMG again. I've been throught every MRI/scan to rule out my fusions/nerves at spine. After reading this and how aspartame can effect peripheral nerves it makes sense. It must be the Ester C? Thanks again for the insight.

I just wanted to comment on a reply were you stated that vitamin c can help prevent miscarriage. ascorbic acid (synthetic vit c i believe) is actually and abortificient in early term pregnancy, so you should be sure to note that unless a woman is trying to terminate a pregnancy, she should never take ascorbic acid while pregnant (ascorbic acid is the main ingredient in most off brand and lower priced vit c supplements.)

Kat,

Ascorbic acid IS Vitamin C. Just the scientific name. It by no means refers to the ingredient in "off brand" and "lower priced" vitamin C supplements. Other ways you may see it on the back of bottles and such is "sodium ascorbate" or "calcium ascorbate" which is actually mineral vitamin C and can help people who suffer any heatburn problems from taking to much ascorbic acid. The sodium, and calcium ascorbates are cut as to not be so acidic. The downside is that you need to watch your intake as i think calcium is NOT water soluable. As far as it being used for miscarriages, I doubt it. You'd have to take quite a bit.

I remember that my brother used to get nose bleeds when he took too much vitamin c when he was sick during college years. I can take up to 3,000 milligrams of Ester C for about 3 days before I get diarrhea. I know at that point to stop because my system can't take it anymore. Interestingly, the sicker I am, the more C I can take without the diarrhea.

Your body uses the C to heal your sickness. Less sick, less C needed so you throw out wha'ts left. Use Organic Sulphur with the C, amazing results.

I got a facial for the first time in my life four days ago and the vitamin C products the aesthetician used seems to have caused a reaction on my skin. I have a rash all over my forehead, although it is not red. It's more like a breakout, except when I scratch it, it is itchy--unlike acne. This seems to be a mild allergic reaction to vitamin C. I am worried because my wedding is this weekend! Has anyone had a similar experience and can I expect it to go away in a couple days?

RE: VITAMIN C PRODUCTS CAUSED FACIAL RASH 10/10/2007: Annie I have the same problem, athough I myself am an esthetician. I cannot use C or A on my face without a similar reaction. Ironically, the C products are prescribed for sensiteive skin!

While I believe in alkalizing the body, stomach acid should not be alkalized unless one is producing too much acid. I suffered from indigestion and hours after I have eaten my food would not be digested. My allergist diagnosed me as having acid reflux which was causing asthma like symptoms. I was taking Nexium which did not help much. I took ACV which helped but after starting the green smoothie I had no more problems with indigestion or acid reflux. I still take ACV ocassionally and probiotics. I love Earth Clinic and believe this site is helping a lot of people and if alkalizing helps, let it be.

I've had an allergy to vitamin c since birth. As a child, my parents observed rashes on my face and body when I consumed too much vitamin c. Now, as an adult, I have acne breakouts when I eat oranges, or drink juices or take supplements with higher than 100% of the daily value of vitamin c. I'm assuming my body is highly acidic. My dad tells me to try taking vitamin c in liquid form. Is it possible that this would prevent the breakouts?

Response to Eve-Marlboro, MD -- I also had a reaction to vitamin c all my life. I was so sensitive I would eat an orange and breakout with rash in the back of my knees. I noticed you said your Dad was recommending a liquid supplement. I am taking a liquid all natural supplement. Have had no reactions at all. You are welcome to contact me.

Lipitor Muscle pain: I notice one person commented about taking Vit C in large doses to help controlling cholesterol. I have read a lot of similar articles as I have the same muscle pain that all the articles talk about in taking Statin drugs. My question is: If I stop taking statin drugs and use Vit C do the muscles rebuild - less the pain and how long does it take. I have been taking Lipitor and swithched to Sinvastain a year ago and have now developed severe muscle pain in legs. Will my blood test indicate a real cholesterol number or will the Vit C distort the cholesterol reading. I get my blood tested every 6 months.
Thanks
Ed

vit c side effect: I had been consuming blended tomato, carrot and apple every morning (before breakfirst) since 2005 till last month. Lately I feel tight or cramp inside my neck. When I stopped those blended fruits, my throat/neck is OK.

Keep in mind tomatoes are part of the nightshade plant family and are actually TOXIC to humans. You woud have to eat a large amount to experience dramatic effects but it is shown to cause inflammation in the body in small doses... Generally you want to avoid tomatoes and other nightshade plants (eggplant, potatoes, etc)

I just happened to research this a little yesterday as I had a large portion of unpeeled potatoes night fore last and became major drowsy, totally lost libido, and slept way ahead of my usual bed-time. The cumulative affect of regular consumption of the nightshades causes calcium to become gated from normal ionic cell membrane channels causing weak bones, arthritis, etc. As for acute toxicity from the nightshade's Solanine, it looks like I did exactly what was necessary for poisoning. The skin of the potato, when exposed to light and warm temps, causes a rapid increase in Solanine content as a natural protector. This is noticed in the "greening" of the skin. The sprouts are also toxic. It is recommended to peel these "greened" potatoes and cook in veg oil NOT water (not sure about baking).