VITAMIN C

INFORMATION ON WHAT, WHEN AND HOW

 
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Vitamin C supports nearly every system in our body's including the adrenals, cardiovascular and immune systems. As we do not produce vitamin C as most other animals do, we need to ingest it from the food we eat.

Fresh foods such as kiwis, red peppers, papayas, strawberries, sprouts, brussel sprouts, cauliflowers, broccoli and cabbages are fantastic sources of vitamin C with superfoods Camu Camu Fruit, Amla (Indian Gooseberry) and Acerola Cherries, rosehips containing the highest amounts.

Food is always fundamental for your good health however it is incredibly difficult to consume the levels you need if you become ill. In these situations orthomolecular supplemenTation of synthetic oral vitamin C is highly recommended.

SUPPLEMENTATION

Our body's keep a small reserve of vitamin C to use when the demand arises however these reserves become easily depleted when we undergo stress, bearing in mind that stress whether from physical exertion, mental or emotional upset or illness all create the exact same phenomena in the body. Ultimately the more ill and toxic you are, the more vitamin C your body absorbs and uses, for example in health a person may reach a tolerance level at 4 grams while a person who is ill can take over 30 grams orally before reaching the correct dose.

 
 
 
 

Vitamin C is known through research to:

1. Stimulate production of white blood cells such as neutrophils, lymphocytes and phagocytes

2. Enhance function of ALL your white blood cells, which go after the bad stuff

3. Speeds up chemotaxis, which means your immune cells can get to the foreign invader faster

4. Protect neutrophils and phagocytes because vitamin C accumulates in them and it offsets oxidation.

5. Stimulates production of collagen, an important protein in your skin that declines as you age.

6. Stimulates your natural killer (NK) cells to get off their butt and go find invaders.

 
 
 

DETERMINING YOUR DOSE

Everyone is unique with different diets, health histories, constitutional pictures and the health you are currently in. Determining your dose is an individualised process that differs from person-to-person. The half-life of vitamin C in the body is about 30 minutes which means that an hour after you have taken it, your body is likely to have used the majority of it. An important key to this process is to keep your body saturated with vitamin C all day. Frequent repetition is needed particularly when determining your dose.

Before taking any vitamin C ensure that you are well hydrated, drinking at least 2 glasses of water prior to your first dose.

To determine your dose:

  1. Take 1-2 grams (¼ – ½ tsp) in water every 1-2 hours.

  2. Make a note of how many grams/teaspoons you are taking throughout the day.

  3. Once you experience a slight rumbling in your stomach or a loose bowel movement then stop. This is an indication that you have reached a saturation level.

  4. Add up the total vitamin C you have taken up until this point.
    This indicates your bowel tolerance marker.

  5. Your dose will be 80-90% of this total. The amount will vary depending on your sensitivity to the vitamin C.
    For example if you reach your bowel tolerance at 10 grams then 90% of this would be 9 grams, meaning that you will take 9 grams daily. Likewise 80% of this total would be 8 grams, meaning 8 grams daily. If you feel that you are sensitive to this amount then you can reduce your daily dose further, up to 50% of the bowel tolerance level. For instance a total 10 grams would mean that you could reduce your daily dose to 5 grams daily.

  6. If you are seriously ill then it may be necessary to take a dose every 30 minutes. Please see below under “FURTHER DETAILS ON REACHING BOWEL TOLERANCE”

 
 

WHAT VITAMIN C TO USE

There are many forms that vitamin C can be taken as however please always opt for pure powdered vitamin C or liquid and not capsules or pills. Some recommended brands and forms are as follows (including those recommended by Nephrologist Dr Suzanne Humphries):

VITAMIN C SODIUM ASCORBATE

  • NUTRIBIOTIC Brand is recommended

  • This is a cost effective option for high dosing

  • The amounts of sodium will not make you toxic in sodium with the doses recommended.

  • Sodium ascorbate is likely to cause loose bowels however this is not necessarily a negative things, a bowel movement is a good way for the body to discard toxins. Two bowel movements a day when ill is a good sign.

LIPOSOMAL VITAMIN C

  • LIVON ALTRIENT (comes in sachets) / LIPOLIFE (liquid form)

  • gets absorbed very rapidly due to its fatty acid component on outside without requiring transporter to bring it in.

  • It may not necessarily make it in to the colon where it needed however Useful babies, wiping small amounts into cheek at a time.

  • Take a pack after teeth cleaning.

  • this can be applied directly onto mouth wounds and directly on to scabs as it gets absorbed through skin.

  • Contains soy incase of allergy however there is a version using sunflower lecithin.

POLY ASCORBATE VITAMIN C

  • BONUSAN Brand

  • a pricier option but pleasant flavour.

MORE ON BOWEL TOLERANCE

If you reach bowel tolerance at 10-15 grams or less per day that is a great indicator healthwise however please note that if you are under chronic stress, a smoker, engage in sports and activities like running, weight training and so on, you are likely to have an increased need for vitamin C and your tolerance will be higher – even if you are healthy.

If you do not reach bowel tolerance in the first 24 hours continue to up the dose each day until you get there. If you are seriously sick you may need to dose every 30 minutes as indicated in Dr. Robert Cathcart MD's chart.