Vitamin c - good or bad

Google vitamin c foods. Some are no good for T2 but others you should eating already.

CORONAVIRUS [COVID-19]
by Dr. Malcolm Kendrick
18th March 2020



2: Vitamin C

Vitamins always cause massive controversy, and the mainstream medical community tends to be highly critical of the use of vitamins. However, vitamin C has been found to have many, many, positive impacts on the immune system. It also protects the endothelium lining blood vessels – thus preventing/delaying passage of pathogens from the bloodstream.

I include the full abstract from the 2017 paper ‘Vitamin C and Immune Function.’ It contains a great deal of medical jargon, but I have highlighted the most important parts.

‘Vitamin C contributes to immune defense by supporting various cellular functions of both the innate and adaptive immune system. Vitamin C supports epithelial barrier function against pathogens and promotes the oxidant scavenging activity of the skin, thereby potentially protecting against environmental oxidative stress.

Vitamin C accumulates in phagocytic cells, such as neutrophils, and can enhance chemotaxis, phagocytosis, generation of reactive oxygen species, and ultimately microbial killing. It is also needed for apoptosis and clearance of the spent neutrophils from sites of infection by macrophages, thereby decreasing necrosis/NETosis and potential tissue damage.

The role of vitamin C in lymphocytes is less clear, but it has been shown to enhance differentiation and proliferation of B- and T-cells, likely due to its gene regulating effects. Vitamin C deficiency results in impaired immunity and higher susceptibility to infections. In turn, infections significantly impact on vitamin C levels due to enhanced inflammation and metabolic requirements.

Furthermore, supplementation with vitamin C appears to be able to both prevent and treat respiratory and systemic infections. Prophylactic prevention of infection requires dietary vitamin C intakes that provide at least adequate, if not saturating plasma levels (i.e., 100–200 mg/day), which optimize cell and tissue levels. In contrast, treatment of established infections requires significantly higher (gram) doses of the vitamin to compensate for the increased inflammatory response and metabolic demand.’ 2

In short, Vitamin C can help prevent respiratory infections. It can also help to treat established infections, although much higher doses are required. This seems to fit with emerging Chinese data which appears to be showing considerable success with high dose intravenous Vitamin C in treating coronavirus.

It is unlikely that anyone working in the medical system in the West will agree to using high dose Vitamin C as part of any management plan. However, if your loved one is extremely ill in hospital I would recommend speaking to the doctors and asking if this can be added.

Whilst it is possible that vitamin C may prove ineffective, it also does no harm. Those who are currently attacking the use of Vitamin C and attacking those who believe vitamin C may be beneficial are, I believe, mainly concerned with their personal reputations.

ADVICE: Take at least 2g of Vitamin daily C to ‘prevent’ infection, probably more like 5g. Increase the dose to at least 10g if you are suffering symptoms.

Allan59 said:

This has maybe been posted before - but I was wondering if taking vitamin c was good or bad for me.
I am diabetes 2

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From what I have gathered from long hours or googling, I guess there is nothing to worry about Vit C, as long as it is naturally occurring in your diet. Vit C is involved in numerous metabolic processes, hence it's importance. Yet, the man-made substance is another story. Naturally occurring Vit C doesn't come alone but packed along with other micro-nutrients. I am not so sure about Vit C toxicity.

I did a thread recently about vitamins. Try a search as there were lots of links to evidence in it

Generally the answer is good but caution if you are prone to kidney stones. And too much can result in bowel intolerance ie diarrhoea. Check they aren’t combined with sugary/glucose fillers.

Type 2 are often low in vitamin c, some studies show supplements helps glucose levels. Then there’s the support for the immune system and demand for vitamin c is increased in viral situations according to studies. Lots of research out there.


Anecdotally I started taking vit c powered in water at the start of this virus thing. When I was unwell with chest tightness (who knows if it was CV or not) I was able to take noticeably more without side effects and felt worse illness wise when I didn’t take large amounts. As I have returned to health I have needed to reduce the amount I take.

T

Allan59 said:

This has maybe been posted before - but I was wondering if taking vitamin c was good or bad for me.
I am diabetes 2

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This presentation by Dr Eric Berg make shed more light on nutrient toxicity:

As a type two my diet is full of fresh veges and fruits ( botanically tomatoes cucumbers courgette, capsicum peppers are all fruits as well as the berries ) so I doubt I am short of vitamins.

I supplement with 1000 mg a day. So I would say good but that's just my opinion.

Resurgam said:

As a type two my diet is full of fresh veges and fruits ( botanically tomatoes cucumbers courgette, capsicum peppers are all fruits as well as the berries ) so I doubt I am short of vitamins.

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I eat a good diet but still lack some things despite eating plenty of the required items. We don’t all absorb them as well as we might for a variety of reasons and sometimes other processes (eg diabetes) can cause deficiencies or higher requirements.

Couple of interesting links

https://www.diabetes.co.uk/news/201...ucose-levels-in-type-2-diabetes-95348957.html

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18160753

https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/vitamins-and-diabetes.173214/

The thread I started a week or two ago with more links

JohnEGreen said:

Couple of interesting links

https://www.diabetes.co.uk/news/201...ucose-levels-in-type-2-diabetes-95348957.html

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18160753

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The study report may be misleading. Vitamin c tablets often use magnesium compound as the bulking
!.!agent. anf this may be why the sugar levels dropped.

from a typical supplier
INGREDIENTS: Vitamin C (ascorbic acid, sodium ascorbate), Sweetener (dextrose, sorbitol, sodium saccharin), Rosehip Powder, Acerola Powder, Flavour Enhancer (orange neorome), Anti-caking Agent (magnesium stearate, stearic acid), Sipernat®
where Sipernat is a coating agent to make the pill smooth.

Have been taking 1000mg of Vit C for years both before and after T2 diagnosis and had no problems associated with it at all.

I am talking Iron it’s recommended to take it with Vitamin C

Pura Vida said:

I am talking Iron it’s recommended to take it with Vitamin C

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It is also recommended if supplementing vitmin D3. It is also a cure against scurvy. So it must be beneficial, eh? It is relatively safe since we wee any excess, so buying humungous dose tabs is literally money down the drain for most of us.

Note: Eating fresh veg is better source than eating fruit since large intake of fructose can be a problem for T2D. Frozen veg preserve vitamins better than the fresh supermarket veg, but backdoor veg garden sourced are the best provided they are not left lying around for too long, or cooked. Steaming is better than boiling.

Oldvatr said:

The study report may be misleading. Vitamin c tablets often use magnesium compound as the bulking
!.!agent. anf this may be why the sugar levels dropped.

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This is why I no longer take them magnesium not good for me.