DIR Return Create A Forum - Home
---------------------------------------------------------
FUNDAY
HTML https://funday.createaforum.com
---------------------------------------------------------
*****************************************************
DIR Return to: Off Topic
*****************************************************
#Post#: 592--------------------------------------------------
VITAMIN C MEGADOSING
By: Admin Date: May 5, 2023, 9:58 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
Safety of Megadosing Vitamin C
It is the common belief that if a little is good, then more must
be better. Although, many substances that provide beneficial
effects to the body can be harmful, or even deadly, in large
amounts. Even water or oxygen can be harmful or deadly in high
amounts, or in the right circumstances.
Megadosing of vitamin C was made famous by the Linus Pauling
Institute, especially among cancer patients. The belief is that
large amounts of vitamin C can boost the immune system, destroy
pathogens, and protect the body from free radical damage safely
because the excess vitamin C will be eliminated from the body.
Although, the use of massive doses of vitamin C for therapy by
the Linus Pauling Institute is done for very short periods of
time, up to a week. Even though short term megadosing of vitamin
C may cause problems in some people, the risk of adverse effects
greatly increases with long term use of excessive amounts of the
vitamin.
Vitamin C does boost the immune system, and in does protect the
body from some free radical damage. And it is true that excess
vitamin C can be eliminated from the body. The practice of
vitamin C megadosing does present some safety issues.
A severe deficiency of vitamin C can lead to a disease known as
scurvy. Symptoms of scurvy include connective tissue breakdown,
causing bleeding, muscle weakness, impaired wound healing, and
nervous system disorders. It is believed that megadosing of
vitamin C for extended periods of time, then drastically
reducing the dose or going off cold turkey may lead to a
condition known as rebound scurvy. Rebound scurvy is believed to
occur when the body continues to excrete large amounts of
vitamin C when megadoses are no longer being supplemented.
Although, very few cases of rebound scurvy have been reported,
and information about the cases have not been well-documented.
Excessive vitamin C intake is also known to displace vitamin B12
from the body. Vitamin B12 is essential for the maturation of
blood cells. Deficiencies of B12 lead to a problem known as
macrocytic anemia. This condition leads to the formation of
abnormally large red blood cells, with impaired ability to carry
oxygen. Decreased oxygen levels may cause fatigue, muscle
weakness, shortness of breath, and possibly heart arrhythmias.
Macrocytic anemia also leads to the formation of abnormally
large white blood cells with altered nuclei. White blood cells
are an important component of the immune system. Therefore,
macrocytic anemia from B12 deficiency may impair immune
function.
B12 deficiencies may cause nerve damage leading to nerve pain
and numbness, or loss of some senses. Mental disturbances may
also develop including depression, dementia, paranoia,
irritability, and delirium.
Vitamin C is a water soluble compound, which can be easily
flushed from the body. Although, vitamin C is a relatively
unstable compound, and a portion of excess ingested vitamin C
breaks down into oxalic acid in the body.
Oxalic acid is beneficial to the body as well as detrimental. As
vitamin C breaks down in to oxalic acid, the oxalic acid
actually serves as an antioxidant to the vitamin C helping to
prevent oxidative destruction of the vitamin C. On the other
hand, oxalic acid can bind with minerals forming insoluble
oxalates. Of particular importance is calcium oxalate, which can
form kidney stones. Studies have shown that oxalic stones, which
make up 80% of kidney stones, only formed in people with kidney
diseases, but not in healthy individuals at doses of 200mg
daily. At 1,500mg daily intake there was only a tiny rise in the
incidence of oxalic stone formation. It is believed that the
insignificant rise is due to the fact that vitamin C is poorly
absorbed by the body. Therefore, the higher levels of vitamin C
are not being absorbed, and therefore are not converted in to
oxalic acid.
Oxalic acid also binds with the electrolytes sodium and
potassium, and the mineral magnesium. Among other functions of
sodium and potassium is the regulation of heart rate. Magnesium
serves a multitude of important functions including maintaining
normal blood pressure, proper muscle function; including the
heart, preventing muscle cramping, and insulin production.
Oxalic acid is an irritant to the urinary tract. Irritation of
the urinary tract from oxalic acid can lead to urinary tract
infections in sensitive individuals.
There is also concern that vitamin C may cause uric acid stones
to form from excess excretion of uric acid. Acidification of the
urine with vitamin C increases the ratio of uric acid to the
more soluble sodium urate. For this reason, treatment of uric
acid stones includes alkalinizing the urine with sodium
bicarbonate (baking soda) or calcium citrate to increase sodium
urate formation.
Excessive levels of vitamin C are contradicted in people
suffering from kidney stones, gout, cirrhosis, kidney diseases,
and certain other disorders.
Safety studies at doses of 200 to 1,500mg daily are conflicting.
Safety studies of extremely high doses, up to 20,000 have not
been done. Therefore I recommend not exceeding 2,000mg daily for
healthy individuals. Normally, I recommend 500mg 3 times daily
for most individuals. Slightly higher levels are recommended for
smokers, individuals under a lot of stress, stimulant users;
including caffeine (coffee, tea, guarana, kola nut, etc.), and
those taking medications known to deplete vitamin C, such as
Prednisone.
A major concern of taking excessive doses of vitamin C is the
fact that large amounts of vitamin C can block copper
absorption. Copper serves various functions in the body
including production of the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and
immune stimulating enzyme copper superoxide dismutase. Copper is
essential for the formation of collagen and elastin, which give
strength and elasticity to the tissues. Copper also plays a role
in the formation of neurotransmitters for proper nerve function.
As a factor in the production of melanin, copper helps to
prevent graying of the hair. In addition, copper helps to
maintain proper levels of blood lipids (fats), including
cholesterol.
Decreased copper levels can lead to decreased collagen and
elastin synthesis. This in turn leads to bone loss, blood vessel
weakness, poor wound healing, gum disorders, tendon and ligament
weakness, cartilage disorders, bruising, and wrinkles. Disorders
such as emphysema and diverticulitis also involve loss of
elastin in tissues.
The risk of heart disease increases with copper deficiencies.
This is most likely due to weaker arterial walls, combined with
increased inflammation, increased oxidative damage, and elevated
cholesterol levels.
Vitamin C is often touted as an immune stimulant, although
excessive levels may have the opposite effect. The enzyme copper
superoxide dismutase (cu-SOD) produces hydrogen peroxide in
response to infections. Hydrogen peroxide serves various
functions, including activation of the immune system's white
blood cells. White blood cells fight infections, and cancer
cells within the body. Therefore, declining levels of cu-SOD can
have an adverse effect on the immune system.
Inflammation has been shown to be a major contributor to the
formation of cancers. Another primary function of cu-SOD is to
reduce inflammation. Copper therefore may play a crucial role in
other inflammatory diseases as well, such as colitis, and
arthritis.
As an antioxidant, cu-SOD helps protect cells from free radical
damage. The body requires free radicals, such as hydrogen
peroxide. Excessive levels of free radicals have been implicated
in various diseases though, including cancer.
Hemoglobin requires copper for its production. Therefore, copper
deficiencies can lead to anemia.
Copper is essential for the formation of thyroid hormones.
Copper deficiencies lead to hypothyroidism, although excessive
levels suppress thyroid function. This is especially true if
zinc deficiencies are present since zinc promotes thyroid
function. Note that excessive levels of zinc can over stimulate
the thyroid.
As a cofactor in neurotransmitter production, copper
deficiencies can lead to depression. High copper levels though
have also been linked to depression, as well as schizophrenia,
ADHD symptoms, and other neurological disorders.
The brain and spinal cord contain some of the highest levels of
copper in the body. Copper is not only essential for the
formation of neurotransmitters, but also for myelin, which
insulates nerves so they do not "short circuit".
Interestingly, the brain contains about 10 times the level of
vitamin C as found in the blood. Vitamin C actually has to be
oxidized to cross the blood-brain barrier. Oxidation converts
the vitamin C in to dehydroascorbic acid, which allows it to be
transported in to the brain through sugar receptors. There the
dehydroascorbic acid is converted back in to ascorbic acid,
commonly known as vitamin C. Here the vitamin C helps prevent
damage to the myelin from free radicals, and aids in the
conversion of dopamine to norepinephrine.
Copper is essential for the proper regulation of histamine
throughout the body. High levels of histamine can lead to
allergic responses, including asthma. In the brain, histamine
plays roles in mood, behavior, libido, addictions, and sleep and
wake cycles.
Despite all the benefits of copper, excess levels of copper can
be dangerous. Copper supplementation is not recommended in most
cases, although it should be combined with zinc if supplementing
zinc. The common ratio of zinc to copper in supplements is 50mg
zinc to 2mg copper. Women with excessive levels of estrogen
would probably benefit more by taking zinc, but not copper.
Estrogen increases copper levels, and zinc antagonizes copper
helping to reduce the risk of copper toxicity.
Copper, which is displaced by excess vitamin C, is essential for
the formation of hemoglobin, which carries oxygen to the
tissues, and removes carbon dioxide. Iron is also essential for
the formation of hemoglobin, and iron absorption is increased by
vitamin C. This all brings up an interesting problem. If iron
levels are increased by improved absorption from vitamin C, but
hemoglobin cannot be formed due to lack of copper, what happens
to all the iron being absorbed?
As with copper, and vitamin C, iron is essential for the body
and serves various purposes. Although, as with copper and
vitamin C, excess levels of iron can be dangerous. And since the
body has no efficient way of ridding itself of excess iron, iron
levels may easily build up to toxic levels.
As iron accumulates in the body it is primarily stored in organs
and glands, where it can lead to organ failure and glandular
damage. The heart, liver, and pancreas are at the greatest risk
of damage and failure from iron overload.
Side effects of iron overload include heart disorders, diabetes,
cirrhosis of the liver, adrenal insufficiency, hypothyroidism,
parathyroid damage resulting in low blood calcium, pituitary
gland dysfunction, atrophy of the testes and ovaries, nervous
system damage and disorders, arthritic disorders, graying or
bronzing of the skin, and decreased energy levels. Numerous
microbes, and protozoa, thrive with high iron levels. These
include Candida, Listeria, Chlamydia, Salmonella, Plasmodium,
Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, Cryptococcus, Campylobacter,
Pseudomonas, Helicobacter pylori Escherichia coli, and numerous
others.
Iron overload is also known to increase the risk of various
cancers including liver cancer, Kaposi's sarcoma, breast cancer,
melanoma, and colon cancer. The increased risk of cancer is
probably due to the increased activity of cancer pathogens. For
example, human papilloma virus has been linked to several
cancers including breast cancer. Human herpes virus type 8 has
been linked to the viral form of Kaposi's sarcoma. Liver cancer
has been linked to hepatitis viruses, and aflatoxins from the
fungus Aspergillus niger.
Arthritis may occur from iron overload due to two factors.
Oxidative destruction can lead to join damage. In addition,
certain forms of arthritis are triggered from pathogens. For
example, rheumatoid arthritis has been linked to an infection
with a form of Chlamydia bacteria.
Heart disease, due to iron overload, is generally believed to
result from oxidative damage to the arterial lining, and to the
heart muscle itself. There may be a secondary factor though.
Scientists have found a link between Chlamydia bacteria and
arterial sclerosis, which may lead to arrhythmias, angina, and
heart attack.
Excess of levels of iron have also been found in the brains of
Alzheimer's patients. As with the excessive aluminum levels
found in the brains of Alzheimer's patients, that excessive iron
levels have not been proven to be a cause of Alzheimer's.
Although, it is hypothesized that the excessive level of iron
may be causing oxidative damage to the brain, leading to
Alzheimer's disease.
#Post#: 593--------------------------------------------------
VITAMIN C SYNTHETIC
By: Admin Date: May 5, 2023, 9:59 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
Synthetic Vitamin C
Many people assume that any product sold in a health food store
is natural. Actually, most of the vitamins and minerals, as well
as hormone products, and other items are synthesized in a lab.
This includes the majority of vitamin C products sold in health
food stores.
Natural vitamin C is too costly to extract, therefore the
majority of vitamin C is synthesized from sugars, most often
from corn. This includes products, such as palm C, which sounds
natural. Palm C is synthesized from palm sugar though.
Synthetic vitamin C’s will be listed on the bottle as ascorbic
acid. Natural bioflavonoids are frequently added because they
aid in the function of vitamin C. Bioflavonoids occur naturally
in natural sources of vitamin C, such as berries.
Some companies buffer the acidity of the ascorbic acid with
minerals. Examples are calcium, sodium, and magnesium
ascorbates. These are beneficial for people who cannot tolerate
the acidity of the ascorbic acid. Although, I generally prefer
non buffered forms of vitamin C. The majority of people have
insufficient levels of stomach acid to digest and absorb
nutrients. Non buffered vitamin C increases stomach acidity,
aiding in digestion and absorption, when taken with meals.
Synthetic vitamin C is extremely unstable, and quickly
decomposes when exposed to light, heat, or moisture. Therefore,
synthetic vitamin C should be kept in a cool, dry, dark place. I
do not recommend storing bottles of vitamin C in a refrigerator
though. Doing so can cause moist air to condense inside the
bottle, making a wet mess, and destroying the vitamin C. Storing
the vitamin C in a pantry would be a better choice
*****************************************************
DIR Previous Page
DIR Next Page