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Kay · 12-06-2005, 11:48 AM

Vitamin C

When shopping for vitamin C, don't waste money on specialized products—esterified C, time-released C, vitamin C with rose hips. There's no evidence that these are more efficiently absorbed than simple ascorbic acid. However Bioflavonoids have shown to work synergistically with vitamin C (Bioflavonoids are compounds which accompany vitamin C in foods)

In general, regular vitamin C supplementation at levels at or slightly above 1000 mg/day has reduced the incidence and duration of colds (although the degree of benefit has varied significantly). For example, in some of the larger studies, duration of infection was reduced only by about 5%, but smaller reports were reduced by nearly 20%. At least 3 controlled studies have shown an 80% reduction in the incidence of pneumonia among vitamin C users. In one large study (over 700 students), vitamin C (1000 mg per hour for the first 6 hours followed by 3000 mg per day), reduced cold and flu symptoms by 85%.

In most cases, it appears that while the most important and dramatic precautionary effects of vitamin C supplementation will be experienced by individuals with low vitamin C intakes, those with average daily consumption from foods may also benefit from supplemental levels. In support of an elevated vitamin C intake, a team of experts recommended increasing the current RDA for vitamin C from 60mg to at least 100-200mg per day. The same team also cautioned that taking more than 1000mg of vitamin C daily could have adverse effects. The report of this expert team was published in the April 21 (1999) issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

As a dietary supplement, vitamin C is the most popular single nutrient supplement. It is typically included in all multivitamin blends, but at widely varying levels from less than 30mg to over 1000mg – so check your labels. As a single nutrient supplement, typical doses range from 100-500mg per tablet. The body, however, can only absorb and retain about 200mg of vitamin C at one time – the rest is simply washed out in the urine. This means that the most effective approach to supplementing with vitamin C is to take it in divided doses throughout the day

Vitamin C is one of the least expensive dietary supplements available – so don’t worry about paying more than a few dollars for a one-month supply. Also, beware of expensive forms such as rose hips or acerola of ascorbic acid, as there is no reliable evidence to show that these forms are any better absorbed or utilized by the body compared to synthetic vitamin C (but this is not the case with vitamin E, where the natural form is clearly superior to the synthetic form).

A word of Caution:

Large doses of vitamin C may cause a false positive result for glucose in the urine.

If you have hemochromatosis, (a genetic tendency to store excess iron) vitamin C enhances iron absorption, don't take more than 500 mg of vitamin C a day.

Vitamin C can distort the accuracy of medical tests for colon cancer and hemoglobin levels. Let your doctor know if you're taking vitamin C supplements.

12-06-2005, 11:48 AM	#6 (permalink)
Kay I love Derf!! Join Date: Jul 16 2004 Location: NH Posts: 870 Rep Power: 5	Re: cold & flu season Vitamin C When shopping for vitamin C, don't waste money on specialized products—esterified C, time-released C, vitamin C with rose hips. There's no evidence that these are more efficiently absorbed than simple ascorbic acid. However Bioflavonoids have shown to work synergistically with vitamin C (Bioflavonoids are compounds which accompany vitamin C in foods) In general, regular vitamin C supplementation at levels at or slightly above 1000 mg/day has reduced the incidence and duration of colds (although the degree of benefit has varied significantly). For example, in some of the larger studies, duration of infection was reduced only by about 5%, but smaller reports were reduced by nearly 20%. At least 3 controlled studies have shown an 80% reduction in the incidence of pneumonia among vitamin C users. In one large study (over 700 students), vitamin C (1000 mg per hour for the first 6 hours followed by 3000 mg per day), reduced cold and flu symptoms by 85%. In most cases, it appears that while the most important and dramatic precautionary effects of vitamin C supplementation will be experienced by individuals with low vitamin C intakes, those with average daily consumption from foods may also benefit from supplemental levels. In support of an elevated vitamin C intake, a team of experts recommended increasing the current RDA for vitamin C from 60mg to at least 100-200mg per day. The same team also cautioned that taking more than 1000mg of vitamin C daily could have adverse effects. The report of this expert team was published in the April 21 (1999) issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). As a dietary supplement, vitamin C is the most popular single nutrient supplement. It is typically included in all multivitamin blends, but at widely varying levels from less than 30mg to over 1000mg – so check your labels. As a single nutrient supplement, typical doses range from 100-500mg per tablet. The body, however, can only absorb and retain about 200mg of vitamin C at one time – the rest is simply washed out in the urine. This means that the most effective approach to supplementing with vitamin C is to take it in divided doses throughout the day Vitamin C is one of the least expensive dietary supplements available – so don’t worry about paying more than a few dollars for a one-month supply. Also, beware of expensive forms such as rose hips or acerola of ascorbic acid, as there is no reliable evidence to show that these forms are any better absorbed or utilized by the body compared to synthetic vitamin C (but this is not the case with vitamin E, where the natural form is clearly superior to the synthetic form). A word of Caution: Large doses of vitamin C may cause a false positive result for glucose in the urine. If you have hemochromatosis, (a genetic tendency to store excess iron) vitamin C enhances iron absorption, don't take more than 500 mg of vitamin C a day. Vitamin C can distort the accuracy of medical tests for colon cancer and hemoglobin levels. Let your doctor know if you're taking vitamin C supplements.