MORE INFO on Vitamin C Recommendations

I came across another IN DEPTH article on Vitamin C giving special attention to many of the known benefits of Vitamin C and taking a look at low doseage of vitamin C (vs.) MEGA DOSES. I found this interesting and informative. Dan

Matthew 11:1-6

King James Version (KJV)

11 And it came to pass, when Jesus had made an end of commanding his twelve disciples, he departed thence to teach and to preach in their cities.

2 Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples,

3 And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?

4 Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see:

5 The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them.

6 And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.

http://www.healthy-diet-healthy-you.com/Benefits_of_Vitamin_C.html

Limited Excerpts from a LENGTHY ARTICLE - please click on the link to read the entire article.

EXCERPT:


The US Government’s Recommended Dietary Allowance

The US government’s recommended Dietary Allowance( RDA’s) per day are as follows:
0-6 month - 40 mg
7-12 months - 50 mg
1-3 years - 15 mg
4-8 years - 25 mg
9-13 years - 45 mg
14-18 years - 75 mg for men; 65 mg for women; 70 mg for pregnancy; 115 mg for lactation
19+ years - 90 mg for men; 75 mg for women; 85 mg for pregnancy; 120 mg for lactation

For those who smoke, an additional 35 mg per day is recommended.

NB. These figures increased somewhat in 2000.

The Opposing View to the RDA’s – The Benefits of Vitamin C Megadoses

As mentioned, some experts recommend mega-doses to achieve the benefits of vitamin C.

The Vitamin C Foundation, a proponent of large dose vitamin C supplements for maintaining health and preventing disease, suggests the following vitamin C intake:

•  3,000 mg per day for every man, woman and child over 3 years.

•  6,000 mg per day during pregnancy.

•  20,000 to 300,000 mg per day during disease periods.

When you look at dietary sources of vitamin C, it becomes readily apparent that achieving the above intakes of Vitamin C would be difficult, if not impossible via food alone. Vitamin C supplements are necessary to achieve this intake.

A Middle Ground for Vitamin C Supplements in order to get the Benefits of Vitamin C

There is a body of experts who, when it comes to recommended daily intake of vitamin C,  take a middle ground between the US government’s and the high dose expert’s position.

We’ll use the Linus Pauling Institute’s recommendations as an example of this school.

Linus Pauling Institute recommends the following:

• 400 mg daily  for young healthy adults for disease prevention, with those who are older or suffering from certain disease possibly requiring “substantially large amounts of vitamin C”.

While not impossible, to get this maintenance amount via food alone if following a healthy balanced diet, many would have to take Vitamin C supplements to achieve the above intake.

Dr. Klenner’s Therapeutic Doses of Vitamin C - . Body Weight Vitamin C Per Day # of Doses Individual Dose 100 kg (220 lbs), 35,000 mg, 17-18 times per day, 2,000 mg per dose 75 kg (165 kg), 26,000, 17-18 times per day, 1,500 mg per dose 50 kg (110kg), 18,000 mg, 18 times per day, 1,000mg per dose 25 kg (55lbs), 9,000 mg, 18 times per day, 500 mg per dose 12.7 kg (28 lbs), 4,500 mg, 9 times per day, 500 mg per dose 7 kg (15.5 lbs), 2,300 mg, 9 times per day, 250 mg per dose 3.5 kg (15.5lbs), 1,200 mg, 9 times per day, 130-135 mg per dose

Missing the Benefits of Vitamin C – The Downside  of too Much Vitamin C.  Are there any?
We’ve talked about the downside to  too little vitamin C. What are the health risks, if any, from too much?
Generally, vitamin C is an extremely safe vitamin. The main side effect, as mentioned, is diarrhea  which is dose related. When you decrease intake of C, the symptoms go away.
Because  of its water soluble nature where excess is excreted in urine, it is hard to get too much vitamin C. Nevertheless, some have raised concerns about vitamin C supplements.

• Excess Iron Absorption – Vitamin C improves the absorption of non-heme iron (iron from plant foods like spinach as opposed to iron from animal products) . While sufficient iron stores are essential for proper immune function, too much can act as an oxidant and create havoc in the body. There is a theoretical concern that the body could absorb  too much iron, in the event of excess vitamin C intake.   Individuals with hemochromatosis, a genetic condition that disposes a person to excess iron, should consult their health care provider before supplementing vitamin C.   By contrast, some experts believe that vitamin C’s  antioxidant function cancels the risk of excess iron stores in the body.

• Kidney Stones -  There is a theoretical concern about excess vitamin C promoting kidney stones, however the evidence doesn’t support this. A review of the research by the New York Academy of Sciences shows kidney stones and vitamin C supplementation are not a problem. As a precaution, ensure you drink sufficient water when taking vitamin C supplements.

• Vitamin C as a pro-oxidant – Some experts speculate that in very large doses vitamin C may act as  pro-oxidant – generating free radicals instead of quenching them. Because of this, it could interfere with certain chemotherapy drugs. Best to discuss vitamin C supplementation with your doctor when dealing with a specific health conditions like cancer.