Vitamin C

Vitamin C

Vitamin C Inhibits New Blood Vessel Growth to Tumors

High levels of vitamin C in the blood may help fight cancer by preventing angiogenesis, the growth of new blood vessels necessary to feed growing tumors, according to a recent report.

Fighting angiogenesis is a target of cancer therapy. Unfortunately, many existing angiogenesis inhibiors have toxic side effects, prompting scientists to seek safer, natural alternatives.

Scientists analyzed the effects of high levels of vitamin C on angiogenesis in two assasy: an ex vivo study using rat tisues and an in vivo study in mice. Both studies showed that high levels of vitamin C, obtainable through intravenous infusion, inhibited new blood vessel growth. In the in vivo assay, vitamin C-treated tissue showed 30% less blood vessel growth than un untreated tissue.

These findings complement previous research showing that high levels of the vitamin are selectively toxic to tumors in living animals. --J. Angiogenes Res. 2010 Jan. 18;2.2; P.R. Health Sci. J. 2005 June;24(2): 145-50.

Suzanne

I guess I had better continue taking Vitamin C supplements.

Yes, even humble Vit-C can help, but maybe only when ramped up to major overdose, which fortunately doesn't kill you.

I am not giving medical or dietary advice here!

What constitutes a "high level" of Vitamin C?

Probably in the neighborhood of between 10 and 60 grams. Goats, I am told, produce around 14 grams of Vitamin C every day. Humans don't produce any; it's an essential vitamin for us.

Blessings,

Green Cochoa.

If one is drinking adequate amounts of water, any excess of Vitamin C will be flushed without harm.

STORY:
I was in college when I learned the value of Vitamin C. A friend of mine came down with a viral infection that took him out of school for a week. On Saturday night, I too began feeling ill. I called him and asked what his symptoms had been, how high his fever had gone, and what diagnosis the doctor had given him (for I knew that he had gone to a conventional doctor for treatment). My symptoms exactly matched his. So I self-diagnosed as having come down with the so-called "Texas A" virus. Then I called a trusted doctor who emphasized natural therapies as much as possible but who also used convention medicine when necessary. I explained my situation to him and asked what he thought I should do. His answer surprised me. He told me to take 500 mg of Vitamin C every fifteen minutes, as long as I was awake, with a glass of water. He explained to me that if we were to put the Vitamin C into our system all at once, the acid would become overpowering to the sensitive lining in our stomach, and furthermore, much of it might be lost as the body flushed the excess. Taking the Vitamin C with water helped the body do just that, and that by taking one 500 mg tablet every 15 minutes, the body would be kept "topped off" with maximal levels of the vitamin.

I followed his advice. I slept some, but was awake enough to have taken about 10 grams by the end of Sunday. And I felt better. Much better. The fever had broken, leaving me only with that tired feeling one has at the end of the fight. I went ahead and took Monday off just to rest, but was then able to return to school for the rest of the week in good health.

I would not recommend high-dose Vitamin C except in treatment of disease, i.e. not as a preventative measure. However, I am not a doctor.

Blessings,

Green Cochoa.

If it isn't flushed out, what type of harm will it do?

Apparently, if I've understood it correctly, Vitamin C would tend to cause thirst, because it adds "salt" to the bloodstream. Sodium ascorbate, calcium citrate, etc. are combinations of cation and ion which form a "salt." This increases the osmotic pressure in the bloodstream, and would possibly cause a headache if the person were dehydrated. The acid may irritate the lining of the stomach. High doses taken by mouth could result in diarrhea. It is possible, given insufficient water, that the kidneys would be irritated or damaged--though I've spoken with a doctor who claims he has never seen evidence of such, and he gives 50 grams of Vitamin C in an I.V. for certain treatments that last between an hour and three or four hours. (If just one hour, the patient needs to be drinking water during the treatment.)

Well, I guess it sounds like it is not easy to experience much damage from Vitamin C.

Blessings,

Green Cochoa.

Eating More Vitamin C Can Help You Live Longer

by Sandeep Godiyal

(NaturalNews) Of all the vitamins, vitamin C is perhaps the best-known and most familiar to the general public. What most people know is that this vitamin can help to strengthen the immune system. There are dozens of over-the-counter products for taming the flu and or colds which contain high amounts of vitamin C and which are promoted as being able to help shorten the duration of the illness. But while it is true that this vitamin does make it easier for the body to fight off bacterial or viral infections, its health benefits go far beyond just avoiding illnesses. Read on to find out more about the ways in which regular vitamin C consumption promotes a longer life and helps to reduce the chances of developing many common conditions which can shorten it.


Antioxidant power
One thing which many people may not realize about vitamin C is that it is a strong antioxidant. In other words, it is able to help prevent DNA damage that is done to cells throughout the body because of oxidative stress. It is the antioxidant properties of vitamin C which many speculate are at the root of the new study which was just recently published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. In this study, based on health data collected on over 100,000 people living in Denmark, it was discovered that those who had the highest levels of vitamin C in their bloodstream were the least likely to die prematurely or develop heart disease. And since heart disease remains the number one killer both in America and in many other developed countries, this was considered to be a significant finding.

This is not the only way in which vitamin C can help extend life, however.

The other benefits of vitamin C

Aside from its antioxidant powers, there are other ways in which vitamin C can help prolong both quantity and quality of life. For one thing, vitamin C helps the body to manufacture collagen, which in turn is used to help regenerate and protect muscles, tendons, ligaments and other connective tissues throughout the body. These connective tissues play a vital role in maintaining the health of important organs like the heart, the liver and the pancreas.

Other important functions of vitamin C in the body include the promotion of wound healing, the production of the blood vessels which carry oxygen and nutrients all over the body and even with the regulation of moods and emotions. Taken all and all, then, it is no surprise that high vitamin C levels can lead to a longer life.

In short, the health benefits of vitamin C go far beyond just fighting off the flu and colds - it can truly promote a longer life. For those who want to make sure that they are getting enough vitamin C in their diets, fruits and vegetables such as oranges, apples, orange or red peppers and sweet potatoes as well as leafy green vegetables are excellent ways to make sure that vitamin C levels in the body are just where they should be to promote health and longevity.

Sources:

http://www.biospace.com

http://www.thehealthsite.com

http://www.foodworldnews.com

Suzanne

Vitamin C: How Much Do You Know About This Essential Antioxidant?

by Michael Ravensthorpe

(NaturalNews) Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin that is found in many fruits and vegetables. Since our bodies don't store it (excess amounts of the vitamin exit the body through our urine), we need to constantly supply our bodes with it in order to remain healthy.

While most people understand that vitamin C plays an important role in maintaining skin health, it actually contains a large number of equally important roles in the body.

What vitamin C does for us

Scavenges free radicals -- Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant, meaning that it can guard us from the cell-damaging effects of free radicals (an atom or atom group with one or more unpaired electrons, forcing them to steal electrons from neighboring molecules). Allowing free radicals to run amok in our bodies can result in a plethora of serious degenerative conditions like cancer, cataracts, asthma and Alzheimer's disease. Fortunately, antioxidants like vitamin C can safely interact with them and terminate their chain reactions before vital molecules are harmed.

Aids collagen production -- Collagen is a simple protein and an essential part of our connective issue -- the very framework of our body. Indeed, all of the components that hold our bodies together, such as skins, bones, blood vessels, teeth, tendons, ligaments and cartilage, rely upon collagen. Since vitamin C is directly responsible for influencing collagen synthesis, it helps shield us from conditions relating to collagen deletion -- the most famous of which being scurvy (deterioration of the blood vessels). Of course, scurvy is rare nowadays, but vitamin C deficiencies (resulting in collagen deficiencies) can lead to unpleasant symptoms like dry hair, rough skin, easy bruising, bleeding gums and painful joints.

Heals wounds -- Due to vitamin C's role in collagen production, this essential vitamin also helps our bodies to heal wounds -- whether they be cuts, bruises, broken bones, or surgical incisions -- in an efficient manner. Vitamin C can even be applied topically to skin damaged by excess ultraviolet rays.

Boosts cardiovascular system -- When vitamin C's antioxidant properties are absorbed into our bloodstream, they inhibit the accumulation of arterial plaque that can lead to heart attacks and strokes. In other words, vitamin C cleans the arteries and improves the flow of blood to our heart. Additionally, studies have shown that vitamin C can prevent cholesterol in the bloodstream from oxidizing (another early step towards heart disease), and can help stabilize blood cholesterol levels.

Contrary to popular belief, little evidence suggests that vitamin C (in supplemental or dietary form) can directly cure the common cold. What consumption of this important antioxidant can do, however, is create an environment in our bodies that prevents viruses and disease from flourishing.

Recommended daily intake

According to the Linus Pauling Institute, the recommended daily intake of vitamin C in adults is 90 milligrams per day for men and 75 milligrams per day for women. However, we can take far more than this recommended dose without issues since the vitamin is non-toxic and excreted when consumed in excess. Linus Pauling himself took up to 25 grams of vitamin C in supplement form for many years, and died at the ripe age of 93.

Of course, vitamin C is best obtained from whole foods. Foods rich in vitamin C include citrus fruits like oranges and lemons, hot chili peppers, fresh herbs (especially parsley and thyme) and dark leafy greens like kale, spinach and garden cress.

Sources for this article include:

http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/vitamins/vitaminC/

http://umm.edu

http://www.naturalnews.com

http://science.naturalnews.com/Vitamin_C.html

-Suzanne

Top Foods With More Vitamin C Than An Orange

by Raw Michelle

(NaturalNews) Without enough vitamin C, cell growth and circulatory health can be compromised (1). Vitamin C is necessary to ensure that the system develops properly and is able to function well every step of the way; however, many people may be deficient in this nutrient, which can lead to an inability for the immune system to operate at peak effectiveness (2).

Those with a vitamin C deficiency may experience a variety of symptoms ranging from fatigue and weight loss to bruising easier and having more muscle and joint aches (1).

According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), it's recommended that adult men consume 90 mg of vitamin C daily and that adult women obtain 75 mg daily (2). The amount varies depending on age, gender and other factors such as if a person is pregnant or breastfeeding.

Foods rich in vitamin C

While an orange is likely the first food to come to mind as the go-to vitamin C source, there are other foods that top its levels of the nutrient. For example, one navel orange has about 83 mg of it, but a small papaya has 96 mg of vitamin C (3). Additionally, papaya has other health benefits including the fact that it's high in fiber and folate.

Broccoli is another food with a high vitamin C content; one serving has about 132 mg of the nutrient (3). According to The World's Healthiest Foods website, "Amongst all of the commonly consumed cruciferous vegetables, broccoli stands out as the most concentrated source of a premiere antioxidant nutrient--vitamin C (4)."

Strawberries also contain high levels of vitamin C. One serving has nearly 87 mg of it, and consumption of them has also been linked to reductions in cognitive decline (3).

Cauliflower, with nearly 128 mg of vitamin C in a head that's about 4 inches in diameter, is another source of the nutrient. The World's Healthiest Foods also touts this food as an "excellent" vitamin C source that does wonders for fighting damaging free radicals in the body and acting as an anti-inflammatory (5).

Eating these foods on a regular basis can increase vitamin C levels and boost overall health. As always, choose fresh, organic options.

Sources for this article include:

(1) http://www.fitday.com

(2) http://ods.od.nih.gov

(3) http://www.huffingtonpost.com

(4) http://www.whfoods.com

(5) http://www.whfoods.com

http://science.naturalnews.com

-Suzanne-

Has anyone heard that the government wants to make people get a prescription for Vitamin C?

This can't be allowed. We've got to get control of our health!

While I agree that the government should not require prescriptions for most over-the-counter supplements, I also think that the companies that sell these products need to do a better job of educating the consumers about the potential dangers.

Vitamin C is relatively safe in relatively low doses. Higher doses can be beneficial in some conditions. For example, i recall reading some research on asthma which showed that the risk of a severe asthma attack is reduced by almost 90% if the person takes 1000 mg. per day of the vitamin. I know of cases where people have treated their seasonal allergies with just high doses of vitamin C (about 3500 mg per day) and it worked. But while 1000 mg of vitamin C is helpful for asthma, it can also be a danger as well. I have seen research which shows that asthma symptoms are directly related to the amount of a chemical made by the immune system called interferon-gamma. There is research which strongly suggests that vitamin C increases interferon-gamma in the body, which will exacerbate the asthma if you take too much. So, while 1000 mg may be helpful to asthma patients, it may not be a good idea to take a whole lot more than that.

Other potential dangers exist as well and these are things that people need to be aware of before they take vitamin C. Below is a link to a page which shows some of the problems that can happen with vitamin C intake:

http://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements/vitamin-c/safety/HRB-20060322

I do not suggest not to take it, but be educated about it and use it wisely.

Vitamin C is far SAFER than the average physician wishes the public to know. If Joe Public only knew, he might avoid that trip to the doctor's office.

There is just one precaution with Vitamin C intake: always consume it with water. As long as there is sufficient water intake along with the Vit. C, any excess of the vitamin will be excreted through the kidneys. If one is low in water, kidney stones/damage is possible.

A doctor who knows more about Vitamin C than most, and uses more natural treatments than most, once prescribed 500 mg. of Vitamin C per 15 minutes, with a glass water, as long as I was awake, to fight off the Texas A flu virus that kept a colleague down for a week on traditional medications. One day's worth of that kicked the virus for me, and I was back to business without any prescription drugs. I had taken about 10 GRAMS of Vit. C that day.

The biggest limitation with Vitamin C intake is actually the sensitivity of the stomach. Injected to the blood directly, in IV form, much higher doses are possible (and safe). For example, for a rattlesnake bite, a 60,000 mg. IV works wonders, and may be quite superior to the use of antivenin, which is also a toxin. High-dose Vitamin C IVs can also benefit cancer patients, persons with toxic chemical exposures, and sepsis.

I would encourage anyone doubting the effectiveness of truly "high-dose" Vitamin C (1000 mg./day is not actually "high") to do some research. Keep in mind that Big Pharma does not make any money off of non-prescription medications, and, therefore, wishes to stifle information regarding their effectiveness.

Goats can produce more than 13,000 milligrams of Vitamin C every day. If it were so harmful as some would like to suggest, why are they not keeling over and dying as a result? CLICK HERE for more information about this.

Blessings,

Green Cochoa.

Another interesting bit of information (just the abstract) from:

Homo sapiens ascorbicus, a biochemically corrected robust human mutant. Medical Hypotheses [Med Hypotheses] 1979 Jun; Vol. 5 (6), pp. 711-21.



I think the fact that we don't produce Vitamin C naturally is largely on account of God's planned fruitarian diet for us. Animals were designed to consume vegetables, which contain less Vitamin C, generally. We still would benefit by having more fruit in our diet, and Ellen White emphasized fruit as well.

Blessings,

Green Cochoa.

Conclusion - God designed a defective gene so we cannot make vitamin C? Could it be that because of SIN, we humans now have a defective gene so that we do not produce vitamin C? That is the more likely conclusion.

APL,

I don't happen to accept that the gene must necessarily be defective. You will notice the author of that article also spoke of humans' existence for millions of years. Obviously, his worldview differs fundamentally from ours. God knows what He is doing. If He had so desired, we would have the same gene other mammals have to produce Vitamin C. Since no one can prove God did or did not originally create humans with said gene, it cannot be proven that our current gene is "defective."

Why would we need to create the vitamin if everything we ate had it in high quantities?

Consider the following fruits and their Vitamin C levels per 100 gram serving (about 3.5 ounces, or less than half a cup).

Vitamin C Levels
Fruit	Milligrams/100 gram serving
Acerola	1,677
Baobab	150 to 499
Blackcurrant	155 to 215
Camu Camu	2,700
Guava	228
Jujube	500
Kakadu Plum	2300 to 3150
Kiwifruit, green	98
Kiwifruit, yellow	120 to 180
Rosehip	1,150 to 2,500

And, here's some facts to back up what I said earlier about the limitations of oral intake of Vitamin C versus the higher levels possible via IV and the impact on cancer.



Blessings,

Green Cochoa.

How about the myriad of other genes that are clearly defective and we even know why they are defective!? Of course, what does the Bible say? Genesis 3 is telling us.

I never meant to suggest that one never take high dose vitamin C, but there are clear exceptions to that. Some people have conditions that will clearly rule out taking high dose vitamin C and can cause severe problems for them if they do it anyway, even with large amounts of water. But I clearly agree that there are times when most people can use it effectively in high doses. But "most" is not all. People need to know their medical conditions and be wise about it.