Vitamin C is really good for us. It’s a powerful antioxidant and we need it for the growth and repair of tissues all over our bodies. People cannot produce vitamin C, so we have to get it through food and supplements.
It’s commonly thought that it might help “fight off” a cold or illnesses. And there are a lot of popular vitamin C based products on the market that claim to do just that.
But thousands of studies have shown that some of the beliefs that vitamin C is the end-all-be-all for our immune systems are actually false. And there’s even evidence showing that vitamin C in the form of ascorbic acid in high doses might have the opposite effect. In fact, according to the work of Dr. Steven M Paul, high doses of 1,000 mg of vitamin C in the form of ascorbic acid alone can suppress the immune system for up to 4 hours. (See patent US5626883A). To avoid immune suppression, it’s best to take multiple forms of vitamin C including fat soluble and water-soluble forms including calcium ascorbate, niacinamide ascorbate and ascorbyl palmitate for example.
Short History of Vitamin C Discoveries
Vitamin C was discovered in 1932. Even before people knew what it was, they had figured out that something in citrus fruits helped prevent a potentially deadly disease called scurvy.
In 1970, Linus Pauling concluded that vitamin C prevents or alleviates the common cold. His discovery was based on trials that were available at that time and he was particularly focused on one trial at a skiing camp in the Swiss Alps. They looked at a group of school children and noticed that there was a significant decrease in the common cold when the children were given 1 gram per day of vitamin C. One of the criticisms of the conclusion made by Pauling is that a small sample of children doesn’t represent the entire population. But, the theory took off nevertheless.
A search of scientific literature shows that there have been tens of thousands of studies done since 1970. Most of these studies have concluded that vitamin C does little to nothing in preventing or lessening the severity of the common cold and other more serious illnesses. Despite little scientific evidence, vitamin C supplementation is still widely thought to be beneficial for immune response.
How We Process Vitamin C
Our bodies can only absorb so much vitamin C. Absorption decreases to less than 50% when taking amounts greater than 1000 mg. Although we can’t absorb it, high doses generally aren’t considered toxic because it’s water soluble. Anything we don’t need, we will get rid of through urination.
Ascorbic acid is the most common form of vitamin C. It’s also what’s found naturally in food. Synthetic l-ascorbic acid is chemically identical to the natural version and has similar bioavailability. It’s the cheapest and most widely available form of vitamin C, but there are several other forms on the market.
The potential benefit to the immune system is what vitamin C is best known for, but it helps our bodies in many other ways.
- It helps the body produce collagen, L-carnitine, and some neurotransmitters.
- It’s an antioxidant that helps remove free radicals from the body.
- It may help reduce inflammation.
- It helps the body absorb iron.
- It enhances wound healing.
The Problem: Vitamin C May Actually Suppress the Immune System
It’s possible to get too much of a good thing, and in the case of vitamin C, this might apply. Here’s why.
In our bodies, we have a special type of white blood cell that is designed to kill incoming viruses. These cells are called Natural Killer Cells, or NK’s. They contain enzymes that can kill cells containing a virus or tumor cells.
When someone takes a high dose of ascorbic acid, it’s possible that these NK cells might be suppressed for as long as four hours. When this happens, the cells can’t do their job supporting the immune system. An invading virus can then multiply quickly. Once the NK cells wake up, the spread may have gotten out of control.
What to Look for in a Vitamin C Supplement
Many over the counter products contain high doses of vitamin C to help support your immune system. An ideal combination is a Vitamin C blend that contains multiple forms of Vitamin C instead of ascorbic acid alone.
Combining ascorbic acid with other forms of vitamin C, bioflavonoids and amino acids provides powerful immune support without suppressing your immune system.
Vymune is one such product that contains a blend that supports your immune system and keeps you healthy. Vyume’s ascorbates are formulated to avoid immune suppression. It was developed to maintain vital immune health.*
You can find Vymune on Amazon.
Order some today to support your immune system!
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
