How Supplements Work
Abnormally small amounts of vitamin C are found in the blood of persons with allergies, and of animals in which experimental allergies have been produced; and individuals become particularly susceptible to allergens when vitamin C is under supplied. This vitamin makes cortisone more effective, decreases the permeability of cells, has an antihistamine action, and detoxifies foreign substances entering the body. Because vitamin C is used up during the detoxifying process, the quantity needed is in proportion to the amount of toxic material entering the body. Substances that cause acute allergies in some persons have been found in the blood of normal individuals, indicating that detoxification has taken place.
Many early studies showed vitamin C to be tremendously effective in relieving allergic conditions, but interest was lost with the advent of cortisone and the antihistamine drugs. When 300 milligrams of vitamin C were given every 15 minutes to a group of patients during asthma attacks, some experienced relief almost immediately, and the remainder within an hour; further attacks were prevented when 1,500 milligrams of the vitamin were taken daily. Hay-fever sufferers showed marked improvement when they took 250 milligrams of vitamin C four times daily, and many improved on a daily intake of only 200 to 500 milligrams. Because the diet was not otherwise changed and such small amounts of the vitamin were given, these results are all the more remarkable.
As few as 300 to 700 milligrams of vitamin C daily have proved valuable in preventing allergies to a number of drugs, simultaneously shortening the time the drugs were needed. The vitamin was most effective when taken daily, but still prevented allergies if given only with the drug or two hours before it was administered. In some cases even 100 milligrams of vitamin C daily effectively prevented allergies but usually this amount was far too small. Because allergies which have at times proved fatal are often brought on by mothers giving children aspirin or other drugs, vitamin C should be taken with any medication.
Adelle Davis, in her book, "Let's Get Well" reports: "On several occasions I have seen persons with severe hay fever whose streams of tears ceased flowing within minutes after 2,000 to 3,000 milligrams of vitamin C were given them. Such suffering can usually be prevented if large amounts of vitamin C are taken before an allergic person goes into a 'danger zone.' Persons with hay fever should take additional vitamin C before driving into the country during pollen season; individuals allergic to horse dandruff, before going near a stable; housewives allergic to dust, before starting to clean; and children allergic to chocolate, eggs, or milk, before attending a birthday party. If allergy symptoms should appear, several 500-milligram tablets of the vitamin swallowed immediately usually bring quick relief.
"The amount of vitamin C needed by the allergic person depends on the quantity of allergen reaching the blood; hence it varies with each allergic attack. Such a person must watch carefully for any signs of a vitamin C deficiency---bleeding gums, nosebleeds, or even the slightest bruise. Since vitamin C is not toxic, it seems wise to err on the side of taking too much rather than too little."
My favorite vitamin company, Puritan's Pride, offers a wide array of vitamin C products at the best prices I've ever seen. Choose whichever type you want and don't be confused by the wide selection---they all work pretty much the same. The 500 mg. strength would be a good choice. For those too young or who don't want to swallow tablets, the company also offers liquid vitamin C which you can add to juice. Just click on the logo on the left hand column to order.
The taking of any type of drug greatly increases the need for vitamin C. When a drug is taken, even aspirin or an antihistamine, vitamin C in the blood combines with the drug, making it more effective and detoxifying it at the same time. In this process, the vitamin C is used up and excreted by the body. Therefore, the more drugs taken and the longer they are taken, the more deficient you are apt to be in vitamin C, and supplements should be taken. Toxic effects of the drug, even when discontinued, still linger in the body for weeks afterwards, keeping vitamin C levels low. Just a note: Drugs increase not only the need for vitamin C, but for many other vitamins and minerals; also, drugs interfere with absorption of nutrients.
Keep this in mind when taking supplements: much more are needed than you think---and certainly much more than the RDA (recommended daily allowance), MDA (minimum daily allowance), or the % Daily Value, as stated on supplements labels. These figures are based on the minimum amount needed to barely sustain health in a perfectly healthy body, not for a person suffering from allergies, asthma, other diseases, taking drugs, and having other stressors affecting them! One leading nutrition researcher, Dr. Ross Pelton of San Diego (author of Mind, Food, and Smart Pills) says RDA stands for Really Dumb Allowance. "It's more like the minimum wage, the minimal amount you can get by on," he says. And not enough for real health, just enough to stay alive, I say. About 50 milligrams are needed daily just to prevent scurvy, provided the tissues are already saturated.
The amount of vitamin C that is necessary varies from person to person and depends on many factors, such as the amount of stress on the body, whether drugs are taken or not and how many drugs, nutrition, including the amount and quality of foods eaten, and the state of health. Think of the body as a dry sponge. It will absorb large amounts of vitamin C until it is saturated; after that, it will excrete any excess through the colon. Vitamin C is never toxic in any amount; but when the body is saturated and excess is having to be excreted, it does tend to loosen the stools. As long as this isn't happening, you can be sure the body still needs at least, probably more, vitamin C than it is getting. You will also notice that you and your children can absorb several thousand milligrams of vitamin C a day when sick, but not tolerate nearly as much when well.
Huge amounts of vitamin C appears to protect the body from stress. In animal studies, rats exposed to severe cold died unless they received massive quantities of vitamin C. Guinea pigs, exposed to the same low temperature, remained healthy when given 75 times their normal requirement of it; if only allowed smaller amounts, their adrenals hemorrhaged, and many animals died. Translated into human terms, 75 times our normal daily requirement of vitamin C would be approximately 5,625 milligrams. Such a quantity seems startling, yet during severe stress it may not be excessive.
When 144 elderly hospitalized patients whose adrenal glands could no longer respond normally when stimulated with the pituitary hormone ACTH were given 500 milligrams of vitamin C daily, the adrenals were markedly activated. Adrenal hormones in the blood increased immediately. Though the patients suffered from various illnesses and their medication remained unchanged, many showed improvement.
It's difficult to get enough vitamin C from our modern diet. Even fresh fruits and vegetables cannot be counted on unless they're allowed to fully ripen and can be eaten without delay. An analysis was done on the vitamin C content of fresh strawberries from a grocery store, for example, and the strawberries were found to contain no vitamin C at all! Climate, soil, and degree of ripeness, storage, temperature and methods of handling all affect the vitamin C content of foods.
All things considered, citrus fruits are the most dependable sources of vitamin C. One or more grapefruit and/or oranges or a glass of fresh unstrained juice should be taken daily by every child and adult, as well as other fresh fruit. It would also be good to serve a fresh salad at each lunch and dinner, as vitamin C may also be found in green leafy vegetables, sprouts, and tomatoes.
Eating citrus fruits also provides bioflavonoids, which, along with vitamin C, help manufacture collagen and build strong capillaries. Bioflavonoids occur in the pulp, not the juice, of citrus fruits and especially in the white of the rind. Experiments indicate that bioflavonoids reduce the need for vitamin C and make it more effective. Bioflavonoids are also found in prunes, grapes, cherries, plums, parsley, cabbage, apricots, peppers, papaya, cantaloupe, tomatoes, broccoli, and blackberries.
Uses of Vitamin C
- Vitamin C is critical in forming the epithelial cells and connective tissue of the mucous membranes, the body's first defense against outside invaders such as bacteria, toxins, allergy triggers, and other antigens. When this tissue is allowed to break down through lack of enough vitamin C, its permeability is increased, allowing antigens to pass into the tissues or blood which can set off allergies and asthma in those susceptible.
- Adrenal hormones are critical for the body to cope with any kind of stress as well as allergy/asthma reactions. (See What Happens In the Body?) Although adrenal hormones can be produced without vitamin C, the need for vitamin C is tremendously increased by stress; and if undersupplied, the glands become exhausted and the output of hormones is markedly decreased.
- Vitamin C accelerates the rate of the body's natural cortisone production, appears to improve its utilization and prolong its effectiveness, and alleviates many of the limitations resulting from a pantothenic-acid deficiency.
- Vitamin C detoxifies and carries away allergens and other toxic substances, as well as enabling antibodies, through complement, to act on viruses and bacteria.
- It has an antihistamine effect when taken in very large doses.
- Vitamin C participates in bile formation, liver regeneration, lowering cholesterol, iron absorption, insulin production, the rate of hemoglobin production, strong blood vessels, collagen formation, healing, and many other aspects of body chemistry. It's even necessary before the B vitamin folic acid can be changed into a usable form.
Getting enough vitamin C is so critical that care should be taken to make sure it's efficiently absorbed by the body. Vitamin C absorption is impaired not only by drugs, but also if the body produces too little hydrochloric acid; therefore, care should be taken to insure that the digestive system is healthy.