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Yo uknow everything about Vitamin C ?
May be not... just read this article:
http://www.dentalcomfortzone.com
About the Author
Dr. Jerry Gordon is the How Stuff Works dental expert
Can Vitamin C cure a cold or cancer?
Nobel laureate Linus Pauling, Ph.D., in his last interview months before his death (April 1994), continued to advocate high doses (megadoses) of vitamin C to cure and prevent colds, prolong the lives of terminal cancer patients, and prevent other ailments. The basic premise of his avocation of vitamin C in these doses was that because man was one of the few animals that do not produce its own vitamin C, it is somehow a design flaw in our genetic make-up. He calculated that an average adult should need about 10-12 grams of vitamin C daily to prevent a wide range of ailments.
While Dr. Pauling was certainly a brilliant man, research does not bear out his conclusions. High doses of vitamin C at the beginning of a cold has only been shown in some cases to reduce the severity of the symptoms to a modest degree, due to a mild antihistaminic effect. Vitamin C has not been shown to prevent the common cold. Similar high doses of vitamin C used for the treatment of cancer patients have not been found to be beneficial. Research done at the Mayo clinic in a double blind trial (neither the doctors or the patients knew who was given the high doses of vitamin C) revealed that those who received the vitamin C in the high doses actually did worse than those who got a placebo. Unfortunately, Dr. Pauling's persuasive arguments concerning vitamin C have not stood up to legitimate research. We must always remember that to be logical is not always to be correct.
On a personal note, I would love to believe that Dr. Pauling was right about vitamin C. It would give a lot of people hope. But false hope can be crueler than hard truths. If misinformation is accepted, it may discourage others from finding real solutions to diseases that mankind must face.
What's wrong with taking high doses of vitamin C?
So people believe that because vitamin C is water-soluble, it is safe to take in high doses. Unfortunately, high doses of vitamin C can cause a number of serious health consequences, including:
a toxic release of inorganic iron which can be potentially fatal in some people
formation of oxalate kidney stones
diarrhea
rebound scurvy if the vitamin is abruptly stopped
damage to the outer layer of the teeth (enamel) if the tablets are chewed
abnormal heart rhythms
One myth about vitamin C is that it is an antioxidant, but that is not completely true. Vitamin C is a redox agent, meaning that it acts as an antioxidant in some cases, and an oxidant in others. Antioxidants are important because they inhibit chemical reactions with oxygen or highly reactive free radicals. These reactions (oxidation reactions), cause damage to cells. Vitamin C only acts as an antioxidant in some circumstances.
Vitamin C is an important part of a healthy diet. It is not a miracle drug, and can cause harm if taken in excess. A well-balanced, varied diet will ensure that you receive more than enough vitamin C to prevent scurvy and other potential health problems.
May be not... just read this article:
http://www.dentalcomfortzone.com
About the Author
Dr. Jerry Gordon is the How Stuff Works dental expert
Can Vitamin C cure a cold or cancer?
Nobel laureate Linus Pauling, Ph.D., in his last interview months before his death (April 1994), continued to advocate high doses (megadoses) of vitamin C to cure and prevent colds, prolong the lives of terminal cancer patients, and prevent other ailments. The basic premise of his avocation of vitamin C in these doses was that because man was one of the few animals that do not produce its own vitamin C, it is somehow a design flaw in our genetic make-up. He calculated that an average adult should need about 10-12 grams of vitamin C daily to prevent a wide range of ailments.
While Dr. Pauling was certainly a brilliant man, research does not bear out his conclusions. High doses of vitamin C at the beginning of a cold has only been shown in some cases to reduce the severity of the symptoms to a modest degree, due to a mild antihistaminic effect. Vitamin C has not been shown to prevent the common cold. Similar high doses of vitamin C used for the treatment of cancer patients have not been found to be beneficial. Research done at the Mayo clinic in a double blind trial (neither the doctors or the patients knew who was given the high doses of vitamin C) revealed that those who received the vitamin C in the high doses actually did worse than those who got a placebo. Unfortunately, Dr. Pauling's persuasive arguments concerning vitamin C have not stood up to legitimate research. We must always remember that to be logical is not always to be correct.
On a personal note, I would love to believe that Dr. Pauling was right about vitamin C. It would give a lot of people hope. But false hope can be crueler than hard truths. If misinformation is accepted, it may discourage others from finding real solutions to diseases that mankind must face.
What's wrong with taking high doses of vitamin C?
So people believe that because vitamin C is water-soluble, it is safe to take in high doses. Unfortunately, high doses of vitamin C can cause a number of serious health consequences, including:
a toxic release of inorganic iron which can be potentially fatal in some people
formation of oxalate kidney stones
diarrhea
rebound scurvy if the vitamin is abruptly stopped
damage to the outer layer of the teeth (enamel) if the tablets are chewed
abnormal heart rhythms
One myth about vitamin C is that it is an antioxidant, but that is not completely true. Vitamin C is a redox agent, meaning that it acts as an antioxidant in some cases, and an oxidant in others. Antioxidants are important because they inhibit chemical reactions with oxygen or highly reactive free radicals. These reactions (oxidation reactions), cause damage to cells. Vitamin C only acts as an antioxidant in some circumstances.
Vitamin C is an important part of a healthy diet. It is not a miracle drug, and can cause harm if taken in excess. A well-balanced, varied diet will ensure that you receive more than enough vitamin C to prevent scurvy and other potential health problems.
