It is really a shame that the mainstream medical system does not invest enough in the extremely powerful healing effects of Vitamin C. Vitamin C can be taken in many forms orally, however the most popular form of Vitamin C known as Ascorbic Acid has been extensively researched and proven to work by the great scholars such as the Noble Prize winner Linus Pauling, Dr. Fred Klenner and one of the current leading researchers in Vitamin C therapy Dr. Thomas Levy. So lets talk about how to take Ascorbic Acid orally.
Doctors who know about the healing powers of vitamin C nearly always recommend that everyone suffering from a chronic disease take Vitamin C (powder) to bowel tolerance on a regular basis.
Vitamin C is the primary antioxidant in the diet. Most people do not take enough to be healthy. While this is true of many nutrients, vitamin C is a special case. Ignore governments telling you that you only need about 100 mg a day and can get this amount from food. The required amount of vitamin C varies your state of health. A normal adult in perfect health may need only a small intake, say 500 mg per day, but more is needed when someone is even slightly under the weather. Similarly, to prevent illness, the intake needs to be increased.
The intake for an otherwise healthy person to have a reasonable chance of avoiding a common cold is in the region of 8-10 grams (8,000-10,000 mg) a day. This is about ten times what corporate medicine has tested in their trials on vitamin C and the common cold. Ten grams (10,000 mg) is the minimum pharmacological intake; it may help if you have a slight sore throat but more (much more) may be needed. To get rid of a common cold, you may need anything from 20 to 60 grams (60,000 mg) a day. With influenza the need might be for 100 grams (100,000 mg) a day. Since it varies from person to person, and from illness to illness, the only way to find out is to experiment for yourself.
Start out with a small amount and very gradually increase it at your own pace, gradually taking a little more each day. Take small amounts frequently rather than large amounts less frequently, at roughly equal intervals throughout the day.
Vitamin C can be taken at any time. Many people find it easiest to take some upon awakening, some with each meal, and so me before going to bed at night.If at any time along the way,you get abdominal discomfort:a rumbling stomach, excessive gas, or diarrhea, go back to the amount you reached before you encountered problems. Use this as your maintenance dose.
Whereas most people tolerate around 10-20 grams/day, there have been cases where 50 and even 100 grams have been needed to reach bowel tolerance. The ability to tolerate such large amounts means these large amounts are needed.
Similarly, if you are coming down with any kind of infection, your body requirements for vitamin C go way up. At the first sign of a cold or flu, take C every hour or even every half hour, and you can usually nip that virus in the bud. This may require 20 to 50 grams, and 100 grams is not unheard of. If you are unable to prevent the cold or flu, continue the same frequent doses of vitamin C, and your recovery will be much, much quicker.
Stick to Ascorbic Acid as Your Vitamin C
Straightforward, low cost ascorbic acid is the preferred form of supplement. Vendors may try to sell you “better absorbed” forms with minerals or salts such as sodium, potassium or calcium ascorbate, and so on. These are irrelevant, if not counterproductive, for high intakes. It is worth noting the following:
- Timing is more important than form. Two large doses of ascorbic acid taken a little time apart are better absorbed than a single dose of mineral ascorbate
- Mineral ascorbates are salts and do not carry the same number of antioxidant electrons. Ascorbic acid has two electrons to donate while a salt typically has only one. With high doses, the “improved” forms are thus only about half as effective. This is consistent with reports that mineral forms are correspondingly ineffective in combating illness.
- Ascorbic acid is a weak acid, much weaker than the hydrochloric acid in the stomach. Mineral ascorbates may be better tolerated, as they make the stomach more alkaline than ascorbic acid. However, an alkaline stomach is not a good idea – there are reasons the body secretes hydrochloric acid into the stomach, including preventing infection. Furthermore, if you are coming down with a haemorrhagic viral infection, mild discomfort will not be something of great concern.
- For high intakes, capsules of ascorbic acid are preferable to tablets. This is because tablets are packed with fillers and it is not wise to take massive doses of these chemicals. Check the ingredients – you want to take ascorbic acid and very little else. Bioflavonoids are alright, and the capsules may be made with gelatine or a vegetarian equivalent.
- The cheapest way to take ascorbic acid is as powder, dissolved in water. If you do this, use a straw to avoid it getting on the tooth enamel, as it is slightly acidic. You will need a set of accurate electronic scales to monitor the dose. If you do not weigh it carefully, it will be difficult to keep close to bowel tolerance.