Your body needs vitamin C (ascorbic acid) to form blood vessels, cartilage, muscle,
and collagen in bones. Vitamin C is vital to support and help heal your body’s
tissues. Although rare in the U.S., vitamin C deficiency (the cause of scurvy) may
occur in alcoholics, the elderly, and in smokers. Good food sources for Vitamin C
include citrus fruits and many common plant foods. One orange, or 6 oz. of grapefruit
juice provides enough vitamin C for a day. Some conditions may warrant an
increase in vitamin C intake, such as exposure to cigarette smoke, environmental
stress, periods of rapid growth, and sickness.
Propelled by the advocacy of two-time Nobel Prize winner Linus Pauling, mega
doses of vitamin C have been recommended to prevent cancer and to prevent or
cure the common cold. But there is no evidence that this therapy is effective in
preventing colds or cancer. Studies suggest that mega doses of more than 500 mg of
vitamin C per day do not increase a body’s overall level of vitamin C. Megadoses
of vitamin C should be avoided because they can cause nausea, kidney stones, gout,
diarrhea, and rebound scurvy.
This blog presents opinions and ideas and is intended to provide helpful general information. I am not engaged in rendering advice or services to the individual reader. The ideas, procedures and suggestions in that are presented are not in any way a substitute for the advice and care of the reader’s own physician or other medical professional based on the reader’s own individual conditions, symptoms or concerns. If the reader needs personal medical, health, dietary, exercise or other assistance or advice the reader should consult a physician and/or other qualified health professionals. The author specifically disclaims all responsibility for any injury, damage or loss that the reader may incur as a direct or indirect consequence of following any directions or suggestions given in this blog or participating in any programs described in this blog or in the book, The Building Blocks of Health––How to Optimize Your Health with a Lifestyle Checklist (available in print or downloaded at Amazon, Apple, Barnes and Noble and elsewhere). Copyright 2021 by J. Joseph Speidel
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