Owen,
This was "dropped" into my mailbox Any response to this? Of course, I have my own thoughts as well that I was planning to share. :-)Subject: Vitamin C
The recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for Vitamin C in nonsmoking adults
is 75 mg per day for women and 90 mg per day for men. For smokers, the RDAs
are 110 mg per day for women and 125 mg per day for men. A dose of 200
milligrams daily is almost enough to maximize plasma and lymphocyte levels.
Higher levels of Vitamin C are needed when under environmental stress such
as trauma, fever or infection. Full saturation is reached with daily intakes
of 200-500 mg per day (in 2-3 divided doses). This is a water-soluble
protein, and anything in excess is excreted by the body. Vitamin C Overdose
can cause diarrhea, gas, or stomach upset. Other side effects could be
stomach cramps, nausea, and diarrhea, and an increased risk of developing
kidney stones. Large amounts of Vitamin C reduce body levels of copper, an
essential nutrient. People with iron overload diseases must avoid Vitamin C
Overdose, as it increases iron absorption. Special medical advice must be
taken by individuals who have kidney stones. If a pregnant mother takes
6,000 mg of Vitamin C, the baby may develop rebound scurvy due to a sudden
drop in daily intake. Hemochromatosis patients should not take Vitamin C due
to enhanced accumulation of non-heme iron in the presence of this vitamin.
Hi, this is the standard drivel, although they forgot a few standard
arguments.
In the first paragraph, the last sentence is in error
> A dose of 200 milligrams daily is almost enough to maximize plasma and lymphocyte levels.
Maybe for 30 minutes. Lymphocytes are major consumers of vitamin C with
many uptake receptors, but white blood cells are not representive of most of
the trillion cells in the body.
The NIH data is thoroughly refuted by Drs. Steve Hickey and Hilary Roberts,
Ph.D.s, in their book THE RIDICULOUS DIETARY ALLOWANCE http://www.lulu.com/ascorbate
Another falsehood
> Full saturation is reached with daily intakes of 200-500 mg per day (in 2-3 divided doses).
Again, there is no question that the white blood cells are full of vitamin C, and that these cell saturate (so to speak) at these levels. The mistake is extrapolating the need and "saturation" of the general population of trillions of cells from the lymphocytes.
The list of supposed side effects are also generally false, In brief
Kidney stones - no direct evidence, Cathcart saw NO kidney stones in his
practice, calculi (stones) probably caused by B6 deficiency, Pauling explains in HTLLAFB book what causes stones, and why vitamin C can PREVENT most stones.
Copper I'd like to see a reference to studies in humans. Actually
vitamin C "regulates" many minerals, and most metals, meaning that if the body has too much, vitamin C chelates and helps expell excess in urine. Vitamin C keeps potentially toxic substances within normal ranges. Somehow, vitamin C helps the mineral deficient retain these minerals.
The best "macro" agrument is the animals, which produce on the order of 3000 to 13000 mg of vitamin C 24/7. Why aren't all animals "copper" deficient?
Owen