Vitamins and mineralsMyths about Vitamin C — What Do We Believe, and What Does Research Say?
Sources: 11 · Article: 13 928 characters
Jerzy Zięba believes that natural vitamin C consists of many substances that work together, and that ascorbic acid is just one of them.
- Thomas E. Levy argues that pure vitamin C from natural and synthetic sources is no different, and that ascorbic acid can work on its own.
- Jerzy Zięba describes conflicting reports on high doses for infections and points to publications suggesting that vitamin C is effective against COVID-19.
What the authors write
Jerzy Zięba
Jerzy Zięba believes that natural vitamin C consists of many substances that work together, and that ascorbic acid is only one part of it.
„This vitamin C is actually a whole group of different substances, not just ascorbic acid. People have become used to saying that ascorbic acid is vitamin C, but ascorbic acid is only one part of the whole complex of substances that promote health.”Ta witamina C, to jest tak naprawdę cały zbiór różnych substancji, a nie tylko kwas askorbinowy. Przywykło się mówić, że kwas askorbinowy jest witaminą C, lecz kwas askorbinowy stanowi tylko jedną część całego kompleksu substancji, które działają prozdrowotnie.
Thomas E. Levy
Thomas E. Levy argues that a molecule of vitamin C from nature is no different from one made synthetically, if it is pure.
„If either the laboratory process or the purification of something from natural origin produces a very high concentration of identical molecules that have no significant traces of other molecules, then you have the same product.
Therefore, the "difference" between natural and synthetic molecules is straightforward, namely, that there is no difference.”If either the laboratory process or the purification of something from natural origin produces a very high concentration of identical molecules that have no significant traces of other molecules, then you have the same product.
Therefore, the "difference" between natural and synthetic molecules is straightforward, namely, that there is no difference.
Thomas E. Levy
Thomas E. Levy rejects the view that vitamin C must occur as a complex group of substances, and writes that ascorbic acid can work on its own.
„None of them, particularly the clinical studies where vitamin C is being used as the primary or only therapy, mentions "vitamin C complex."
In other words, all of the truly fabulous things that vitamin C has been scientifically documented to do has been done with ascorbic acid or another form of ascorbate by itself.”None of them, particularly the clinical studies where vitamin C is being used as the primary or only therapy, mentions "vitamin C complex."
In other words, all of the truly fabulous things that vitamin C has been scientifically documented to do has been done with ascorbic acid or another form of ascorbate by itself.
Jerzy Zięba
Jerzy Zięba says that the left-rotating form of vitamin C occurs in nature, and that the right-rotating form should not be bought or taken.
„Only the left-rotating form occurs in nature. The right-rotating form is an ordinary chemical reagent and should never be sold as a vitamin, let alone taken. Therefore, if a product description says that it is right-rotating vitamin C or is marked with the letter D, you should not buy it.”W naturze występuje tylko i wyłącz- nie forma lewoskrętna. Forma prawoskrętna jest zwykłym odczynnikiem chemicznym i jako wita- mina nigdy nie powinna być ani sprzedawana, ani tym bardziej zażywana. W związku z tym, jeśli opis danego produktu wskazuje na to, że jest to witamina prawoskrętna lub też jest oznaczona literką D, nie należy jej kupować.
Jerzy Zięba
Jerzy Zięba describes a study in mice in which a combination of vitamin C and a fasting-mimicking diet sharply reduced cancer cells; it was not a human study.
„The studies were conducted in mice, not humans, and the scientists studying the effects of vitamin C see potential in it.
“Used alone, a fasting-mimicking diet or vitamin C alone reduced the growth of cancer cells and caused a small increase in cancer cell death,” says Prof.”Badania przeprowadzono na myszach, nie na ludziach, a sami naukowcy, którzy badają działanie witaminy C widzą potencjał.
„„Stosowana samodzielnie dieta naśladująca post lub sama witamina C zmniejszały wzrost komórek rakowych i powodowały niewielki wzrost śmierci komórek rakowych”, mówi Prof.
Jerzy Zięba
Jerzy Zięba says that an infusion of vitamin C was used along with chemotherapy in nine people with advanced pancreatic cancer, and the disease did not progress for six months after treatment.
„The disease did not progress in their bodies during the six months after the treatment ended. We need more experiments and studies like these, as well as publications. For years, I have argued that vitamin C is effective against cancer, but only when it is used in the right way and in the right amounts.”Choroba nie poczyniła postępów w ich organizmach w ciągu pół roku od zakończenia kuracji. Aby więcej takich eksperymentów i badań, a także publikacji. Od lat przekonuję, że witamina C jest skuteczna przy nowotworach, ale wyłącznie, gdy jest stosowana w odpowiedni sposób i właściwych ilościach.
Jerzy Zięba
Jerzy Zięba reports that studies are testing whether oral vitamin C can complement cancer treatment, but he himself does not expect spectacular results.
„In my view, the study will not show spectacular results convincing enough for vitamin C to be used in medical procedures. The reasons are that the amounts are too low and that vitamin C will be given orally. Nevertheless, it is a Polish study, one of very few.”W mojej ocenie badanie nie wykaże spektakularnych rezultatów, które będą przekonujące na tyle, by witaminę C zastosowano w procedurach medycznych. Powodem tego są zbyt niskie ilości oraz fakt, że witamina C będzie podawana doustnie. Niemniej jest to polskie badanie, jedno z niewielu.
Jerzy Zięba
Jerzy Zięba writes that reports on vitamin C’s effect on immunity and its use in high doses are conflicting, and that the author of the article being discussed sees no effect of high doses on whether someone gets sick.
„According to the author, taking high doses of vitamin C has no effect on whether someone gets sick or not. At the end, you will read that a deficiency does indeed weaken immunity, but that this is practically unheard of nowadays, and that reports are now appearing about the importance of vitamin C in fighting COVID-19.”Zdaniem autora zażywanie dużych dawek witaminy C nie ma żadnego wpływu na to, czy ktoś choruje, czy nie. Na koniec przeczytacie wzmiankę o tym, że niedobór faktycznie prowadzi do osłabienia odporności, to w obecnych czasach jest praktycznie niespotykany, a także że obecnie pojawiają się doniesienia na temat znaczenia witaminy C w walce z COVID-19.
Jerzy Zięba
Jerzy Zięba counters this with the claim that high doses of vitamin C, together with standard treatment, are safe and effective in severe viral respiratory infections.
„To counter this, it has been shown that giving high doses of vitamin C (ascorbic acid or ascorbate), in addition to standard conventional supportive therapies, is a safe and effective treatment in severe cases of viral respiratory infection.”Aby temu przeciwdziałać, wykazano, że podawanie dużych dawek witaminy C (kwasu askorbinowego lub askorbinianu), oprócz standardowych konwencjonalnych terapii wspomagających, jest bezpieczną i skuteczną terapią w ciężkich przypadkach wirusowego zakażenia dróg oddechowych.
Jerzy Zięba
Jerzy Zięba says that WHO has no official recommendations on supplements for treating COVID-19, but he himself points to publications and analyses suggesting that vitamin C is effective.
„You will also learn that vitamin C is safe, and that the World Health Organization (WHO) confirms that, so far, there are no official (widely accepted, evidence-based) recommendations on the use of dietary supplements to treat COVID-19.”Dowiedzie się także, że witamina C jest bezpieczna, a także, że Światowa Organizacja Zdrowia (WHO) potwierdza, że jak dotąd, nie ma żadnych oficjalnych (powszechnie uznanych, opartych na dowodach) rekomendacji odnośnie stosowania suplementów diety w leczeniu COVID-19.
Jerzy Zięba
Jerzy Zięba reports that an expert recommends maintaining an adequate level of vitamin C, but believes that raising it with supplements makes no sense.
„- It is important to maintain an adequate level of this vitamin in the body so that it can fight infections and diseases, but raising it with supplements makes no sense, explains Dr. Lidia Stopyra, an infectious disease specialist.”
During infections and after procedures and operations, as well as during inflammation in the body (including cancer), the need for vitamin C is higher, which means that the amount of vitamin C in the body decreases drastically.”- Ważne jest utrzymanie odpowiedniego poziomu tej witaminy w organizmie, aby umiał walczyć z infekcjami i chorobami, jednak zwiększanie go suplementami nie ma sensu – tłumaczy dr Lidia Stopyra, specjalistka w dziedzinie chorób zakaźnych.”
W czasie infekcji oraz po przebytych zabiegach i operacjach, a także w czasie stanów zapalnych toczących się w organizmie (także przy nowotworach) zapotrzebowanie na witaminę C jest wyższe co oznacza, że ilość witaminy C w organizmie zmniejsza się drastycznie.
Andrzej Frydrychowski
Andrzej Frydrychowski argues that high doses of vitamin C are safe and that no side effects were observed in the patients described, who were given it for eight weeks.
„Casciare and others (2001) described patients with terminal cancer who were given 50 g of vitamin C every day for 8 weeks. No side effects were observed. The often-repeated claims that high doses cause kidney stones turned out to be a fairy tale.”Casciare i inni (2001) opisali pacjentów w stanie terminalnym choroby nowotworowej, którym podawano codziennie 50 g witaminy C przez okres 8 tygodni. Nie zaobserwowano żadnych działań ubocznych. Tak często spotykane stwierdzenia, że duże dawki powodują kamicę nerkową, okazały się bajką.
Andrzej Frydrychowski
Andrzej Frydrychowski repeats that no side effects were observed in the described group of patients taking 50 g of vitamin C a day for eight weeks.
„Casciare and others (2001) described patients with terminal cancer who were given 50 g of vitamin C every day for 8 weeks. No side effects were observed. The often-repeated claims that high doses cause kidney stones turned out to be a fairy tale.”Casciare i inni (2001) opisali pacjentów w stanie terminalnym choroby nowotworowej, którym podawano codziennie 50 g witaminy C przez okres 8 tygodni. Nie zaobserwowano żadnych działań ubocznych. Tak często spotykane stwierdzenia, że duże dawki powodują kamicę nerkową, okazały się bajką.
Jerzy Zięba
Jerzy Zięba lists possible problems after taking larger doses, such as stomach pain and bloating, and advises caution for people with kidney problems.
„It should be noted here that, especially with higher doses, some people may experience mild stomach pain, bloating, a burning sensation in the urethra, or a feeling of “sloshing in the stomach.” In that case, the dose should be reduced accordingly. One solution is to use a calcium or sodium salt of ascorbic acid instead of ascorbic acid itself, a form described as BUFFERED vitamin C.”Tutaj trzeba zaznaczyć, że – szczególnie przy wyższych dawkach – u niektórych osób może wystąpić lekki ból brzucha, wzdęcia, pieczenie cew- ki moczowej czy też uczucie „przelewania w brzuchu”, wtedy dawkę należy odpowiednio zmniejszyć. Rozwiązaniem tego problemu jest zastosowanie zamiast kwasu askorbinowego jego soli wapniowej lub sodowej, czyli takiej formy, którą opisuje się jako ZBUFOROWANA forma witaminy C.
Thomas E. Levy
Thomas E. Levy argues that antiviral effects depend on the right dose and that an ordinary, low dose may not have a noticeable effect on a cold or flu.
„There is no question that if someone with the common cold or influenza takes one pill or capsule of the typical formulations found in most supplemental vitamin C preparations, it is likely that there will be no discernible positive effect. A prescription blood pressure drug will not significantly impact high blood pressure if 5% or less of the recommended dose is taken, and the same goes for vitamin C in treating any acute viral infection.”There is no question that if someone with the common cold or influenza takes one pill or capsule of the typical formulations found in most supplemental vitamin C preparations, it is likely that there will be no discernible positive effect. A prescription blood pressure drug will not significantly impact high blood pressure if 5% or less of the recommended dose is taken, and the same goes for vitamin C in treating any acute viral infection.
Thomas E. Levy
Thomas E. Levy believes that press reports portray vitamin C misleadingly, as ineffective and potentially harmful.
„Quite the opposite, the press has consistently generated misleading articles “supported” by bold-faced lies, basically asserting that vitamin C is not only ineffective, it can also be toxic and might damage the kidneys, along with possibly causing an array of other medical problems.”Quite the opposite, the press has consistently generated misleading articles “supported” by bold-faced lies, basically asserting that vitamin C is not only ineffective, it can also be toxic and might damage the kidneys, along with possibly causing an array of other medical problems.
Research from PubMed · Europe PMC
We selected 2 studies with the best, positive results. This is a selection, not a full review of all research.
Total number of studies on this topic in PubMed: 1 605.
A meta-analysis found lower in-hospital mortality among patients with COVID-19 who received vitamin C, but their ICU stays were longer.
Aim of the study: Since the outbreak of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by the severe respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), millions of people have died, and the medical system has faced significant difficulties. Our purpose was to perform a meta-analysis to estimate the effect of vitamin C on in-hospital mortality and the ICU or hospital length of stay for patients diagnosed with COVID-19.
Results: In terms of patient safety, vitamin C has an acceptable profile. Low doses of vitamin C are effective and safe. Despite some evidence of the usefulness of vitamin C in modifying the course of COVID-19, it is too early to modify guidelines and recommendations. Further studies, in particular randomized clinical trials, are necessary.
Money for the studynot stated
Do the authors have ties to companies?no — the authors say so
Did a manufacturer help with the study?NO
Type of studycombined analysis of many studies (meta-analysis)
“Not stated” does not mean nobody paid — the database does not always record it.
The review found that people on plant-based diets consumed more vitamin C than people who ate meat.
Aim of the study: Health authorities increasingly recommend a more plant-based diet, rich in fruits, vegetables, pulses, whole grains and nuts, low in red meat and moderate in dairy, eggs, poultry and fish which will be beneficial for both health and the environment.
Results: Vegans had the lowest vitamin B12, calcium and iodine intake, and also lower iodine status and lower bone mineral density. Meat-eaters were at risk of inadequate intakes of fiber, PUFA, α-linolenic acid (ALA), folate, vitamin D, E, calcium and magnesium. There were nutrient inadequacies across all dietary patterns, including vegan, vegetarian and meat-based diets. As plant-based diets are generally better for health and the environment, public health strategies should facilitate the transition to a balanced diet with more diverse nutrient-dense plant foods through consumer education, food fortification and possibly supplementation.
Money for the studynot stated
Do the authors have ties to companies?yes — the authors reported it
Did a manufacturer help with the study?YES
Type of studyreview of many studies
“Not stated” does not mean nobody paid — the database does not always record it.
Perspectives and opinion materials
The content below presents the authors’ opinions, interpretations and hypotheses. It is not treated as equal to scientific studies and systematic reviews.
Orthomolecular Medicine News Service Opinion material
„Vitamin D, magnesium, omega-3, Coenzyme Q10, and multivitamin supplements are the most commonly purchased dietary supplements. Approximately one third of Americans take vitamin C supplements. People with increased age, wealth, and education are more likely to use dietary supplements. Americans spend $30 billion per year on dietary supplements.”Vitamin D, magnesium, omega-3, Coenzyme Q10, and multivitamin supplements are the most commonly purchased dietary supplements. Approximately one third of Americans take vitamin C supplements. People with increased age, wealth, and education are more likely to use dietary supplements. Americans spend $30 billion per year on dietary supplements.
Orthomolecular Medicine News Service Opinion material
„Dietary Supplements "Don't take chances, take vitamins." (Helen Saul Case) A note of common sense: If you have diseases hindering the metabolism of minerals such as iron (hemochromatosis) or copper (Wilson's disease) avoid supplements containing iron and copper. People with glucose-6-phoshate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency should avoid intravenous vitamin C and high dose oral vitamin C supplementation. If you have young children in your home, childproof your home, including protecting them from unintentional consumption of supplements and medications. Supplement math: 1 gram (g) = 1000 milligrams (mg) = 1,000,000 micrograms (mcg).”Dietary Supplements "Don't take chances, take vitamins." (Helen Saul Case) A note of common sense: If you have diseases hindering the metabolism of minerals such as iron (hemochromatosis) or copper (Wilson's disease) avoid supplements containing iron and copper. People with glucose-6-phoshate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency should avoid intravenous vitamin C and high dose oral vitamin C supplementation. If you have young children in your home, childproof your home, including protecting them from unintentional consumption of supplements and medications. Supplement math: 1 gram (g) = 1000 milligrams (mg) = 1,000,000 micrograms (mcg).
Orthomolecular Medicine News Service Opinion material
„It emphasized that inadequate dietary sources, compounded by environmental toxins, can lead to significant health issues related to vitamin D metabolism (36). Vitamin C: Research indicates that vitamin C deficiency can impair the immune-modulating effects of vitamin D. Vitamin C may enhance the effects of vitamin D, particularly in improving metabolic health and immune function. Metabolic Health: A study found that both vitamin C and vitamin D3 supplementation improved metabolic parameters in obese mice, suggesting a synergistic effect on metabolic health.”It emphasized that inadequate dietary sources, compounded by environmental toxins, can lead to significant health issues related to vitamin D metabolism (36). Vitamin C: Research indicates that vitamin C deficiency can impair the immune-modulating effects of vitamin D. Vitamin C may enhance the effects of vitamin D, particularly in improving metabolic health and immune function. Metabolic Health: A study found that both vitamin C and vitamin D3 supplementation improved metabolic parameters in obese mice, suggesting a synergistic effect on metabolic health.
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