It is said that vitamin c raises dopamine, but vitamin c is almost always listed as one of the top basic vitamins to for health.
Vitamin C has many functions, the most basic ones:
Vitamin C Basic Functions
- Collagen synthesis. Vitamin C is an essential coenzyme in collagen synthesis. Cofactor in the hydroxylation of lysine and proline, stimulation of gene-expression in fibroblasts; development, maturation and repair of connective tissue such as skin, bone, tendons ligaments, scar tissue, blood vessels and cartilage (anti-scurvy effect = ascorbic). Lack of ascorbic acid results in poorly formed connective tissue in the skin, joints, muscles, and bones.
- Hormone production. Glucocorticoids synthesis in adrenal cortex (stress-response), and Vitamin D-hormone (calcitriol synthesis). Production of epinephrine and norepinephrine, (the hormones released by the adrenal gland in response to stress) are dependent on adequate vitamin C status.
- Neurotransmitter metabolism. Ascorbic acid is essential for the production of norepinephrine and serotonin, two important neurotransmitters in the brain. Conversion of tryptophan in 5-hydrotryptophan (=precursor of serotonin), hydroxylation of dopamine into noradrenalin, synthesis of L-dopa.
- Amidation of neuro-endocrinic hormones. Gastrin, CRH (corticotropin-releasing- hormone and TRH (tyreotropin-releasing-hormone).
- Bile acid synthesis and cholesterol breakdown and excretion. The first key step in the degradation of cholesterol (also tyrosine; bile-acid-synthesis, cholesterol-7-hydroxylasis, HMG-CoA-recductasis) depends on vitamin C. Cholesterol levels in the liver and blood increase if vitamin C status is impaired.
- Carnitine synthesis. Ascorbic acid - together with cofactors niacin, vitamin B6, lysine and methione - is essential for the formation of carnitine, an amino acid required for breakdown of fats for energy. Lack of ascorbic acid lowers levels of carnitine and reduces energy production, producing fatigue and muscle weakness.
- Tyrosine metabolism. Synthesis and catabolism.
- Iron absorbtion and metabolism. Vitamin C sharply increases non-heme iron absorption from diet or supplements. Raising iron transference from transferritin (transport protein) to ferritin (storage protein)-
- Folic acid activation. To tetrahydrofolate (THF).
- Antioxidant function. Vitamin C is the body’s primary water-soluble antioxidant. It is present in the blood, body fluids, and inside all cells and helps protect against oxidative damage by free radicals of lipids (lipid-peroxidation), proteins, nucleic acid and cell membranes. (anti-inflammatory and anti-degenerative effects, e.g. in cancers, diabetes, arthritis, cataracts and cardiovascular diseases..). Vitamin C is also important in the conversion (reduction) of iron and copper to the form in which they function as cofactors in many enzyme systems, such as reduced copper in superoxide dismutase (another antioxidant).
- Antioxidant regeneration. Central building-block in the redox-chain of vitamin C, vitamin E, coenzym Q10 and lipoic acid and/or glutathione, Regeneration of glutathion-disulfide into glutathione.
- Vitamin E sparing effect. Regeneration of tocopherol radicals (vitamin E radical) into the reduced, anti-oxidative active alpha-tocopherol (vitamin E).
- Protection of folate and vitamin E from oxidation. Ascorbic acid protects folate and vitamin E from oxidation and helps maintain these vitamins in their active forms.
- Endothelial cell protection. Raising of NO-bioavailability. (anti thrombotic and blood-lowering effect)
- Detoxification and excretion of drugs and chemicals. Ascorbic acid helps maintain the enzyme systems in the liver that detoxify and excrete drugs and toxic environmental chemicals (such as pesticides and heavy metals). Detoxification of xenobiotika (synthesis/anti-oxidative protection of CYP 450) in the liver, excretion of toxins.
- Antiviral and antibacterial effect. Vitamin C is important for healthy immune function. It is essential for optimum activity of white blood cells and production of the chemical mediators that direct the immune response. Lack of vitamin C sharply increases vulnerability to infection (Immunocompetence). Stimulation of the cellular (antibodies) and hormonal immune system (interferon), protection of phagocytic membranes from oxidative self-destruction (prolonged function-time of immune cells), activation of complementary systems and of chemotaxis.
- Anti.glycation. Inhibition of protein glycosylation and AGE-formation. (e.g. HbA1C).
- Anti-allergic. Vitamin C plays a role in controlling body and blood histamine levels (histamine degradation and mast cell stabilization), and blood histamine levels increase when vitamin C status is poor. High levels of histamine can aggravate allergies, asthma, stomach ulcers, and certain psychiatric disorders.
- Anti-carcinogenic. Inhibition of the formation of carcinogenic nitrosamines from nitrites and secondary amins (especially of the digestive system), protection of DNA from oxidative damage.
Therefore rather than to say it raises dopamine, its more that it facilitates its synthesis in the fist place. Among so many other things.
If so, at what dosage? ... I've been taking 1000 mg for years. I don't notice a difference when I take it or don't. Taking it has just become routine.
Vitamin C is very peculiar in that at low dietary intake (~100 mg/d) it has a very long half-life of up to 30 days. The body seem to try very hard to keep and recycle at such small amounts. Probably we got this ability once we had a gene mutation which made it impossible for humans to produce vitamin C endogenously, as most animals still do from glucose.
While with high doses, like 20 g/d taken throughout the day, that recycling isn't functioning and the vitamin C serum half-life comes down to half an hour.
Normal serum levels in humans for vitamin C from my lab is 5-15 mg/L. Many with conditions, alcoholics or cigarette smoking, it would show even below 'normal'. Considering the mean of 10 mg/L by in average 5 liters of blood in a human, that would amount to an average of 50 mg of vitamin C contained in the whole serum of a human.
According to one study high-dose vitamin users who took 20 g of oral ascorbic acid throughout the day would reach a steady serum level of about 90 mg/dl (calculated from µmol/L), or about 450 mg total in serum. About 10 times as much with 200 times as much in oral intake. Nevertheless, at such high levels approximately what all animal have everyday from endogenous production.
However, whenever an animal get sick it ramps up endogenous vitamin C production to multiples from that, and also in humans with illness suddenly bowel-tolerance (the amount possible to take before having loose bowel-movements) also can go up to 50-100 g/d oral vitamin C.
Now the problem with all this and if
Bruce Ames triage theory would bear out with vitamin C too, is that nutrients in deficiency get first allotted to life-saving bodily processes - in negligence of less urgent but nevertheless causing chronic symptoms later in life.
Personally had a PAD diagnosis 10 years ago giving me a 60% walking-disability. Therapeutic doses improved that condition already within 1 year. But the disability was only completely gone and revoked after 6 years on about 23 g/d of pure ascorbic acid powders (without the not so non-toxic fillers and binders of capsules or pills). A for 2 years persistent skin-rash on my back disappeared right away. And for me with seasonal rhinitis it's as effective as any prescription anti-histamine.
However, this isn't medical advise, just my own experience. You have to weight the benefits and decide how much to take yourself. As always I personally would start with low doses and increase gradually over weeks, months and years.
I already get over the 46 mg RDA of Vitamin C from vegetables. I suffer from Adrenal Fatigue among other things and a few years ago took Liposomal Vitamin C for a few months (I think I was taking 8 grams a day). I didn't feel much of a difference and because it was so expensive and irritated my stomach, so I switched back to Vitamin C caps.