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Vitamin C as a pro-oxidant?

Sarah94

Senior Member
Messages
1,087
Location
UK

ljimbo423

Senior Member
Messages
4,705
Location
United States, New Hampshire
I took a quick look at the links you posted and I don't think the researchers are certain that Vit. C works as a pro-oxidant in people.

They think it might under certain conditions but the vast amount of Vit. C research says it acts as an antioxidant.

These kind of contradicting studies I have found for almost every supplement I have researched, if I look for them and sometimes even if I don't.:)

It makes treating a complicated disease like CFS, with supplements, even more complicated and confusing.
 

pamojja

Senior Member
Messages
2,384
Location
Austria
I've taken in average 24 g per day of oral ascorbic acid powder (the 99.9% pure powder with the chemical formula C₆H₈O₆) during the last 10 years, along with very comprehensive supplementation and life-style changes. Also monitoring blood work to see my intervention nudge them in the right direction. This way it was possible to experience remission from a 60% walking-disability from PAD (usually considered non-reversible), and many other chronic conditions along the way (COPD, T2D, ME/CFS..). Though the last real PEM is only about 2 years ago.

Vitamin C does get pro-oxidant with high dose IVs, even intentionally to kill cancer cells. Though such high serum levels as with one usual 50 g ascorbate IV is never possible to reach taken orally. In a petri-dish its of course easy to reach such high concentrations to show this pro-oxidant effect too.
 

JES

Senior Member
Messages
1,320
I think isolated vitamin C is a NO NO

Whole food vitamin C is a YES

Yep, I notice increased inflammatory symptoms from any ascorbic acid supplement (that is, anything more than the 50 mg that comes in a multivitamin pill). I suspect it may be due to increased permeability of gut, which was found in this study. When I'm sick with a cold, I can take grams of vitamin C without a problem. For me the only way to prevent this negative effect is to simply get it with food. I never noticed any negative reaction with vitamin C rich foods.
 

Archie

Senior Member
Messages
168
Yes, i think some serous issues can pop in with synthetic vitamin c taked larger dosages . Morley Robbins , the creator of the root cause protocol have listed synthetic vitamin c in " stop taking " and same time says to take whole food vitamin c.

I dont remember all the details, but something like this:


Synthetic vitamin c cause harm to copper, ceruloplasmin and iron metabolism.

Whole food vitamin c have actually an enzyme that has copper in it and is all good to us , helping...
 

outdamnspot

Senior Member
Messages
924
Yep, I notice increased inflammatory symptoms from any ascorbic acid supplement (that is, anything more than the 50 mg that comes in a multivitamin pill). I suspect it may be due to increased permeability of gut, which was found in this study. When I'm sick with a cold, I can take grams of vitamin C without a problem. For me the only way to prevent this negative effect is to simply get it with food. I never noticed any negative reaction with vitamin C rich foods.

This is quite worrying as I have bad gut issues and always supplement with 5-7g of time-release Vitamin C before bed. Honestly, I suspect it makes me feel a bit worse and will induce a crash, but it's also the only way I can calm adrenaline down; I don't suspect I'd be able to sleep without it.
 

pamojja

Senior Member
Messages
2,384
Location
Austria
Yep, I notice increased inflammatory symptoms from any ascorbic acid supplement (that is, anything more than the 50 mg that comes in a multivitamin pill). I suspect it may be due to increased permeability of gut, which was found in this study. When I'm sick with a cold, I can take grams of vitamin C without a problem.
This is quite worrying as I have bad gut issues and always supplement with 5-7g of time-release Vitamin C before bed.

I suspects that also could come from the many binders, fillers and other ingredients in a multivitamin pill, or worse (by its sheer amount), even 5-7g time-release pills. For this reason would only use the pure powder. If sensitive to the acidity, by using mineral ascorbates (easily made oneself by mixing ascorbic acid with bicarbonates in water).