(word processor parameters LM=8, RM=75, TM=2, BM=2) Taken from KeelyNet BBS (214) 324-3501 Sponsored by Vangard Sciences PO BOX 1031 Mesquite, TX 75150 There are ABSOLUTELY NO RESTRICTIONS on duplicating, publishing or distributing the files on KeelyNet! November 18, 1990 VITAMINC.ASC -------------------------------------------------------------------- Vangard Note... This article comes from a little paper called `Lifelines'. It is a free monthly publication found in many health food stores. It contains many informative articles. We could find neither the address or the author's name of the following text. Vangard Sciences and KeelyNet makes no health recommendations. This paper is being presented for informational purposes only. typed in for KeelyNet by Ron Barker -------------------------------------------------------------------- Getting a cold? Take some vitamin C Vitamin C is a nutrient essential to our well-being. For many years vitamin C was connected only with scurvy, but since the advent of Dr. Linus Pauling's work, "Vitamin C and the Common Cold," many of us have become familiar with the effectiveness of vitamin C in preventing cold. The versatility of this vitamin makes it available for use in the treatment of many other cases of disease and distress. Pauling reports that optimum intake (determined on an individual basis) decreases the morbidity and mortality of heart disease, cerebro-vascular disease and cancer, as well as infectious diseases in general. As a non-specific detoxifying agent it nullifies the toxicity of drugs, fluorine, saccharine, lead, carbon tetrachloride, benzene and excessive intake of vitamins A and D. It has been used successfully in the treatment of ulcers, radiation sickness, rheumatic fever, scarlet fever, pancreatitis, whooping cough and tuberculosis. Pauling concludes that it has value in controlling essentially all disease. The most recent incidence of this ability is in the lowering of the incidence of crib death. New Age magazine reports a study done in one Australian town known for its high infant mortality rate where crib deaths "were virtually wiped out for 10 years by infecting babies with 1,000mg of vitamin C each day." Page 1 More evidence to this conclusion is a nine-year study made in California. Investigators interviewed 577 persons of 50 years or older, getting data related to environmental, behavioral and nutritional factors. As these people died, records were made as to the correlation between the factors and the age of death. Vitamin C level had the greatest correlation with age-correted death factor, even greater than cigarette smoking, with those with a higher C intake living an average of 10 years longer. Vitamin C, ascorbic acid, is produced from a chemical reaction, which yields a substance that participates in nearly all of the chemical reactions in our bodies and in all the protective mechanisms. It is not a "wonder drug." Drugs are developed for specific and singular effects and often have side effects which are harmful to normal bodily functions. Vitamin C is a normal constituent of the body required for life. The major function of vitamin C is the synthesis of collagen. Collagen is a protein fiber found throughout the body' connective tissue. Supporting, protecting and cementing all the organs, collagen prote¼ts the body. It strengthens the intercellular cement holding the body together in various tissues by sending tiny fibrils throughout this cement in much the same way as steel girders are used to reinforce construction cement. This strengthening is effective against cellular invasion. Vitamin C is also involved in the synthesis and releases of adrenocortical and pituitary hormones. It accelerates cortisone production. It is a natural antibiotic and can be used against any infection without side effects. Many animals manufacture their own vitamin C. In fact, man, some types of monkeys, the guinea pig and an indian fruit-eating bat are the only mammals known to require vitamin C from external sources. Other mammals and most birds, amphibians and reptiles have the ability to synthesize the vitamin. Some geneticists, as well as Pauling, theorize that we lost our ability to manufacture our own C through genetic mutation. One of the proofs of this theory is that even now we are missing only one enzyme necessary to complete a chemical conversion to produce vitamin C in the liver. In a weight ratio th the amount of C produced by synthesizing mammals, a man weighing 154 pounds would produce 4 grams (4,000mg) daily in an unstressful situation. Symptoms such as hay fever, canker sores, occasional headaches, bleeding gums or stress can be a sign of vitamin C deficiency. Even the excitement generated by an athletic contest can deplete the kidneys of their store of C. Signs of a deficiency can be loss of appetite and weight, failure to grow, muscular weakness, anemic and even skin lesions. Further Page 2 clues are bleeding gums, frequent colds and infections and recurring bruises. There are certain circumstances under which large doses of vitamin C must be taken to avoid serious deficiency: severe illness and or stress, surgery, accidental wounds and burns. Some drugs can cause the destruction of vitamin C in the body for an long as six weeks following their use. These include barbiturates, adreniline, stibestrol, estrogen, sulfonamides, aluminum chloride, aspirin, antihistamines, thiouracil, thyroid and atropine. These days, vitamin C is most famous for its action to prevent colds. Fatigue, becoming chilled, wearing wet shoes or clothes, and air pollution can lower the body's resistance. Ninety percent of all americans ar familiar with the sniffles, sneezing, sore throat, etc. of the common cold. (Six to 10 percent never contract colds due to their natural powers of resistance.) In this country we average three colds per person per year, and we spend a whopping $500 million per year on cold remedies. Many of these popular drugs, available without prescription, are both harmful and dangerous causing illness and even death. Their use does not control the infection, only the symptoms. Vitamin C gets rid of the symptoms by fighting the infection, with no harmful side effects. Studies have been done to investigate the usefulness of vitamin C against colds. Time after time it has proven effective. Dr. Edme Regnier, who conducted a successful five-year study, and irwin Stone, who originally told Pauling about the benefits of vitamin C, both believe that it is effective in large amounts and that the amount of protection increases with the amount of vitamin C. They recommend that 4 - 10 grams be taken daily at the onset of cold symptoms. Pauling recommends that we carry 1 gram of C with us at all times, taking one or two tablets at the onset of a cold and continuing this procedure for several hours. If there is a quick disappearance of the symptoms, after the first or second dose, we return to our regular intake. If we still show symptoms the second day, we continue the procedure. Viral action can be suppressed, so the regimen needs to be continued long enough to rid the body of the virus. Vitamin C can be used to stop a cold whether or not one is taking it regularly, but again several grams must be taken at the onset. In this case, the procedure should be continued every 20 or 30 minutes until the symptoms disappear. Then the dosage should be decreased gradually. Control of colds would lead to a decrease in more serious diseases which sometimes occur when a cold gets out of had. In fact, Pauling believes that colds could be prevented in 90 percent of the population with the use of vitamin C. Page 3 The same measures recommended for prevention of colds are used to avoid the flu. If you areÿa would-be victim of the flu or cold, don't just take your C and keep working. Get some rest and drink lots of fluids. In this way you will avoid any possibility of serious illness and, equally important, you avoid spreading the virus around to others who may be susceptible. As demonstrated by its effectiveness with the common cold and influenza, both viral infections, vitamin C does have a general antiviral action. Akira Murata, a Japanese microbiologist, using 20-gram injections of sodium ascorbate (a salt of ascorbic acid) found that several kinds of virus were inactivated to more than 99 percent within 10-20 minutes in adult human beings. Because vitamin C stimulates action in the body's natural protective mechanisms, more white blood cells are produced. This means that vitamin C is effective against bacterial as well as viral infections. Vitamin C has been recorded as successful in combating the following diseases: viral pneumonia, hepatitis, poliomyelitis, tuberculosis, measles, mumps, chicken pox, viral pneumonia, viral orchitis, viral meningitis, shingles, fever blisters, cold sores, canker sores, diphtheria, tetanus, staphylococcus, vaccunia virus and herpes. As mentioned earlier, vitamin C is extremely important or direct physical stress: surgery, accidental wounds and burns. Because of its function in the formation of collagen, the speed of and tensile strength of tissue is directly proportional to the amount of C obtained. Vitamin C accelerates the formation of new blood vessels at the site of the injury. It also activates the healing enzymes, speeds the formation of new proteins and helps to prevent hemorrhaging. It follows that here is a great need for increased amounts of C before surgery. Some surgeons suggest that 5 grams of sodium ascorbate be included per liter of intravenous fluid. The use of C decreases the amount of post surgical pain, and the time required for the resumption of normal body functions. Of course, it accelerates healing, and it decreases hospitalization time. How much vitamin C should a person take under normal circumstances? According to Earl Mindell's "Vitamin Bible," daily doses most often used are 500mg to 4 grams. One of the most widely used supplements, it is available in conventional pills, time-release tablets, syrups, powders, chewable wafers and just about every other form a vitamin can take. Because vitamin C is excreted in two or three hours, it is important to either take it in a time-release form or else take it throughout the day. Large doses of vitamin C can alter the results of Page 4 laboratory tests. Before blood or urine testing, the doctor should know if you are taking vitamin C. The body's ability to absorb vitamin C is reduced by smoking (each cigarette destroys 25-100mg), stress, high fever, antibiotics, cortisone, aspirin, pain killers and inhalation of DDT or petroleum fumes. Cooked foods retain about half the vitamin C of raw foods. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Vangard Note... Some research doctors have been trying to treat HIV (AIDS) patients with high doses of vitamin C. Some have used many thousands of grams of C. This can be very dangerous to the patients. The vitamin C is very quickly absorbed by the virus. This in not meant as a cure for the HIV but to aid the immune system. Also it is best to use a liquid or chewable vitamin C. As this will very quickly be absorbed in the body and is much more efficient than the pill form. Do you know how Englishmen got to be called Limey's? A long time ago when the English sailors were out at sea, scurvy was a common problem. The only source of vitamin C available to them, was from eating limes. Thus came the term LIMEY'S! Submitted by: Ronald Barker Vangard Sciences -------------------------------------------------------------------- If you have comments or other information relating to such topics as this paper covers, please upload to KeelyNet or send to the Vangard Sciences address as listed on the first page. Thank you for your consideration, interest and support. Jerry W. Decker.........Ron Barker...........Chuck Henderson Vangard Sciences/KeelyNet -------------------------------------------------------------------- If we can be of service, you may contact Jerry at (214) 324-8741 or Ron at (214) 242-9346 -------------------------------------------------------------------- Page 5