Ascorbic acid, more commonly known as vitamin C, is a water-soluble vitamin that humans need to ingest on a regular basis. Unlike most animals, humans cannot make their own vitamin C. To the general public, it is probably one of the more familiar vitamins but many people may be unaware of the ways it is used by the body and its effect on the hormone cortisol. Vitamin C has a wide array of functions. The Linus Pauling Institute reports that this vitamin is needed for the body to create the collagen which is part of blood vessels, tendons, muscles, bones and skin. Vitamin C is an antioxidant which helps to protect against “free radicals” -- atoms, ions or molecules thought to be involved in degeneration and disease; it affects the digestion of cholesterol, and is involved in the synthesis of norepinephrine, a chemical in the brain. Cortisol is a steroid hormone secreted by the adrenal glands in response to stress or when the level of cortisol in the blood is low. The body uses cortisol to increase blood sugar.
Cortisol also aids in the metabolism of fat, protein and carbohydrates, and can decrease bone formation. It prevents the release of inflammatory substances, and is used medically to treat Addison’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis and allergies. Elevated cortisol levels are a factor in suppressing the immune system, and research is being conducted to determine if vitamin C supplementation can boost immune system function by reducing cortisol levels. At the Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia, researchers have studied the effect of vitamin C supplementation on human subjects subjected to exercise-heat stress. The authors state: “Prolonged physical exertion and environmental heat stress may elicit postexercise depression of immune cell function, increasing upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) susceptibility.” They found that vitamin C was more effective than a placebo in reducing cortisol levels. A study in Germany measured the response of human subjects to stress testing -- public speaking and mental arithmetic -- using both vitamin C and a placebo.
This study found that vitamin C supplementation decreased measures of stress and that the subjects’ elevated cortisol levels recovered more quickly. In a study reported in the October 2001 “International Journal of Sports Medicine,” marathoners who received vitamin C supplements showed decreased cortisol levels. While vitamin C and cortisol do interact, the research implications are still unclear. The Linus Pauling institute -- although Pauling himself recommended very high doses of vitamin C -- states that adult men and women should consume at least 400 mg of vitamin C daily. This is the equivalent of ten servings or five cups of fruits and vegetables, so the Institute suggests supplemental vitamin C in two separate 250 mg doses, taken morning and evening. It is unwise to self-medicate with vitamin C or any other supplement for a specific condition, and if you have questions or concerns, you should discuss them with your health care professional. Vitamin C Dosage to Help Lower Cortisol
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Before your sniffles morph into a nasty sinus, chest, or ear infection, here’s how to fight back. Adults average two to four colds a year, and the typical upper respiratory infection takes up to 10 days to get over. But we all manifest the first signs of a cold in different ways. Even though our body is trying to tell us something, most people just push through those first signs. Many times we don’t slow down until we feel flat out miserable! That’s when we run to the pharmacy looking for something to remedy our sickness. But that first sniffle, throat tickle, or cough doesn’t have to be all doom and gloom. What if you could stop a cold before its full blown misery? Well, I’m here to tell you that you can! The first thing I want to address is that you have to be diligent about stopping your cold. You must work hard and fast to stop the virus in its tracks at the first sign of trouble. It all begins within 10 to 12 hours after infection starts. You should take action the minute you feel the first symptoms of a cold — the scratchy throat, runny nose, and sneezing.
Being sporadic or inconsistent with these recommendations will not do the job! You can reduce a cold’s severity, duration, and the number of days it knocks you horizontal with natural remedies. I use these remedies each cold season and have experienced healing results. You don’t have to surrender to a cold. Here’s how to stop a cold before it takes hold — and feel better soon. Stock up on the essentials now, as waiting to purchase them can be too late! Long before vitamins and supplements gained the popularity they have today, one vitamin stood alone as the most popular for treating a cold. Vitamin C is the by far the most famous immune boosting vitamin. This fame is result of chemist Linus Pauling. He promoted vitamins C’s benefits back in the 1970s. He was the very first to advocate large doses of vitamin C for the common cold. Since then, millions have used vitamin C and have seen great results to lower the incidence of a full blown cold. I personally take vitamin C on a daily basis.
Not only is it great for the immune system, but it has many other benefits as well. Some of those include: Vitamin C is a water soluble vitamin. This means that the vitamin is not stored in the body and the excess is excreted in the urine. This helps prevent a vitamin overdose, making it much safer to consume in larger dosages. However, in order to be therapeutic, you need to divide your dosages throughout the day. As I mentioned earlier, Linus Pauling was the first to recommend large dose vitamin C supplementation to cure the common cold. Later, something called the “Vitamin C Flush” became popular. This flush takes the concept of large dosage vitamin C and goes a step further. This is the ultimate “hit it fast and hard” scenario in tackling a cold. The vitamin C Flush is a short term, mega-dosing of vitamin C which kickstarts the immune system into high gear. It also flushes out excess toxins and free radicals. This flush is also commonly used for heavy metals and chemical poisoning detoxification.
The vitamin C flush is designed to be completed over a couple of days. You will want to begin your flush at the first signs of sickness. Although, its immune boosting and cleansing effects can benefit you at any stage of your cold. However, if you want to stop a cold, rather than shorten its duration, you’ll want to begin earlier rather than later. The first step is to have a quality vitamin C already on hand. I highly recommend a buffered or calcium ascorbate version of vitamin C. Read the label before buying your vitamin C. Ester C is the common name that calcium ascorbate is marketed under. So, look for the label stating Ester C. Also, if the vitamin C is buffered, it will state “buffered” on the label. These two forms are much easier on the stomach as the acid level is extremely lower. I would recommend purchasing one that contains 1000 mg per capsule. 1. Start by taking 1000 mg of vitamin C, once an hour. Do not skip an hour! 2. Once you begin to have loose stools, you have reached your bowel tolerance limit.
This means you have saturated your body with the vitamin C. At this point your immune system should be ramped up and fighting that nasty cold virus. 3. Keep track of how many milligrams it took to get you to the point where your stools were loose. You’ll subtract 1000 mg from this total and take this amount every 4 hours for the next 1 to 2 days. (For example, if it took you 8,000 mg of vitamin C to reach saturation, take 8000 – 1000 = 7000. You would then take 7000 mg of C in a single dosage, every four hours for the next day or two.) Zinc is a mineral for colds that has worked so well that an entire brand of products were created based on it’s effectiveness. The ability of zinc to stop a cold or shorten its duration has been proven in several studies. Therefore, the makers of Zicam saw a great opportunity to make a profit off this cold busting mineral. Zicam, a zinc based supplement line, can be purchased at nearly every pharmacy. However, I have an issue with Zicam – and it’s not the zinc.
It’s the other ingredients in their cold products. Many of Zicam’s products contain lots of sugar and unnecessary artificial ingredients. Zicam’s lozenges contain artificial colors, flavors and sweeteners. As if nasty cold symptoms were enough, these lab-made ingredients have been linked to: Also, their nasal swabs have a history of complaints from customers who say they disrupted their sense of smell! This is not to say that zinc itself isn’t an excellent . However, there are a few things I want to make clear when supplementing with . Zinc can cause some mild nausea, so be sure to have food in your stomach when using zinc. The results are worth the possible mild discomfort. Supplementing with zinc in the correct way is a proven remedy in both stopping and shortening the duration of a cold. Iodine has become one of my newest obsessions for effectively treating colds. Though it’s a new discovery for me, it’s actually one of the oldest medicines dating back 150 years ago!
It can easily be said that it was the most prescribed medicine in the early 1900s. Doctors often recommended iodine for: Iodine is nothing short of incredible. It is capable of killing all classes of pathogens. Applied topically, iodine kills bacteria, viruses, and fungus within 90 seconds! Iodine has a broad range of action against germs. It has few, if any, side effects and develops no resistance to bacteria. Iodine quickly passes through the cell wall and right into the cell to kill pathogens. Even a broad spectrum antibiotic doesn’t have the abilities to kill viruses or different forms of fungus as iodine does! This makes iodine one of the most versatile and comprehensive medicines ever! Iodine is the only classified “medicine” that is composed of a substance our body needs! Iodine is necessary for thyroid hormones, which control the body’s metabolism and development of both skeleton and brain, among other things. Lack of iodine may severely affect your child’s brain function and IQ.
This “medicine” that is necessary for health and brain function lacks the toxic side-effects that most prescription and even over-the-counter medications can have. I have stopped many potential colds with iodine. I recommend using the Lugol’s iodine solution. I use the 5%, but you can also purchase it in 2%. Iodine can also be taken on a regular basis to prevent colds — or any other ailment for that matter. A couple drops a day is a typical dosage. I have experienced an increase in energy when supplementing iodine. This is due to its thyroid boosting abilities. However, if you have Hashimoto’s Disease, then do not take iodine because it can worsen your condition. Iodine may be considered an old medicine, but its abilities are more numerous and effective than the newest drugs! Don’t let another cold season get you down. Stop that cold before you’re in full-blown snot blowing, throat throbbing misery! Stock your cabinet with vitamin C, zinc, and iodine so you can attack that cold head on!