Vitamin C may be the most familiar vitamin on the market. It has a long-standing reputation for immune support; you probably think of vitamin C every time you get a cold. Vitamin C is also a powerful antioxidant, assisting your body to repair the harmful effects of time and toxins. For some people, vitamin C can be used to relieve minor constipation. Interestingly enough, this is a beneficial byproduct of one of the vitamin's few side effects. When given as a supplement at high doses, vitamin C has a laxative effect. This is because the vitamin increases gastric motility, which is to say that it speeds up the digestive process. Most people think of this as a negative side effect, and the vitamin is dosed "to bowel tolerance" -- a discreet way of saying you should reduce your dose if you develop diarrhea. The laxative effect of a high dose of vitamin C can be useful for someone with constipation. In this case, a dose would be chosen that increases the frequency of bowel movements.
The dose would purposefully exceed bowel tolerance. Once the constipation has eased, the dose of vitamin C can be lowered as well. Recommended dosages for vitamin C vary between sources. In 2000 the recommended daily allowance was revised upwards to 75 to 90 mg daily for most adults. This dose is enough to prevent the deficiency disease scurvy in a nonsmoking adult. Depending on the condition being treated, recommended therapeutic doses of vitamin C range from 450 to 6,000 mg and up. Most people will reach bowel tolerance between 2,000 and 4,000 mg. This level is thought to increase when the need for vitamin C is greater. That is, if you are fighting off a cold, it may take a higher dose to create an effect on your digestion. For instance, if you normally notice increased gastric motility at 2,500 mg, during your cold you may take 4,000 mg before noticing any change in bowel movements. Vitamin C is considered a safe supplement for most people. If you are or could become pregnant, it is best not to exceed 6,000 mg vitamin C daily.
Levels above this could interfere with pregnancy. Some people may develop kidney stones on high doses of vitamin C. Consult your doctor before taking this or any supplement. Finally, constipation can be a sign of a serious illness and should be evaluated by a doctor before treatment. Side Effects of a Vitamin C Overdose The Toxicity Level for Vitamin C Disadvantages of Vitamin C Mechanisms of Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid) What Are the Health Benefits of Sodium Ascorbate? What Are The Effects of Eating Too Much Vitamin C? Vitamins That Relieve Constipation Vitamin C & Diarrhea Should I Take Vitamin C in Powder or Pill Form? High-Dose Vitamin C & Weight Loss How to Do a Vitamin C Flush Is Expired Vitamin C Dangerous? What Are the Benefits of Buffered Vitamin C? Which Is Better for IBS Constipation, Magnesium Citrate or Oxide? How to Keep Calcium Supplements From Causing Constipation How Much Magnesium Citrate for Constipation?
What Vitamins and Supplements Can Cause Constipation? Can Too Much Vitamin C Cause Headaches? Can Kids Overdose on Vitamin C? Vitamin C for Chronic InflammationAdditionally, Vitamin C is great for increasing the level of glutathione in the body, which is much needed in individuals with DS. Also this linked study shows that treatment with vitamin C can dissolve the toxic protein aggregates that build up in the brain in Alzheimer’s disease. Vitamin C is safe – too much simply causes diarrhea. Try increasing the amount until it causes loose stools, then reduce the dose slightly so it does not. called taking vitamin C to "bowel tolerance". Using muscle testing might be an easy and effective way to find out how much vitamin C your child can tolerate. Jett weighs 20.6 lbs and he takes 3,750 mg of vitamin C, twice a day. Your child may not need that much, or may need more! figured out this dose by increasing it "to bowel tolerance."
increased his dose until his stool became loose. Once this happened, I lowered the dose until he was regular and his stool consistency wasBonus: Jett's constipation is gone! (See Constipation: Causes and Cures, if needed.) The most powerful and fast acting form of vitamin C is as ascorbic acid. If your child is sensitive to the acidity, you may want to purchase buffered C (Perque Potent C Guard is the only one not derived from corn) or by adding baking soda to your Vitamin C Powder from Vitacost or The Vitamin C Foundation Brand (which is not sourced from China). If it's still a problem, you can try a powdered fruit which is high in Vitamin C like Camu Camu or Amla. Jett uses camu camu because amla didn't muscle test well for Jett. Be sure to get $10 off your first Vitacost vitamin order. Nature's Way Alive Vitamin C is easily absorbed, gentle on the stomach, non-GMO and free of common food allergens. It's just pure vitamin C complex from four 100% organic fruit sources: acerola, goji, amla (amalaki) and kiwi.
You can get it in vegetarian capsules or in powder form. One capsule is 125 mg, when I started, I gave him a capsule a day and saw how that went for a week. I then was using Vitacost brand Buffered C Complex because Jett's need for vitamin C was greater than I realized and I had to give too many of the Nature's Way capsules (6) which was becoming too bulky for him to have to eat mixed in his food. Once he can take capsules, I would like to go back to find an organic source. So, now, Jett weighs 20.6 lbs and he takes 3,750 mg of vitamin C. I figured out this dose by increasing it "to bowel tolerance." I slowly increased his dose until his stool became loose. Once this happened, I lowered the dose until he was regular and his stool consistency was normal. Then I used Vitamin C Powder but it is derived from corn so I discontinued. It also isn't buffered so it can be hard on tooth enamel. This product is the best kind because it's properly buffered and is not derived from corn: Perque Potent C Guard another choice to consider would be the product from
The Vitamin C Foundation. The Ester C didn't work at all, by the way. At four years old, I'm just using camu camu powder over ascorbic acid for Jett, at one teaspoon twice a day, more only if there's any constipation. Originally, I was avoiding ascorbic acid because of the sour taste, but I read that, after long term use, it could break down into oxalates in the intestines which may lead to oxalate stones like kidney stones. The findings are debatable, see here for details. According to the makers of Lypo Spheric Liposomal Vitamin C, it provides maximum assimilation and bio-availability because there are no binders, fillers, gelatins, capsule materials, dyes, sweeteners or flavorings common with tablet and capsule supplements. Plus, if you take more than 2 to 3 grams of traditional Vitamin C, the ascorbic acid in the intestines can cause gastric distress -- gas, cramps, and diarrhea. Often Vitamin C will be eliminated via very loose stool. By using this brand, you can supposedly avoid the degradation and discomfort associated with traditional forms of Vitamin C and protect the lower G.I. Tract - hence, no gastric upset, no diarrheal flushing effect.
Lastly, the liposomes quickly journey to the bloodstream and are circulated throughout the body and "grabbed" by the damaged cells that need it. How I got Jett to take his Vitamin C I put 1/4 teaspoon in a little honey and a couple of large spoonfuls of applesauce. I give with a little bit of coconut water (for the potassium) and 1/4 teaspoon of chokeberry powder (for the other minerals needed for the C to be best ingested). Jett hates the sour taste, but takes it like this just fine. He'll even feed it to himself. He gets it three times a day. //cart/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=2&zenid=54b7cbb5c429ce86374cf7a6c1f9bb6f Prozac & Vision Problems in DS Constipation: Causes and Cures Gingko: The Hows and Whys for Down SyndromeProzac Cures Lazy Eye!CMF Protocol: ProzacAlzheimer's Disease & DS: Connection and TreatmentWhich Multivitamin?Coenzyme Q10High Fructose Corn Syrup Is a Major Cause of DementiaHashimoto's Encephalopathy Mimics Alzheimer's Disease