Linus Pauling, Nobel Laureate in Chemistry, is ranked in a list of the 20 greatest scientists of all time by the British magazine New Scientist, along with Albert Einstein and Newton. His previous insights about the structure of DNA led to its discovery by Watson and Crick. He is considered a founding father of quantum chemistry and molecular biology. Anticipating over 50 years ago the dangers of air pollution from automobile exhaust, he even built an early electric car! In his late 60’s, Pauling, influenced by the biochemist, Irwin Stone, began taking vitamin C in huge doses, 1000mg.-3000mg every day to prevent and abort colds. Excited by the results, he published “Vitamin C and the Common Cold” in 1970. He then began a long collaboration with the British cancer surgeon, Ewan Cameron in 1971 on the use of vitamin C as cancer therapy for terminal patients. Cameron and Pauling wrote a popular book, “Cancer and Vitamin C.” Pauling’s work on vitamin C generated controversy and was quickly regarded by some adversaries in the field of medicine as outright quackery.
Three prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled trials were conducted at the Mayo Clinic; all three failed to prove a benefit for megadoses of vitamin C in cancer patients. Further studies during the following decades convincingly showed that megadoses of vitamin C did not prevent or abort colds, and did nothing for cancer. With overwhelming medical evidence to the contrary, millions of people still believe in vitamin C, to the tune of hundreds of million dollars in yearly sales. Despite the recommended daily allowance by the Government of 75mg-90 mg./day for adults, (it used to be 30mg./day) enormous numbers of Americans think nothing of dosing themselves with 1,000mg-5,000mg. a day for the treatment of colds. Some cancer patients still believe in the vitamin. Googling vitamin C gets you 40.6 million hits. For starters there’s a Vitamin C Foundation, a pop singer Vitamin C, and in 2000 Mattel released a Vitamin C Doll. Vitamin C is plentiful in a wide variety of foods, not only fruits and vegetables, but in meats, and many cereal products.
It is largely destroyed by cooking; on the other hand it is not stored by the body. Most people tolerate large doses of vitamin C without difficulty, However, overdosing with over 1,000 mg. of Vitamin C can cause nausea, cramps, and diarrhea, and reduce absorption of vitamin B-12, and even cause iron overload. A recent report blames a worsening of osteoarthritis on large doses of vitamin C. Chronic megadoses of vitamin C in some patients may enhance the development of (oxalate) kidney stones. Spend your health dollar as you will, but if you’re taking excessive doses note that over 95% or more of ingested vitamin C is excreted in the urine in 24 hours. This is literally a way to flush away your money. This entry was posted on Tuesday, July 17th, 2007 at 6:45 pm and is filed under vitamin C. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.Sign up for our Free Newsletter A Community of 200,000+ Subscribers benefit from our latest research and news.
In the early 1900s, ascorbic acid was isolated and identified as the nutrient that prevented scurvy. Humans, it was discovered, are among the few animals that cannot manufacture vitamin C in their own bodies, and must obtain it from an outside source (fresh fruits, vegetables, or vitamin C pills) on a regular basis in order to avoid illness. Dogs, however, can produce vitamin C in their bodies, and because of this ability, nutritionists have long considered it unnecessary to add C to a dog’s diet. Until recently, few dog food makers added vitamin C to their products – or if they do, it was for the preservative action of the vitamin, rather than its nutritive value. Vitamin C benefits the sick and the stressedThis may be appropriate when dealing with healthy unstressed animals, but recent clinical observations indicate that when dogs are sick or stressed, they can rapidly deplete their bodies’ output of vitamin C. A 1942 study noted that dogs with skin diseases usually have very low amounts of vitamin C in their blood.
Other researchers have found the blood levels of vitamin C to be low – and even non-existent – in dogs with fevers and dogs who have exercised to their limits (sled dogs after a race, for example, or hunting dogs in the middle of hunting season). Stress is the best-known cause of vitamin C depletion in dogs. Physical stress comes in many forms: gestation, lactation, growth, hard work (dogs used for herding, hunting, tracking, etc.), vaccinations, injuries, tail-docking or ear cropping, or illness. Emotional stress, whether caused by relocation, weaning, or demanding training, can also deplete this reserve. In fact, researchers can measure the level of stress a dog experiences by measuring the degree of depletion of the vitamin in the dog’s blood. Conversely, many studies have found that dogs (as well as humans) that are supplemented with vitamin C show greater resistance to disease, and a better ability to recover from injuries or illness. What C does for dogsWendell O. Belfield, DVM, is perhaps the world’s best-known and most ardent advocate of vitamin C supplementation for dogs.
In his book, “How to Have a Healthier Dog,” Belfield describes how he first came to experiment with (and appreciate) the power of vitamin C in his veterinary practice. Following a particularly heartbreaking episode, where he was unable to save the life of a beloved family dog that had distemper, he began researching viral diseases. In the course of his studies, he came across an article about a doctor who used massive doses of vitamin C to successfully treat viral diseases such as polio and hepatitis in the 1940s. Belfield began wondering whether C could be used to combat canine viral diseases. One day in 1965, another client came to Belfield’s office with a dog that was suffering from distemper. Belfield decided to try an injection of vitamin C on the dog, and it responded dramatically, surviving what he had been taught in veterinary school was a fatal disease for which there is no successful treatments. Following this success, Belfield began experimenting with vitamin C treatments for all kinds of conditions in dogs.
His trials and studies have convinced him of the tremendous power that the vitamin holds for dogs. According to the “Encylcopedia of Nutritional Supplements,” by Michael T. Murray (1996, Prima Publishing), vitamin C improves immune function by enhancing white blood cell function and activity. It also increases the blood levels of interferon (the body’s natural antiviral and anticancer compound) and antibodies (proteins that bind to and destroy foreign material such as bacteria, viruses, and toxins). Vitamin C is commercially available by itself or combined with other nutrients in a number of forms. See “Which Form of Vitamin C is the Best?” on page 8 for information about your options. Suggested usesTime and further studies are bearing out Belfield’s findings. Today, vitamin C is routinely prescribed by holistic veterinarians for a number of illnesses, including cancer, kennel cough and other respiratory infections, abscesses, and other bacterial infections. Due to its important role in maintaining the health of collagen, it appears to be especially helpful for slowing – and some say, reversing – degenerative joint disease, hip dysplasia, and spinal disorders.
The use of vitamin C as a preventative and immune booster are also celebrated. Some veterinarians suggest giving C to dogs before and after vaccination, to dogs that have been exposed to contagious diseases, to pregnant and lactating dogs, and for healthy teeth and gums. According to Belfield, young dogs and old dogs can benefit the most from routine vitamin C supplements. Due to the extensive stresses faced by puppies and young dogs, such as numerous vaccinations, surgical procedures on dewclaws, tails, and ears, and the demands of rapid growth, he suggests that all young dogs receive C. As they get old, dogs become less proficient at producing their own supply of vitamin C, and more in need of antioxidants. Administering vitamin C to even very old and feeble dogs, says Belfield, can reinvigorate and strengthen them. DosageThe average dog normally produces about 18 milligrams of vitamin C per pound of body weight per day. Therefore, for a dog that is free of clinically significant symptoms but is experiencing unusual stress, supplementation with about that much C per day appears be a conservative maintenance dosage.
(About 500 milligrams for a 28-lb. dog daily.) To increase absorption, veterinarians recommend splitting the total daily dosage into several feedings during the day. However, many holistic veterinarians routinely suggest maintenance doses that are three to four times that amount. They explain that modern, domestic dogs need more vitamin C than the theoretical “natural” dog, since their bodies must deal with so many challenges: stress, pollution, chemicals and pesticides, and poor diets, to name a few. Too much vitamin C, especially if given in one dose, will cause diarrhea in dogs. What amount is too much varies from dog to dog, so, when administering the maximum amount of C for a therapeutic (not just maintenance) dose, many veterinarians will suggest that you increase the dose in 100-500 milligram-per-day increments until the dog develops diarrhea, then reduce his daily dose to the previous day’s dose. (This is often referred to as dosing to “bowel tolerance.”) Individuals dogs may be more or less tolerant of vitamin C supplements, and their tolerance may change with environmental conditions.
For instance, a dog that is experiencing great stress may tolerate 4,000 milligrams without diarrhea, but develop the condition as the stress is removed. The owner’s awareness of the quality of the dog’s stool is critical to appropriate dosing. The type of illness being treated should also be considered when determining the dose. Some guidelines published by holistic veterinarians include: Richard Pitcairn, DVM, “Dr. Pitcairn’s Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats.” Pitcairn suggests giving 100-500 milligrams (based on the dog’s size) of vitamin C daily to dogs that are exposed to unusually high amounts of pollutants. Cheryl Schwartz, DVM, “Four Paws, Five Directions: A Guide to Chinese Medicine for Cats and dogs.” Schwartz suggests giving vitamin C to dogs with a variety of illnesses, including upper respiratory conditions (small dogs, 125 to 500 mg. twice daily; medium dogs, 250-1,500 mg. twice daily; large dogs, 500-1,500 mg. twice daily), arthritis (to bowel tolerance), infected ears (small dogs, 250-500 mg. twice daily; large dogs, 500-1,000 mg. twice daily), and skin allergies (small dogs, 125 mg. twice daily; medium and large dogs