Stop, look and C
April 29, 2003 | 12:00am
Even as we write this, SARS-scared Metro Manilans are wiping out the vitamin shelves of health shops and panic-buying disinfectants like alcohol and alcogel in drug stores and supermarkets. Since SARS crept into our lives and changed our lifestyle, we’ve been hearing a lot of unsolicited prescriptions from a lot of people. One recommendation is to eat kimchi as Korea must be SARS-free because of this hot and zesty delicacy. Another says that papaya has anti-SARS properties. A Singaporean, who must have tried it himself, recommends making tea from a mixture of green beans, sweet potatoes and brown sugar. And SARS forth and SARS on.
And now, health authorities are saying that to protect ourselves from SARS, we must boost our immune system by taking vitamins, especially vitamin C. Well, to C is to believe! We chanced upon this Big Book of Miracle Cures by Corinne Netzer (available at National Book Store), which may come in handy if you want to fortify your knowledge of vitamins. Turn to that page on vitamin C and read this:
You’re probably familiar with one of the earliest uses of vitamin C to prevent illness –through the stories about sailors who, during the age of exploration, discovered that a supply of citrus fruit on board could forestall scurvy. These and other anecdotes led to early acceptance of this vitamin. However, vitamin C has also had supporters in modern times.
The big debate hasn’t been whether or not to take vitamin C but how, and how much, to take. Some people contend that only "natural" forms of vitamin C are useful. Others insist that since vitamin C can’t be stored in the body, taking more than one needs is a pointless waste of money. In the 1940s, for example, physician Fred Klenner helped polio victims with high dosages of C. Three decades later, Linus Pauling became a tireless spokesman for vitamin C, advocating it for a wide range of uses, including cancer prevention. Though Pauling was greeted with skepticism by many colleagues, the public listened and made vitamin C one of the best-selling supplements on the market (as it still is today).
Vitamin C may be the best known, most written about, and most researched vitamin in existence. Despite this, many people remain unsure about its benefits.
Can vitamin C really help stop colds and upper respiratory infections (like maybe SARS)?
Because vitamin C boosts the immune system, it can help fight a number of infectious conditions. The hearty news is that it promotes heart health and reduces one’s risk for cancer (a diet rich in C seems to reduce the risk for several types of cancer), asthma and allergies (C helps protect bronchial tubes and lung tissue and acts to reduce inflammation), as well as promotes healing of wounds.
Just how much does one need to take?
Studies show that vitamin C is effective for colds and cold symptoms at dosages of 600 to 2,000 milligrams a day. Since the body cannot store reserves of vitamin C, divide your daily intake into several smaller doses and take throughout the day, so the vitamin book recommends.
According to Rayner Soothill, author of The Choice Guide to Vitamins and Minerals (available at Goodwill Bookstore), one common result of taking large doses of vitamin supplements is having very expensive urine. Another is that we make our liver and kidneys work harder than they normally have to, to process the vitamins that we take in. The story goes that famished Arctic explorers were poisoned by vitamin A after having too much of it in polar bear liver. Then there was the food faddist who overdosed on vitamin A by drinking five liters of carrot juice (around one gallon) every day for four years. Yes, too much of a good thing can be bad!
Fact is, excesses of the fat-soluble vitamins – A, D, E and K – are stored in the liver and in fat deposits around the body, says Soothill. Taken in large doses, these vitamins can cause serious health problems.
As for vitamin C, even in large doses, it is considered safe and nontoxic. However, it does have some side effects: Diarrhea and bowel discomfort. To find your tolerance level, it is advised that you take your vitamin C with meals, or get one that combines C with calcium or magnesium (which can ease the problem).
Take this pregnant pause, too: Obstetricians warn pregnant women against taking high does of vitamin C. If you’re taking vitamin C and get pregnant, or if you’re pregnant and want to take vitamin C, do consult your doctor first.
Now, do you C?
And now, health authorities are saying that to protect ourselves from SARS, we must boost our immune system by taking vitamins, especially vitamin C. Well, to C is to believe! We chanced upon this Big Book of Miracle Cures by Corinne Netzer (available at National Book Store), which may come in handy if you want to fortify your knowledge of vitamins. Turn to that page on vitamin C and read this:
You’re probably familiar with one of the earliest uses of vitamin C to prevent illness –through the stories about sailors who, during the age of exploration, discovered that a supply of citrus fruit on board could forestall scurvy. These and other anecdotes led to early acceptance of this vitamin. However, vitamin C has also had supporters in modern times.
The big debate hasn’t been whether or not to take vitamin C but how, and how much, to take. Some people contend that only "natural" forms of vitamin C are useful. Others insist that since vitamin C can’t be stored in the body, taking more than one needs is a pointless waste of money. In the 1940s, for example, physician Fred Klenner helped polio victims with high dosages of C. Three decades later, Linus Pauling became a tireless spokesman for vitamin C, advocating it for a wide range of uses, including cancer prevention. Though Pauling was greeted with skepticism by many colleagues, the public listened and made vitamin C one of the best-selling supplements on the market (as it still is today).
Vitamin C may be the best known, most written about, and most researched vitamin in existence. Despite this, many people remain unsure about its benefits.
Can vitamin C really help stop colds and upper respiratory infections (like maybe SARS)?
Because vitamin C boosts the immune system, it can help fight a number of infectious conditions. The hearty news is that it promotes heart health and reduces one’s risk for cancer (a diet rich in C seems to reduce the risk for several types of cancer), asthma and allergies (C helps protect bronchial tubes and lung tissue and acts to reduce inflammation), as well as promotes healing of wounds.
Just how much does one need to take?
Studies show that vitamin C is effective for colds and cold symptoms at dosages of 600 to 2,000 milligrams a day. Since the body cannot store reserves of vitamin C, divide your daily intake into several smaller doses and take throughout the day, so the vitamin book recommends.
According to Rayner Soothill, author of The Choice Guide to Vitamins and Minerals (available at Goodwill Bookstore), one common result of taking large doses of vitamin supplements is having very expensive urine. Another is that we make our liver and kidneys work harder than they normally have to, to process the vitamins that we take in. The story goes that famished Arctic explorers were poisoned by vitamin A after having too much of it in polar bear liver. Then there was the food faddist who overdosed on vitamin A by drinking five liters of carrot juice (around one gallon) every day for four years. Yes, too much of a good thing can be bad!
Fact is, excesses of the fat-soluble vitamins – A, D, E and K – are stored in the liver and in fat deposits around the body, says Soothill. Taken in large doses, these vitamins can cause serious health problems.
As for vitamin C, even in large doses, it is considered safe and nontoxic. However, it does have some side effects: Diarrhea and bowel discomfort. To find your tolerance level, it is advised that you take your vitamin C with meals, or get one that combines C with calcium or magnesium (which can ease the problem).
Take this pregnant pause, too: Obstetricians warn pregnant women against taking high does of vitamin C. If you’re taking vitamin C and get pregnant, or if you’re pregnant and want to take vitamin C, do consult your doctor first.
Now, do you C?
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