BMC Cardiovasc Disord. Compared to orally administered vitamin C, intravenous vitamin C can result in 30 to 70-fold higher plasma vitamin C concentrations (25). Because high doses of vitamin C have also been found to interfere with the interpretation of certain laboratory tests (e.g., serum bilirubin, serum creatinine, and the stool guaiac assay for occult blood), it is important to inform one's health care provider of any recent supplement use. (PubMed), 53. (PubMed), 78. Effect of Helicobacter pylori and its eradication on gastric juice ascorbic acid. Myocardial reperfusion injury: Reperfusion injury refers to tissue damage occurring at the time of blood flow restoration (reperfusion) following transient ischemia. Liability for individual actions or omissions based upon the contents of this site is expressly disclaimed. Hypertension is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, including coronary heart disease, stroke, and atrial fibrillation. As mentioned previously, the body produces collagen from lysine and proline. Am J Clin Nutr. Contemp Clin Trials. Abam E, Okediran BS, Odukoya OO, Adamson I, Ademuyiwa O. The recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for vitamin C is based on the amount of vitamin C intake necessary to maintain neutrophil vitamin C concentration with minimal urinary excretion of vitamin C and is proposed to provide sufficient antioxidant protection (Table 2) (35). Whether any increase in oxalate levels would translate to an elevation in risk for kidney stones has been examined in several epidemiological studies. 201. (PubMed), 19. (PubMed), 163. Ramos C, Brito R, Gonzalez-Montero J, et al. Anitra C. Carr, Ph.D. Tsivgoulis G, Safouris A, Kim DE, Alexandrov AV. J Nutr. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. Oregon State University, Updated in November 2002 by: (PubMed), 37. Rodrigo R, Hasson D, Prieto JC, et al. Levine M, Padayatty SJ. These observations are consistent with other data that intakes of about 400 mg/day are associated with reduced risk of heart disease. (PubMed), 150. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in more than 14,000 older men participating in the Physicians Health Study II (PHS II) found that vitamin C supplementation (500 mg/day) for an average of eight years had no significant effect on the incidence of or mortality from any type of stroke (53). Int J Vitam Nutr Res. Chuang CH, Sheu BS, Kao AW, et al. Abramovici A, Gandley RE, Clifton RG, et al. JAMA. 1994;94(7):779-781. The recommended intake for smokers is 35 mg/day higher than for nonsmokers, because smokers are under increased oxidative stress from the toxins in cigarette smoke and generally have lower blood concentrations of vitamin C (36). 2014;15:192. (PubMed), 69. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. Oregon State University, Copyright 2000-2023 Linus Pauling Institute. In vitro experiments performed using 11 different cancer cell lines demonstrated that sensitivity to vitamin C correlated with the expression of catalase, an enzyme involved in the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide (172). Linus Pauling believed that chronic scurvy can be prevented with an orthomolecular daily intake of between 3,000 to 10,000 mg or more vitamin C. This amount approximates what the animals synthesize, and matching animal production is the reason Pauling ingested 18,000 mg daily. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. Supplementation with vitamin C had no effect on the overall risk of cancer or on the risk of prostate, bladder, or pancreatic cancer; there was a marginal reduction in colorectal cancer incidence with vitamin C compared to placebo (82). Supplemental Forms | Linus Pauling Institute | Oregon State University PaulingTherapy.com - Reversing Heart Disease w/o Drugs is Possible Allergy Asthma Clin Immunol. Periprocedural myocardial injury: Coronary angioplasty (also called percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty) is a nonsurgical procedure for treating obstructive coronary heart disease (CHD), including unstable angina pectoris, acute myocardial infarction, and multivessel CHD. 1997;15(6):795-801. (PubMed), 143. (PubMed), 187. Stephenson CM, Levin RD, Spector T, Lis CG. Basically, it's high Vitamin C doses, accompanied by high L-Lysine, L-Proline. 1999;13(9):1007-1024. I've never used his regimen in this regard, but it should help. If you wish to check foods for their vitamin C content, search USDA's FoodData Central. Increased generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) when the heart muscle's oxygen supply is restored might be an important contributor to myocardial damage occurring at reperfusion (133). Krajewska B, Brindell M. Urease activity and L-ascorbic acid. Cigarette smoking during pregnancy causes intrauterine growth restriction and preterm birth, among other pregnancy complications (90, 91), and is the primary cause of childhood respiratory illness (92). We have long recommended vitamin K be added to Pauling's basic vitamin C and lysine protocol for this reason. The mechanism(s) by which vitamin C reduces blood lead concentration is not known, yet it has been proposed that vitamin C could inhibit intestinal absorption (184)or enhance urinary excretion of lead (185). Subcellular Biochemistry. There is a need for better quality studies to examine the effect of vitamin C on cardiovascular endpoints in participants with elevated risk of cardiovascular disease. 6 Kennes B, Dumont I, Brohee D, Hubert C, Neve P. Effect of vitamin C supplements on cell-mediated immunity in old people. Pfister R, Sharp SJ, Luben R, Wareham NJ, Khaw KT. New York: Garland Publishing, Inc.; 1994:1139-1193. 2001 SCCM/ESICM/ACCP/ATS/SIS International Sepsis Definitions Conference. He explained that two-time Nobel Prize winner Linus Pauling had given vitamin C a "bad name." In the 3 government's eyes, he was too vocal about its benefits. Current evidence of the efficacy of intravenous vitamin C in cancer patients is limited to observational studies, uncontrolled interventions, and case reports(174, 175). While most generally healthy young adults can achieve these plasma concentrations with daily vitamin C intake of at least 200 mg/day, some individuals may have a lower vitamin C absorptive capacity than what is currently documented. Controversy surrounding the efficacy of vitamin C in cancer treatment ensued, leading to the recognition that the route of vitamin C administration is critical (22, 159). Plasma vitamin C concentrations predict risk of incident stroke over 10 y in 20 649 participants of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer Norfolk prospective population study. These enzymes are either monooxygenases or dioxygenases (see Table 1). A 2013 meta-analysis of 53 placebo-controlled trials evaluated the effect of vitamin C supplementation on the incidence, duration, or severity of the common cold when taken as a continuous daily supplement (43 trials) or as therapy upon onset of cold symptoms (10 trials) (178). A much larger study of 19,578 people, including 4,214 children from 6 to 16 years of age, found higher serum vitamin C concentrations to be associated with significantly lower blood lead concentrations (182). (PubMed), 153. Because vitamin C can inactivate urease (an enzyme that facilitates H. pylori survival and colonization of the gastric mucosa at low pH) in vitro, vitamin C may be most effective as a prophylactic agent in those without achlorhydria(77, 78). In order to overcome such limitations, some prospective studies measured plasma or serum concentrations of vitamin C as a more reliable index of vitamin C intake and biomarker of body vitamin C status. 2011;43(6):624-627. JAMA. Wandzilak TR, D'Andre SD, Davis PA, Williams HE. It is also a common post-cardiac surgery complication, leading to an increased risk of cardiovascular morbidity (e.g., heart failure, stroke) and mortality. Dietary intakes of antioxidant vitamins and mortality from cardiovascular disease: the Japan Collaborative Cohort Study (JACC) study. Cognition in MCI and Alzheimer's disease: baseline data from a longitudinal study of the NTB. 1998;68(5):309-315. Shock. Two large prospective cohort studies assessed the relationship between dietary and supplemental vitamin C intakes and mortality. Carr AC, Cook J. (PubMed), 155. (PubMed), 135. 2014;311(20):2074-2082. Oregon State University, Updated in January 2006 by: However, leukocyte vitamin C concentration does not accurately reflect vitamin C in several tissues and may specifically underestimate vitamin C uptake into skeletal muscle (26). 2013;32(12):1508-1517. Davis JL, Paris HL, Beals JW, et al. 2008;26(3):297-304. Neutrophils, mononuclear phagocytes, and lymphocytes accumulate vitamin C to high concentrations, which can protect these cell types from oxidative damage(12-14). 2011;34(1):108-114. Micronutrient intake in relation to all-cause mortality in a prospective Danish cohort. The effect of vitamin C supplementation, in combination with other antioxidants, on CSF biomarkers and cognitive function has been examined in only a few trials involving AD patients. J Am Soc Nephrol. 2012;37(12):2706-2714. Higher SVCT-2 levels were associated with enhanced sensitivity to vitamin C in nine different breast cancer cell lines. Vitamins E and C in the prevention of cardiovascular disease in men: the Physicians' Health Study II randomized controlled trial. 1999;18(2):166-170. In contrast, a much larger trial in more than 20,000 men and women with coronary heart disease or diabetes mellitus found that simvastatin and an antioxidant combination (600 mg vitamin E, 250 mg vitamin C, and 20 mg -carotene daily) did not diminish the cardioprotective effects of simvastatin therapy over a five-year period (203). Kabat GC, Kim MY, Wactawski-Wende J, Shikany JM, Vitolins MZ, Rohan TE. (PubMed), 126. The work of Linus Pauling stimulated public interest in the use of doses greater than 1 g/day of vitamin C to prevent the common cold (177). Why is Collagen Important ? 1976;84B(5):280-284. Fructose and vitamin C intake do not influence risk for developing hypertension. Linus Pauling's Recommendations for Vitamin C and Lysine - The Ezekiel Diet Files Linus Pauling's Recommendations for Vitamin C and Lysine by EzekielDiet.com Posted on Sep 22, 2021 Pauling's Vitamin C and Lysine dosage recommendations from his Unified Theory Lecture on Heart Disease. Zheng Selin J, Rautiainen S, Lindblad BE, Morgenstern R, Wolk A. High-dose supplements of vitamins C and E, low-dose multivitamins, and the risk of age-related cataract: a population-based prospective cohort study of men. Naeini AM, Elmadfa I, Djazayery A, et al. Atrial fibrillation:Atrial fibrillation is the most common type of cardiac arrhythmia. PDF Chapter 7 The Pauling Therapy - Practicing Medicine Without A License Clinically insignificant effect of supplemental vitamin C on serum urate in patients with gout: a pilot randomized controlled trial. They demonstrated in guinea pigs, which do not internally produce vitamin C as most other mammals do, that lipoprotein-a take the place of ascorbate (vitamin C) in arterial walls, weakening them . Carcinogenesis. He received these awards for chemistry in 1954 and for peace in 1962. . Molecular Biology of the Cell. (PubMed), 124. Hypertension. 2015;10(12):e0144920. In the Swedish Mammography Cohort, overweight women who consumed an average of 110 mg/day of vitamin C had a 39% lower risk of breast cancer compared to overweight women who consumed an average of 31 mg/day (66). 2017;3:Cd011114. A meta-analysis of observational studies found that a reduced risk of age-related cataract with higher dietary vitamin C intakes in case-control studies and with higher circulating vitamin C concentrations in cross-sectional studies. At this time, avoidance of vitamin C deficiency or insufficiency, rather than supplementation in replete individuals, seems prudent for the promotion of healthy brain aging (101). (PubMed), 162. Vitamin C has been shown to increase interferon production in vitro(17). (PubMed). 1994;35(3):317-322. The distribution of ascorbic acid between various cellular components of blood, in normal individuals, and its relation to the plasma concentration. Effect of vitamins C and E on insulin resistance in diabetes: a meta-analysis study. 1986;104(5):753-755. (PubMed), 128. The dosage of vitamin C was set too low, at one tenth the dosage recommended by the Linus Pauling protocol, and lysine was not provided. In fact, two prospective cohort studies in Swedish men (110)and women (111)reported that high-dose single nutrient supplements of vitamin C were associated with an increased risk of cataract, especially in those on corticosteroid therapy. (PubMed), 137. PaulingTherapy.com - Reversing Heart Disease w/o Drugs The relation between gastric vitamin C concentrations, mucosal histology, and CagA seropositivity in the human stomach. (PubMed), 83. Curhan GC, Willett WC, Rimm EB, Stampfer MJ. Am J Obstet Gynecol. It is not intended as nutritional or medical advice for individual problems. Collagen is the most abundant protein in the body. (PubMed), 165. A number of observational studies have found increased dietary vitamin C intake to be associated with decreased risk of gastric (stomach) cancer, and laboratory experiments indicate that vitamin C inhibits the formation of carcinogenic N-nitroso compounds in the stomach (70-72). Annu Rev Nutr. Such symptoms are not generally serious, especially if they resolve with temporary discontinuation of vitamin C supplementation. Antioxidant vitamin supplementation for preventing and slowing the progression of age-related cataract. (PubMed), 25. Bergsten P, Amitai G, Kehrl J, Dhariwal KR, Klein HG, Levine M. Millimolar concentrations of ascorbic acid in purified human mononuclear leukocytes. University of Otago It is widely thought by the general public that vitamin C boosts immune function, yet human studies published to date are conflicting. (PubMed), 133. "Vitamin C" Vitamin C and Cancer - Dr. Linus Pauling - How To Live Longer and Feel Better - Vitamin C Dr. Linus Pauling and Dr. Abram HofferVitamin C, Vita. Antioxidant effects of vitamins in type 2 diabetes: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Stability of vitamin C derivatives in solution and topical formulations. The role of vitamin C as a cofactor is also related to its redox potential. Nutrients. Oregon State University, Updated in July 2018 by: (PubMed), 169 Riordan HD, Casciari JJ, Gonzalez MJ, et al. Sisto T, Paajanen H, Metsa-Ketela T, Harmoinen A, Nordback I, Tarkka M. Pretreatment with antioxidants and allopurinol diminishes cardiac onset events in coronary artery bypass grafting. The global and regional burden of stroke. Chen Q, Espey MG, Sun AY, et al. (PubMed), 184. 2004;140(7):533-537. Of note, it is possible that genetic differences among diabetic patients influence the effect of vitamin C supplementation on cardiovascular risk. A pilot clinical study of continuous intravenous ascorbate in terminal cancer patients. 2011;2(2):78-88. Hu X, Yuan L, Wang H, et al. (PubMed), 92. In: Harris JR, ed. Zheng Z, Harman JL, Coresh J, et al. Oregon State University, Updated in September 2003 by: A prospective study of the intake of vitamins C and B6, and the risk of kidney stones in men. (PubMed), 18. (PubMed), 104. Adults. Arch Ophthalmol. 1990;265(5):2584-2587. Vitamin C treatment substantially reduced the incidence of periprocedural myocardial injury, as assessed by a reduction in the concentrations of two markers of myocardial injury, namely creatine kinase and troponin-I (131). (PubMed), 164. (PubMed), 103. 2013;33:45-70. (PubMed), 24. Another trial randomized 532 patients to receive a 3-g vitamin C infusion or a placebo (saline solution) within six hours prior to coronary angioplasty (131). JAMA Intern Med. Science. (PubMed), 70. Antioxidant vitamins and coronary heart disease risk: a pooled analysis of 9 cohorts. Antioxidants for Alzheimer disease: a randomized clinical trial with cerebrospinal fluid biomarker measures. In his Unified Theory, Linus Pauling often recommended 3,000 to 5,000 mg per day as an effective dose. Roswall N, Olsen A, Christensen J, et al. Hutchinson J, Lentjes MA, Greenwood DC, et al. 1998;392(6676):559. 2006;8 Suppl 1:S2. J Urol. Vitamin-C as anti-Helicobacter pylori agent: More prophylactic than curative- Critical review. After five years of follow-up, vitamin C supplement use was associated with a small decreased risk of total mortality, although no association was found with cardiovascular disease- or cancer-specific mortality. It contains the highest quality vitamin C that I have been able to find. 2012;66(5):561-568. Retention in the body Results from another study by the same investigators suggested that vitamin C could not prevent the oxidation of high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol by glycated Hb-Hp2-2 complexes in vitro nor restore impaired HDL function in diabetic mice carrying the Hp2-2 genotype (149). Tsugane S, Sasazuki S. Diet and the risk of gastric cancer: review of epidemiological evidence. 2018;9:809. Conde-Agudelo A, Althabe F, Belizan JM, Kafury-Goeta AC. And the NCI couldn't afford to be seen as "kooky" or "fringy." Better to be just plain wrong. Michels AJ, Joisher N, Hagen TM. Lysine also prevents collagen-digesting enzymes from destroying collagen. When the results of the Womens Antioxidant Vitamin Estrogen (WAVE) trial were reanalyzed based on Hp genotype, antioxidant therapy (1,000 mg/day of vitamin C + 800 IU/day of vitamin E) was associated with improvement of coronary atherosclerosis in diabetic women with Hp1-1 genotype but worsening of coronary atherosclerosis in those carrying the Hp2-2 genotype (148). Other trials also failed to show any evidence of an effect of vitamin C on the risk of stroke. If there is inadequate Vitamin C, the next best way to repair your arterial injuries is make a Lp(a) plaque to cover the injury. Choi HK, Gao X, Curhan G. Vitamin C intake and the risk of gout in men: a prospective study. (PubMed), 55. 2007;104(21):8749-8754. Angioplasty involves temporarily inserting and inflating a tiny balloon into the clogged artery to help restore the blood flow to the heart. 2016;33(3):307-315. Additional detail is provided below for those cancer subtypes with substantial scientific information obtained from prospective cohort studies. Present Knowledge in Nutrition. Khodaeian M, Tabatabaei-Malazy O, Qorbani M, Farzadfar F, Amini P, Larijani B. (PubMed), 145. Br J Nutr. Arthritis Res Ther. DeRitter E, Cohen N, Rubin SH. 2011;63(10):3136-3141. Related to this oxidation -reduction ( redox) potential, two major functions of vitamin C are as an antioxidant and as an enzyme cofactor (1). 2003;31(4):1250-1256. (PubMed), 75. Dihydropyridine calcium channel blockers (e.g., nicardipine, nifedipine) can inhibit vitamin C uptake by intestinal cells in vitro. Association of vitamin C with the risk of age-related cataract: a meta-analysis. 2010;21(11):1745-1757. (PubMed), 102. Only one large trial in more than 14,000 older men participating in the Physicians Health Study II (PHS II) reported on cardiovascular outcomes. Large doses of vitamin C may block the action of warfarin and thus lower its effectiveness. Improved endothelial function was observed with daily vitamin C doses above 500 mg (39). Although liposomal encapsulation could increase vitamin C bioavailability, plasma vitamin C concentrations were much lower than those achieved with intravenous vitamin C administration (190). Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. (PubMed), 106. Cancer Causes Control. A systematic review and meta-analysis. 2008;66(5):237-249. 2012;64(2):245-254. (PubMed), 138. In most trials, participants received 2 g of vitamin C prior to undergoing CABG or valve replacement surgery and 1 to 2 g/day for five days post-surgery. Intake of antioxidant nutrients and risk of non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma in the Women's Health Initiative. Total calcium intake should not exceed the UL, which is 2,500 mg . (PubMed), 206. Int J Vitam Nutr Res. Fruit and vegetable intake and incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus: systematic review and meta-analysis. Valls N, Gormaz JG, Aguayo R, et al. In the Vitamins and Lifestyle Study, 77,719men and women (ages 50-76 years) were questioned at baseline on their use of dietary supplements during the previous 10 years (124). Lykkesfeldt J, Poulsen HE. Effect of high dose vitamin C on urinary oxalate levels. BMC Ophthalmol. Available at: https://naturalmedicines.therapeuticresearch.com. The recommended dietary calcium intake for adults is 1,000 to 1,200 mg/day. Most multivitamin supplements provide at least 60 mg of vitamin C. Whether older adults have higher requirements for vitamin C is not yet known with certainty, yet some older populations have been found to have vitamin C intakes considerably below the RDA of 75 and 90 mg/day for women and men, respectively (207). The history of these products might make the reasons for (and differences in them) easier to understand. 2013;2(6):e000329. Andres M, Sivera F, Falzon L, Buchbinder R, Carmona L. Dietary supplements for chronic gout. Among the five out of eight trials in asthmatic subjects that reported on FEV1 outcomes, none found a difference between vitamin C supplementation and placebo(180). Br J Anaesth. (PubMed), 11. Vitamin C (L-ascorbic acid) is a potent reducing agent, meaning that it readily donates electrons to recipient molecules (Figure 1). (PubMed), 149. (PubMed), 152. A 2017 review of eight published randomized controlled trials found inconsistent results from seven trials reporting on the effect of vitamin C supplementation on serum cholesterol and triglycerides, established risk factors for cardiovascular disease(52). Specifically, the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study collected data on dietary and supplemental vitamin C intake every four years in 45,619 male health professionals (ages 40-75 years) (198). Dehghan M, Akhtar-Danesh N, McMillan CR, Thabane L. Is plasma vitamin C an appropriate biomarker of vitamin C intake? Alberts B, Bray D, Lewis J, Raff M. Differentiated cells and the maintenance of tissues. With the latest RDA published in 2000, a tolerable upper intake level (UL) for vitamin C was set for the first time (Table 4). While plasma vitamin C concentration reflects recent dietary intake, leukocyte (white blood cell) vitamin C is thought to be an indicator of body stores. (PubMed), 89. Redox Rep. 2016;21(2):75-83. 17. Phase I clinical trial to evaluate the safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics of high-dose intravenous ascorbic acid in patients with advanced cancer. The information on dietary factors and supplements, food, and beverages contained on this website does not cover all possible uses, actions, precautions, side effects, and interactions. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. Pauling's therapeutic dosage of vitamin C for those diagnosed with cardiovascular disease is from 6,000 mg up to 18,000 mg (or bowel tolerance). Corvallis, Oregon 97331, phone: 541-737-5075 | fax: 541-737-5077 2010;119(3):753-765. Serum vitamin C and the prevalence of vitamin C deficiency in the United States: 2003-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). 2004;80(6):1508-1520. Aspirin can impair vitamin C status if taken frequently (201). (PubMed), 136. Linus Pauling Institute Additionally, work by Linus Pauling Institute investigators has shown that cellular uptake of vitamin C declines with age, supporting the notion that vitamin C requirements are increased in the elderly. How long should I expect Linus Pauling's protocol to - Vitamin C Forum Pauling Therapy Store - Inteligent*Vitamin*C 2007;12(3):230-238. In adults, lead toxicity may result in kidney damage, high blood pressure, and anemia. Nutr J. Dawson EB, Evans DR, Harris WA, Teter MC, McGanity WJ. Wei L, Liang G, Cai C, Lv J. Atherosclerosis. Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2013;1(5):e239-240. Linus Pauling Protocol for heart disease | Diabetes Daily Forums (PubMed), 112. Nutrients. J Am Coll Nutr. Even in small amounts, vitamin C can protect indispensable molecules in the body, such as proteins, lipids (fats), carbohydrates, and nucleic acids (DNA and RNA), from damage by free radicals and reactive oxygen species (ROS) that are generated during normal metabolism, by active immune cells, and through exposure to toxins and pollutants (e.g., certain chemotherapy drugs and cigarette smoke).