Sophia Dimou

Sophia Dimou
Sophia Dimou

Δευτέρα 2 Ιουνίου 2014

Synthetic vitamin C is dangerous

 Is the common belief that if a little is good, then more must be better.  Although, many substances that provide beneficial effects to the body can be harmful, or even deadly, in large amounts.  Even water or oxygen can be harmful or deadly in high amounts, or in the right circumstances.
            Megadosing of vitamin C was made famous by the Linus Pauling Institute, especially among cancer patients.  The belief is that large amounts of vitamin C can boost the immune system, destroy pathogens, and protect the body from free radical damage safely because the excess vitamin C will be eliminated from the body.   Although, the use of massive doses of vitamin C for therapy by the Linus Pauling Institute is done for very short periods of time, up to a week. Even though short term megadosing of vitamin C may cause problems in some people, the risk of adverse effects greatly increases with long term use of excessive amounts of the vitamin. 
            Vitamin C does boost the immune system, and in does protect the body from some free radical damage.  And it is true that excess vitamin C can be eliminated from the body.  The practice of vitamin C megadosing does present some safety issues. 
            A severe deficiency of vitamin C can lead to a disease known as scurvy.  Symptoms of scurvy include connective tissue breakdown, causing bleeding, muscle weakness, impaired wound healing, and nervous system disorders.  It is believed that megadosing of vitamin C for extended periods of time, then drastically reducing the dose or going off cold turkey may lead to a condition known as rebound scurvy.  Rebound scurvy is believed to occur when the body continues to excrete large amounts of vitamin C when megadoses are no longer being supplemented.  Although, very few cases of rebound scurvy have been reported, and information about the cases have not been well-documented. 
            Excessive vitamin C intake is also known to displace vitamin B12 from the body. Vitamin B12 is essential for the maturation of blood cells. Deficiencies of B12 lead to a problem known as macrocytic anemia. This condition leads to the formation of abnormally large red blood cells, with impaired ability to carry oxygen. Decreased oxygen levels may cause fatigue, muscle weakness, shortness of breath, and possibly heart arrhythmias. 
            Macrocytic anemia also leads to the formation of abnormally large white blood cells with altered nuclei. White blood cells are an important component of the immune system. Therefore, macrocytic anemia from B12 deficiency may impair immune function. 
            B12 deficiencies may cause nerve damage leading to nerve pain and numbness, or loss of some senses. Mental disturbances may also develop including depression, dementia, paranoia, irritability, and delirium. 
            Vitamin C is a water soluble compound, which can be easily flushed from the body.  Although, vitamin C is a relatively unstable compound, and a portion of excess ingested vitamin C breaks down into oxalic acid in the body. 
            Oxalic acid is beneficial to the body as well as detrimental. As vitamin C breaks down in to oxalic acid, the oxalic acid actually serves as an antioxidant to the vitamin C helping to prevent oxidative destruction of the vitamin C. On the other hand, oxalic acid can bind with minerals forming insoluble oxalates. Of particular importance is calcium oxalate, which can form kidney stones. Studies have shown that oxalic stones, which make up 80% of kidney stones, only formed in people with kidney diseases, but not in healthy individuals at doses of 200mg daily. At 1,500mg daily intake there was only a tiny rise in the incidence of oxalic stone formation. It is believed that the insignificant rise is due to the fact that vitamin C is poorly absorbed by the body. Therefore, the higher levels of vitamin C are not being absorbed, and therefore are not converted in to oxalic acid. 
Oxalic acid also binds with the electrolytes sodium and potassium, and the mineral magnesium. Among other functions of sodium and potassium is the regulation of heart rate. Magnesium serves a multitude of important functions including maintaining normal blood pressure, proper muscle function; including the heart, preventing muscle cramping, and insulin production. 
            Oxalic acid is an irritant to the urinary tract. Irritation of the urinary tract from oxalic acid can lead to urinary tract infections in sensitive individuals. 
            There is also concern that vitamin C may cause uric acid stones to form from excess excretion of uric acid. Acidification of the urine with vitamin C increases the ratio of uric acid to the more soluble sodium urate. For this reason, treatment of uric acid stones includes alkalinizing the urine with sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) or calcium citrate to increase sodium urate formation. 
            Excessive levels of vitamin C are contradicted in people suffering from kidney stones, gout, cirrhosis, kidney diseases, and certain other disorders. 
            A major concern of taking excessive doses of vitamin C is the fact that large amounts of vitamin C can block copper absorption.  Copper serves various functions in the body including production of the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and immune stimulating enzyme copper superoxide dismutase.  Copper is essential for the formation of collagen and elastin, which give strength and elasticity to the tissues.  Copper also plays a role in the formation of neurotransmitters for proper nerve function. As a factor in the production of melanin, copper helps to prevent graying of the hair. In addition, copper helps to maintain proper levels of blood lipids (fats), including cholesterol.  
            Decreased copper levels can lead to decreased collagen and elastin synthesis. This in turn leads to bone loss, blood vessel weakness, poor wound healing, gum disorders, tendon and ligament weakness, cartilage disorders, bruising, and wrinkles.  Disorders such as emphysema and diverticulitis also involve loss of elastin in tissues. 
            The risk of heart disease increases with copper deficiencies.  This is most likely due to weaker arterial walls, combined with increased inflammation, increased oxidative damage, and elevated cholesterol levels. 
            Vitamin C is often touted as an immune stimulant, although excessive levels may have the opposite effect. The enzyme copper superoxide dismutase (cu-SOD) produces hydrogen peroxide in response to infections. Hydrogen peroxide serves various functions, including activation of the immune system’s white blood cells. White blood cells fight infections, and cancer cells within the body. Therefore, declining levels of cu-SOD can have an adverse effect on the immune system. 
            Inflammation has been shown to be a major contributor to the formation of cancers. Another primary function of cu-SOD is to reduce inflammation. Copper therefore may play a crucial role in other inflammatory diseases as well, such as colitis, and arthritis. 
            As an antioxidant, cu-SOD helps protect cells from free radical damage. The body requires free radicals, such as hydrogen peroxide. Excessive levels of free radicals have been implicated in various diseases though, including cancer. 
            Hemoglobin requires copper for its production. Therefore, copper deficiencies can lead to anemia. 
            Copper is essential for the formation of thyroid hormones. Copper deficiencies lead to hypothyroidism, although excessive levels suppress thyroid function. This is especially true if zinc deficiencies are present since zinc promotes thyroid function. Note that excessive levels of zinc can over stimulate the thyroid. 
            As a cofactor in neurotransmitter production, copper deficiencies can lead to depression. High copper levels though have also been linked to depression, as well as schizophrenia, ADHD symptoms, and other neurological disorders. 
            The brain and spinal cord contain some of the highest levels of copper in the body. Copper is not only essential for the formation of neurotransmitters, but also for myelin, which insulates nerves so they do not “short circuit”. 
            Interestingly, the brain contains about 10 times the level of vitamin C as found in the blood. Vitamin C actually has to be oxidized to cross the blood-brain barrier. Oxidation converts the vitamin C in to dehydroascorbic acid, which allows it to be transported in to the brain through sugar receptors. There the dehydroascorbic acid is converted back in to ascorbic acid, commonly known as vitamin C. Here the vitamin C helps prevent damage to the myelin from free radicals, and aids in the conversion of dopamine to norepinephrine. 
            Copper is essential for the proper regulation of histamine throughout the body. High levels of histamine can lead to allergic responses, including asthma. In the brain, histamine plays roles in mood, behavior, libido, addictions, and sleep and wake cycles. 
Despite all the benefits of copper, excess levels of copper can be dangerous. Copper supplementation is not recommended in most cases, although it should be combined with zinc if supplementing zinc. The common ratio of zinc to copper in supplements is 50mg zinc to 2mg copper. Women with excessive levels of estrogen would probably benefit more by taking zinc, but not copper. Estrogen increases copper levels, and zinc antagonizes copper helping to reduce the risk of copper toxicity.
            Copper, which is displaced by excess vitamin C, is essential for the formation of hemoglobin, which carries oxygen to the tissues, and removes carbon dioxide.  Iron is also essential for the formation of hemoglobin, and iron absorption is increased by vitamin C.  This all brings up an interesting problem.  If iron levels are increased by improved absorption from vitamin C, but hemoglobin cannot be formed due to lack of copper, what happens to all the iron being absorbed? 
            As with copper, and vitamin C, iron is essential for the body and serves various purposes.  Although, as with copper and vitamin C, excess levels of iron can be dangerous. And since the body has no efficient way of ridding itself of excess iron, iron levels may easily build up to toxic levels. 
            As iron accumulates in the body it is primarily stored in organs and glands, where it can lead to organ failure and glandular damage.  The heart, liver, and pancreas are at the greatest risk of damage and failure from iron overload. 
            Side effects of iron overload include heart disorders, diabetes, cirrhosis of the liver, adrenal insufficiency, hypothyroidism, parathyroid damage resulting in low blood calcium, pituitary gland dysfunction, atrophy of the testes and ovaries, nervous system damage and disorders, arthritic disorders, graying or bronzing of the skin, and decreased energy levels. Numerous microbes, and protozoa, thrive with high iron levels.  These include Candida, Listeria, Chlamydia, Salmonella, Plasmodium, Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, Cryptococcus, Campylobacter, Pseudomonas, Helicobacter pylori Escherichia coli, and numerous others.  
Iron overload is also known to increase the risk of various cancers including liver cancer, Kaposi's sarcoma, breast cancer, melanoma, and colon cancer.  The increased risk of cancer is probably due to the increased activity of cancer pathogens.  For example, human papilloma virus has been linked to several cancers including breast cancer.  Human herpes virus type 8 has been linked to the viral form of Kaposi's sarcoma.  Liver cancer has been linked to hepatitis viruses, and aflatoxins from the fungus Aspergillusniger.

Arthritis may occur from iron overload due to two factors.  Oxidative destruction can lead to join damage.  In addition, certain forms of arthritis are triggered from pathogens.  For example, rheumatoid arthritis has been linked to an infection with a form of Chlamydia bacteria.
Heart disease, due to iron overload, is generally believed to result from oxidative damage to the arterial lining, and to the heart muscle itself.  There may be a secondary factor though.  Scientists have found a link between Chlamydia bacteria and arterial sclerosis, which may lead to arrhythmias, angina, and heart attack. 
Excess of levels of iron have also been found in the brains of Alzheimer's patients.  As with the excessive aluminum levels found in the brains of Alzheimer's patients, that excessive iron levels have not been proven to be a cause of Alzheimer's.  Although, it is hypothesized that the excessive level of iron may be causing oxidative damage to the brain, leading to Alzheimer's disease.
Unfortunately the article makes no mention of ascorbate's capability of dissolving calcium oxalate, the material from which most kidney stones are comprised, to almost the same degree as citrate is so capable. Renal function is complex, and I might as well add my conjecture that repeated short-term periods of lactic acidosis are more responsible for stones than ascorbate. Plus also factor in that some people are SF's and some aren't, for reasons still not known, and things get real tough to define and apply to entire populations.
 
J Nutr. 2005 Jul;135(7):1673-7.

Ascorbate increases human oxaluria and kidney stone risk.

Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Washington State University, Spokane, WA, USA. massey@wsu.edu
Currently, the recommended upper limit for ascorbic acid (AA) intake is 2000 mg/d. However, because AA is endogenously converted to oxalate and appears to increase the absorption of dietary oxalate, supplementation may increase the risk of kidney stones. The effect of AA supplementation on urinary oxalate was studied in a randomized, crossover, controlled design in which subjects consumed a controlled diet in a university metabolic unit. Stoneformers (n = 29; SF) and age- and gender-matched non-stoneformers (n = 19; NSF) consumed 1000 mg AA twice each day with each morning and evening meal for 6 d (treatment A), and no AA for 6 d (treatment N) in random order. After 5 d of adaptation to a low-oxalate diet, participants lived for 24 h in a metabolic unit, during which they were given 136 mg oxalate, including 18 mg 13C2 oxalic acid, 2 h before breakfast; they then consumed a controlled very low-oxalate diet for 24 h. Of the 48 participants, 19 (12 stoneformers, 7 non-stoneformers) were identified as responders, defined by an increase in 24-h total oxalate excretion > 10% after treatment A compared with N. Responders had a greater 24-h Tiselius Risk Index (TRI) with AA supplementation (1.10 +/- 0.66 treatment A vs. 0.76 +/- 0.42 treatment N) because of a 31% increase in the percentage of oxalate absorption (10.5 +/- 3.2% treatment A vs. 8.0 +/- 2.4% treatment N) and a 39% increase in endogenous oxalate synthesis with treatment A than during treatment N (544 +/- 131 A vs. 391 +/- 71 micromol/d N). The 1000 mg AA twice each day increased urinary oxalate and TRI for calcium oxalate kidney stones in 40% of participants, both stoneformers and non-stoneformers.


Cancer-causing Compound Can Be Triggered By Vitamin C

Date:
March 13, 2007
Source:
Brown University
Summary:
Chromium 6, the cancer-causing compound that sparked the legal crusade by Erin Brockovich, can be toxic in tiny doses. Brown University scientists have uncovered the unlikely culprit: vitamin C. In new research, the Brown team shows that when vitamin C reacts with even low doses of chromium 6 inside human cells, it creates high levels of cancer-causing DNA damage and mutations.



Chromium 6, the cancer-causing compound that sparked the legal crusade by Erin Brockovich, can be toxic in tiny doses. Brown University scientists have uncovered the unlikely culprit: vitamin C. In new research, the Brown team shows that when vitamin C reacts with even low doses of chromium 6 inside human cells, it creates high levels of cancer-causing DNA damage and mutations.
Even miniscule amounts of chromium 6 can cause cancer. Blame that do-gooder nutrient, vitamin C.
Brown University researchers have discovered that naturally occurring vitamin C reacts inside human lung cells with chromium 6, or hexavalent chromium, and causes massive DNA damage. Low doses of chromium 6, combined with vitamin C, produce up to 15 times as many chromosomal breaks and up to 10 times more mutations – forms of genetic damage that lead to cancer – compared with cells that lacked vitamin C altogether.
This finding is startling, said Anatoly Zhitkovich, an associate professor of medical science at Brown who oversaw the experiments. Outside cells, Zhitkovich said, vitamin C actually protects against the cellular damage caused by hexavalent chromium, the toxic chemical that starred as the villain in the true-to-life Hollywood drama, Erin Brockovich. In fact, vitamin C has been used as an antidote in industrial accidents and other instances when large amounts of chromium are ingested.
Vitamin C works protective wonders because it is a powerful antioxidant, blocking cellular damage from free radicals. Specifically, the vitamin rapidly “reduces,” or adds electrons, to free radicals, converting them into harmless molecules. This electron transfer from vitamin C to chromium 6 produces chromium 3, a form of the compound that is unable to enter cells.
But what happens when chromium and vitamin C come together inside cells? Because vitamin C isn’t found in cells grown in a lab, Zhitkovich and his team conducted experiments using human lung cells supplemented with vitamin C. They learned that when vitamin C is present, chromium reduction has a very different effect. Cellular vitamin C acted as a potent toxic amplifier, sparking significantly more chromosomal breaks and cellular mutations.
“When we increased the concentration of vitamin C inside cells, we saw progressively more mutations and DNA breaks, showing how seemingly innocuous amounts of chromium can become toxic,” Zhitkovich said. “For years, scientists have wondered why exposure to small amounts of hexavalent chromium can cause such high rates of cancer. Now we know. It’s vitamin C.”
Hexavalent chromium is used to plate metals and to make paints, dyes, plastics and inks. As an anticorrosive agent, it is also added to stainless steel, which releases hexavalent chromium during welding. Hexavalent chromium causes lung cancer and is found in 40 percent of Superfund sites nationwide. This is the toxic metal, found in drinking water in a small California town, that Erin Brockovich campaigned against, successfully winning residents a record settlement of $333 million in 1996.
Zhitkovich said his team’s research, published in Nucleic Acids Research, might have policy implications. When combined with vitamin C, chromium 6 caused genetic damage in cells in doses four times lower than current federal standards, Zhitkovich said. If additional research backs these findings, he said federal regulators might want to lower exposure standards.
Zhitkovich is part of a major Brown research initiative, the Superfund Basic Research Program, which addresses the health and environmental concerns created by hazardous waste contamination. As part of this program, funded by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Zhitkovich is conducting basic research that may result in a medical test that assesses DNA damage from hexavalent chromium.
Former Brown graduate student Mindy Reynolds was lead author of the journal article. Brown research assistant Lauren Stoddard and postdoctoral research associate Ivan Bespalov also took part in the research.
The National Institutes of Health funded the work.

Story Source:
The above story is based on materials provided by Brown University. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.

March 2, 2000. Taking vitamin C supplements could speed up hardening of the arteries, according to a study of "573 outwardly healthy middle-aged men and women who work for an electric utility in Los Angeles." Those taking vitamin C supplements showed "accelerated thickening of the walls of the big arteries in their necks....the more they took, the faster the buildup," according to the (now defunct) Nando Times.


Do high doses of vitamin C raise prostate cancer risk? Study shows popping too many supplements could give men tumours

  • Study of followed the health of 48,000 men aged 40-75 over 22 years
  • It found that men who take large amounts of supplements risk disease
  • The chance of developing prostate cancer increased by 28 per cent
  • The finds were published in the International Journal of Cancer



Men who take high doses of vitamin supplements could be increasing their risk of lethal prostate cancer by nearly 30 per cent, say researchers.
A study of 48,000 men spanning more than two decades suggests popping too many vitamin pills can put them in danger of tumours that are more likely to be fatal.
The researchers linked high doses of vitamin C to an increased risk of lethal and advanced prostate cancer.
The results, by experts from Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, in the US, and the University of Oslo in Norway, are not the first to raise the alarm over the dangers of excess vitamin consumption.
Nearly a quarter of adults in the UK are estimated to take antioxidant supplements or multivitamins regularly in the hope that it will help protect them against illnesses such as heart disease and cancer. The market for such products is worth around half a billion pounds a year.
In recent years, high-dose vitamins have become popular, with people  taking more in the belief that it is  better for them.
For example, health food shops now sell vitamin C tablets in doses of 1,000mg each, but the body needs only about 40mg a day to keep cells healthy and promote healing.
In the latest research, the scientists set out to see if antioxidants in vitamin pills and food could reduce the chances of a prostate tumour.
From 1986 to 2008 they followed 48,000 men aged between 40 and 75. Every four years, the men completed food questionnaires designed to record their dietary habits.

The researchers followed them up to see which ones developed prostate cancer.
The results, published in the International Journal Of Cancer, show that total antioxidant intake – from foods or pills – neither increased nor decreased the risk of a tumour. Antioxidants fight the process, called oxidation, that destroys cells.
There was some suggestion antioxidants from coffee had a slightly protective effect.
But the most alarming finding was that men with the highest intake of antioxidants from vitamin pills were 28 per cent more likely to get lethal prostate cancer than those who took the lowest amount of pills or none.
Those with the highest intake of antioxidants from vitamin pills were 15 per cent more likely to get advanced prostate cancer – a tumour that spreads quickly beyond the prostate, reducing the chances of survival.

In a report the researchers said: ‘High intake of antioxidants from  supplements was associated with increased risk for lethal and advanced prostate cancer.
'The main contributor is vitamin C, and this finding warrants further investigation.’
But the researchers stressed that, until more research is carried out, they cannot be sure that vitamin tablets actually cause cancer.
It may be that the cancer victims felt unwell for several months before their diagnosis and simply increased vitamin intake to try to ward off symptoms such as fatigue.
Dr Carrie Ruxton, of the Health Supplements Information Service, which is funded by supplements makers, said: ‘It is entirely possible that these men may have had prostate-related symptoms and fatigue long before diagnosis.
'The cancer may have had nothing to do with the supplements.’

How vitamin pills 'can raise risk of cataracts' as hidden danger of everyday supplements is revealed

Taking vitamin pills in high doses can significantly increase the risk of cataracts, a study has shown.
Scientists found consuming large amounts of vitamin C made individuals 20 per cent more likely to develop the condition – which is a leading cause of blindness.
And regularly popping high-dose vitamin E tablets increased the chance of cataracts  forming by 60 per cent.
The dangers are even greater for the elderly, with those over 65 nearly doubling their chances of damaging their vision if they took the supplements every day.
Researchers from the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm monitored 31,000 volunteers aged between 45 and 79. Nearly 3,000 of them went on to need treatment for their eyes.
The Swedish team discovered a strong link between those that developed cataracts and those who took high doses of vitamin C and E.
Eating a healthy vitamin-rich diet did not increase a patient’s chance of getting the condition.
It was originally thought the two vitamins would protect against cataracts because they are powerful antioxidants.
It was supposed that they would fight the process of oxidation, which destroys cells in much the same way as rust rots a car. However, it is now believed that, in large quantities, vitamin C may actually cause oxidation by upsetting  the natural balance of proteins in the eye.
The human body does not make or store vitamin C, and gets its supply from fruit and vegetables. It only needs 40mg a day to keep cells healthy and promote healing. Vitamin E helps maintain the structure of cells and is found in foods such as nuts, seeds and cereals.
A man needs just 4mg a day and a woman should have 3mg.  But tablets containing up to a hundred times this amount are also available in UK health food shops.
At high street chain Holland and Barrett a jar of 250 capsules can be bought for £8.99. Each pill contains 1,000mg of vitamin C.
Blurred sight that can lead to blindness
Researchers stressed the dangers will only arise if the vitamins are taken in very large amounts. These were defined as 1,000mg a day of vitamin C and 100mg of vitamin E.
In a report on their findings, they said: ‘Our results further underscore the need to consider use of unregulated supplements with caution.’
However Professor Yit Yang, from the Royal College of Ophthalmologists, said: ‘It is not possible to establish from this study that vitamin C caused cataracts, as there may be other factors which were not accounted for.
‘In 2010, a randomised control trial designed to investigate  specifically for causative effect  of high-dose vitamin C did not find one.’
At the moment, nearly a quarter of adults in the UK regularly take antioxidant supplements or multivitamins.
They are relied on to help ward off a huge range of illnesses such as cancer and heart disease.

Ascorbic Acid Causes Hardening of the Arteries?
It seems hardly likely that taking high doses of vitamin C (ascorbic acid) can cause thickening or hardening of the arteries since so many people have taken high doses for a long time. Yet researchers from the University of California reported just that on March 2, 2000. People who took 500 mgs of ascorbic acid had a 2.5 times faster progression of thickening of the carotid artery (hardening of the arteries) than people who took no supplement.
This study was not a clinical study where subjects are divided into those taking ascorbic acid and those taking a placebo. This was an epidemiological study which means patient records were examined and this finding popped up. There might well have been other confounding factors that would explain the artery-thickening finding.
Nonetheless, the researchers were surprised at the finding. And it seemed that the higher the dose of ascorbic acid, the worse the artery damage (the more they took, the faster the buildup). In fact, smokers taking 500 mgs of ascorbic acid had a rate of artery thickening five times greater than nonsmokers not taking the supplement. And while no one is sure what this all means, the researchers did come up with some common sense ideas about fractionated supplementation.
The director of the study astutely observed that "when you extract one component of food and give it at very high levels, you just don't know what you are doing to the system, and it may be adverse." Other researchers were quick to add that the research shows the uncertainties of picking out a single vitamin among the plethora of nutrients in a healthy diet. They added that it is a challenge to pick out nutrients that may make people live longer because if we are wrong, we can do harm.
Naturally this flies in the face of all the claims by all the synthetic vitamin manufacturers who state that vitamins can't hurt you, will never cause harm, are always beneficial, and will cure everything from a cold to cancer. The fact is that isolated, synthetic, or fractionated high-dose "vitamins" are unnatural and can cause harm to certain people. In the case of ascorbic acid, it is feasible that high doses may cause artery damage.
Synthetic Vitamins Also Cause Deficiencies
All store-bought vitamin C is either synthetic or fractionated (isolated from a highly-processed food like corn oil). The real vitamin C complex contains a myriad of nutrients, including organic copper, bioflavonoids, enzymes and coenzymes, trace mineral activators, antioxidants, etc. The ascorbic acid fraction of this complex is only the preservative or anti-oxidant portion which actually serves to preserve the nutrients of this marvelous nutritional complex. By manufacturing high-dose ascorbic acid supplements, we have opted to "extract one component and give it at a very high level, not knowing what we are doing to the system."
It is a fact that the body cannot assimilate (use) high-dose fractions of nutrients without first putting them into a form that is functional to the human body. In the case of ascorbic acid, the body will scour the system for the missing components of the vitamin C complex in order to utilize the ascorbic acid. That is why almost all of this chemical ends up in the urine -- because it cannot be utilized by the body in its fractionated form.
The potential problem with ascorbic acid is that prior to being excreted from the body, it scours the system for its accompanying nutrients. In so doing, ascorbic acid and other synthetic nutrients can create deficiencies of their nutritional partners. Prime examples are high doses of zinc causing a mineral deficiency, high doses of vitamin B1 causing a B vitamin deficiency, and high doses of ascorbic acid causing a copper deficiency.
Copper and Blood Vessels
One of the major functions of organic copper in the body is to keep blood vessels healthy. In fact, copper is always a nutrient used with patients who suffer from blood vessel diseases and deformities like aneurysms. Is it possible that people taking high doses of ascorbic acid induce a copper deficiency of sufficient significance to weaken blood vessel walls, resulting in thickening or hardening of the arteries?
The Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), which serves as a spokesman for the supplement industry, simply states that the ascorbic acid study in question does not really tell us much of anything since it was only an epidemiological study. They state that "the weight of all published scientific evidence suggests that vitamin C is beneficial not only for the heart but also protects against cataracts and some types of cancer." What remains unclear is whether the weight of scientific evidence is based on real vitamin C from food or ascorbic acid.
At this point in time, it would probably be prudent not to take high doses of ascorbic acid. If you want to take a vitamin C supplement, use the whole vitamin C complex from food which naturally contains ascorbic acid as well as vitamins A, P (bioflavonoids), the enzyme tyrosinase and other enzymes and co-enzymes, organic copper, trace mineral activators and a whole tapestry of other nutrients both known and unknown. Two of the best food based Vitamin C products are Cataplex ACP and Cataplex AC by Progressive Labs.
New (Old) Blood Test for Heart Risk
According to the March 23, 2000, New England Journal of Medicine, a sensitive blood test for C-reactive protein is a powerful indicator of present or future heart and blood vessel disease. Recent testing studies prove what alternative heart doctors have been saying for a long time. Tests like the sensitive C-reactive protein and homocysteine levels are powerful predictors of heart disease and future heart problems like heart attacks and strokes.
Furthermore, the study showed what alternative doctors have also been saying all along--these kinds of tests are far more accurate screening mechanisms than either total cholesterol or LDL cholesterol levels. The study showed that those with the highest C-reactive protein levels had 4.4 times the chance of having a heart attack or other cardiovascular event. And this test proved to be the best indicator of heart attack risk -- twice as good as the LDL level (the American Heart Association's gold standard).
This test only costs about $20. When more than half of all heart attacks occur in people with normal or low cholesterol levels, this kind of test makes sense.
If you have a high C-reactive protein or homocysteine finding, it simply means you need to work on your diet and supplements to reduce blood vessel inflammation and heart damage, especially if you also have an extremely low cardiac recovery rate. Treat your heart and blood vessels nutritionally. At the very least, eliminate all processed oils, fried foods, and margarines, use little to no sugar; and take at least six Cardio-Plus tablets from Standard Process Labs along with a tablespoon of raw flax oil daily.
 

How vitamin pills 'can raise risk of cataracts' as hidden danger

 

Vitamin C Raises Risk Of Kidney Stones

Men who consume high levels of vitamin C are at twice the risk of kidney stones than men who do not.

The new finding does not strongly establish that vitamin C is responsible for the occurrence of kidney stones, however it may make us wonder whether large amounts of vitamin C are harmful to the body.

Kidney stones are tiny masses of crystals that can painfully obstruct the urinary tract.

Signs and symptoms of a kidney stone include:

  • severe pain from the flank to groin or to the genital area and inner thigh.
  • urinary urgency
  • sweating
  • restlessness
  • nausea
  • vomiting
  • blood in the urine
Kidney stones may be caused by diets rich in animal protein, sodium, refined sugars, high fructose corn syrup, and cola drinks. Low fluid intake can also increase stone formation. Women have a typically much lower overall risk of kidney stones than men. Therefore, the outcomes of this study do not apply to women.

Large Amounts of Vitamin C Increase Risk of Kidney Stones

The researchers suspected that greater amounts of vitamin C could elevate the risk of kidney stones because the body breaks down the vitamin into material known as oxelate - a part of the stones.

Study co-author Agneta Akesson, an associate professor with the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, said:

"It is important that the public is aware that there may be risks associated with taking high doses of vitamin C. Those with a history of kidney stones should consult their doctor before taking high-dose vitamin C supplements."

In the current study, published in JAMA Internal Medicine, the investigators followed over 23,000 Swedish men who were between 45 and 79 years old in 1997 up to the year 2009. None of them had kidney stones at baseline.

Close to 900 of the men took 1,000-milligram doses of vitamin C, and 3 percent of them (31 men) later had kidney stones. Less than 2 percent of those in the rest of the group developed kidney stones.

The researchers adjusted for factors which could undermine the reliability of the findings, such as education levels, ages, and body weights.

They revealed that those men who received the high-dose supplements had an elevated kidney stone risk ranging between 1.7 and 2.2 times.

The authors point out that there are no significantly proven reasons for any person to take such large amounts of vitamin C. The results of the study do not apply to vitamin C that comes from food.

Another outcome of the study was that multivitamin supplements that don't have large doses of vitamin C did not increase the risk of kidney stones.

The authors point out that more studies are needed to back up these findings, and they emphasize that people should not stop consuming vitamin C after reading this report. If you are concerned about your vitamin C intake or any health consequences related to vitamin supplementation, talk to your doctor.

Last year, a study presented at the Endocrine Society's 94th Annual Meeting in Houston, revealed that vitamin C and vitamin D supplements are associated with high calcium levels in the urine and blood,. High urine/blood calcium levels are linked to a higher risk of kidney stones.

Written by Kelly Fitzgerald 

 

Synthetic vitamin C, or ascorbic acid, kills beneficial probiotic bacteria in the gut

(NaturalNews) Most people nowadays are well informed about the numerous health benefits of vitamin C, and find ways to incorporate it in their diets, either by taking supplements or eating more foods that contain the vitamin. While the many benefits of vitamin C are well-documented, such as its ability to boost the immune system, there are less well known facts about the synthetic version of vitamin C, or ascorbic acid. Ascorbic acid, the synthesized version of vitamin C, has been proven to kill bacteria effectively, which makes it effective in killing parasites and infections. Unfortunately, it does not differentiate between the good and bad bacteria in the gut, and wipes out good bacteria in the gut which is mandatory for vibrant health.

Ascorbic acid defined

Synthetic vitamin C, or ascorbic acid, is not found in nature. It does not grow naturally in plants or trees and cannot be grown on a farm. It can only be made in a lab. Contrary to popular belief, ascorbic acid and vitamin C are not the same thing. Ascorbic acid is not a complete vitamin, but really only the outer layer of the complete complex known as vitamin C. The complete complex of vitamin C as found in natural food sources is composed of these elements:

- Rutinbiofavonoids (vitamin P) factor K

- Factor Jfactor P Tyrosinase

- Ascorbinogen ascorbic acid

All of the above elements must be present in order for the body to absorb and benefit from the vitamin complex. Since synthetic ascorbic acid does not contain the full complex, your body must either gather the missing components from the body's reservoir, or simply eliminate the ascorbic acid from the body through the urine without benefit to the body.

You'll find ascorbic acid in all sorts of products, from vitamin C supplements to bottled tea drinks and fruit juices such as apple juice. The straightforward method to confirm its presence in a product is to simply read the ingredient label. However, as founder of AGM foods in Brisbane, Australia Alan Meyer found out, many times ascorbic acid can be found in foods even though it's not listed on the ingredient label.

The microbe-neutralizing properties of ascorbic acid and its source of origin

Mr. Meyer had been following a recipe to make a fermented apple drink. The recipe called for pure apple juice, so he bought a bottle of organic apple juice. After running some tests on his concoction, he found that the apple juice had killed the friendly microbes in it even though according to ingredient label on the bottle there was nothing in the juice but organic apples. He ran the process again to confirm that it wasn't just a fluke and sure enough the microbes were destroyed once more. After calling the company he found out that they were indeed adding ascorbic acid to the juice as a preservative to kill off bacteria. Unfortunately, ascorbic acid doesn't just kill harmful bacteria, but also kills beneficial bacteria. Ascorbic acid has the same effect in our bodies as it does in juice.

Ascorbic acid is synthesized from corn syrup. So not only do we need to be concerned with its impact on intestinal flora, but with its potentially disastrous GMO corn-based origins. These days, if you cannot verify that any corn-based food that you consume is certified organic, you risk ingesting GMO corn, the health risks of which are well-known by knowledgeable NaturalNews readers.

The real vitamin C solution

Naturally-occurring vitamin C is found in many fruits and vegetables. Vitamin C has the curious habit of breaking down when heated. This means that when food is heated, the vitamin breaks down and becomes useless. Since pasteurization is a form of heating (boiling to kill bacteria), any pasteurized beverage therefore becomes void of natural vitamin C complex. Ascorbic acid was therefore invented as a synthetic replacement of the natural form of vitamin C which is destroyed by heat. Unfortunately, ascorbic acid simply cannot replace the real, natural vitamin complex. Add to that the bacteria-neutralizing behavior of ascorbic acid which destroys health-critical beneficial microbes, and you have a substance which we'd all be better off to avoid as health-minded individuals.

So what is the solution to all this? The thing to do is avoid vitamin C supplements, pasteurized products, and pre-bottled teas and juices containing ascorbic acid. Get your vitamin C from natural, organic, uncooked fruits and vegetables. Some foods that contain the highest amounts of vitamin C are:

- Strawberries

- Citrus fruits

- Acerola Cherry (fresh or powdered forms)

- Black Currant

- Papaya

- Kiwi fruit

- Bell Pepper

- Guava

- Melons

- Brussel Sprouts

- Kale, chard, and spinach

- Broccoli

- Cauliflower

- Tomatoes

Again, remember to consume foods in their raw form. If heated, the natural vitamin C complex is destroyed.

The Dangers of Vitamin C?

I'm a big fan of Vitamin C and feel much better when taking it.  In fact, it is really the only vitamin or mineral that I megadose simply because I feel the RDA / AI is much too low.  I also am a cautious follower of the Pauling Theory, simply because Vitamin C does some spectacular things at a megadose level ( >= 1 gram/day).  It's hard to argue with a cheap supplement that can boost nitric oxide, improve weight loss, control cortisol, lower blood pressure, decrease inflammation, protect the brain - the list goes on and on.  You can check out my links on 10+ Great Reasons to Take Vitamin C and Vitamin C and Erectile Dysfunction for more information.
CAUTION:  In my link on Garlic and Erectile Dysfunction, I discuss how Vitamin C and garlic coupled together can dramatically increase nitric oxide and lower blood pressure. However, one should always consult with your doctor first if you have any medical condition or are on any medications. For example, lowering your blood pressure too much can have serious consequences.
In spite of all the praise I have for Vitamin C, a few cautions are in order.  In my opinion, Vitamin C's track record is excellent, but a few potential "dangers" have been uncovered as well and I cover those below: 
1. Blood Flow Reduction.  One animal study showed that in some cases Vitamin C could possibly contribute to a loss of blood flow.  This study basically demonstrated that Vitamin C could increase a key oxidant, peroxide, that is responsible for supplying blood flow to the muscles and expanding arteries. [15] In my link on Antioxidants and the Heart I discuss how free radicals, supposedly the villains, actually play crucial roles in our health.  For example, nitric oxide is a free radical and dilates our arteries.  Researchers are concerned that taking too many antioxidants, such as Vitamin C, could quench the body's requirement for these free radicals.
Now the rebuttal to this is that this study actually combined two antioxidants and thus may not really be a realistic scenario.  In fact, as mentioned above, researchers have found that combining garlic and Vitamin C increases nitric oxide by three times!  We have had guy on The Peak Testosterone Forum use this to cure their erectile dysfunction - that's how powerful it for some men.  Nevertheless, it does beg the question as to whether we fully understand the complete impact of megadosing Vitamin C.
2. Loss of Exercise Benefits.  Another disturbing study showed that 1000 mg daily of Vitamin C coupled with 235 mg daily of Vitamin E lowered key benefits of exercise.  The researchers summarized by saying that "daily vitamin C and E supplementation attenuated increases in markers of mitochondrial biogenesis following endurance training." [18] Of course, some would argue that Vitamin C alone may not do the same and so it is too bad that the study did not also look at each supplement separately.  Again, though, this shows that one can have too much of a good thing.
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3. Increase Arterial Plaque?.  And then came the real black eye: one study showed increased arterial thickness from Vitamin C.  This study reported that those who took Vitamin C had 2.5 times the thickening of the arteries compared with those who took none. [3]  This study has been criticized for being relatively small and one can't help but ask the question, "If Vitamin C causes such accelerated hardening of the arteries, why aren't its proponents dropping dead like flies?"  Personally, I doubt that Vitamin C causes arterial thickness as this was a small and controversial study, and there are many studies showing that Vitamin C improves arterial health.
4. Increasing Nitrosamines.  One can't help but wonder why Vitamin C does not fight cancer more effectively.  After all, it is one of our body's most important antioxidants and it is used extensively throughout the immune system.  It only stands to reason that it should help with cancer outcomes. The reason is very likely that Vitamin C very likely has a dark side:  the journal Gut simulated conditions in the stomach and found that Vitamin C, when fat levels are low, actually inhibits the carcinogenic nitrosamine production but promotes nitrosamines when fat is present. [8] I'm not talking about fat as in overweight:  I'm talking about fat in your meal.  If you eat any fat in your meal - which almost every one in a modern society does - megadosing with Vitamin C will lead to a flood of carcinogenic nitrosamines and this may explain some of Vitamin C's questionable cancer results.
By the way, did you know that ascorbic acid is sometimes added to meats to lower nitrosamine production.  The point is that there is data that shows the opposite of the above.  As always, it's too bad there isn't more study work.
5.  Raising Iron Absorption.  Dr. Russell Blaylock and other recommend taking Vitamin C (in a "salt" or "Ester-C" form) in order to make sure that you do not increase iron absorption.  Unfortunately, most men in Western societies consume too much iron and this associated with cardiovascular and neurological disease.  Again, an easy solution is to take it on an empty stomach but not all men know about this.
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6.  Heart Disease.  Let's start by looking at Vitamin C and heart disease, which is the #1 killer of men and the underlying cause of most erectile dysfunction issues.  Here the studies have been decidedly mixed and some have wondered if this means Vitamin C has some hidden negative property that masks some of the good ones. In its favor, Vitamin C, and Vitamin E as well, were examined in a controlled study by Danish researchers in 2000.  Participants were given 250 mg and 91 mg twice daily of Vitamins C and E, respectively.  This study found that those on the Vitamins C and E had decreased arterial thickness, i.e. less plaque buildup from arteriosclerosis. [1] The researchers commented that "taking either vitamin separately also resulted in a reduction in plaque buildup but the combination of vitamins worked best..." Similarly, a large meta-analysis of nine cohorts found that those who took supplemental Vitamin C at megadose levels (> 700 mg) had significantly reduced (25%) cardiovascular issues compared to those who did not take Vitamin C. [2] 
So everything sounds like a "green light", right?  Well, unfortunately, there have been a number of studies that have found that Vitamin C has no significant heart benefit.  One of the biggest was The Physicians Health Study II of 14,000 male physicians run by a Harvard professor.  In this study physicians were put on 500 mg Vitamin C and 400 IU Vitamin E daily.  The researchers found that neither vitamin decreased cardiovascular events whatsoever. [17] Then came a study on postmenopausal women with diabetes that showed an increased cardiovascular risk with Vitamin C usage. [16] Critics point that 500 mg of Vitamin C is a fairly low dosage according to Pauling Theory.
Another researcher, Rory Collins, looked at not just heart disease during a huge five year study involving 20,000 people who took daily 600mg of vitamin E, 250mg of vitamin C and 20mg of beta-carotene.  This study [7] in the prestigious journal Lancet found that there was no improvement in heart disease or cancer rates.  Once again, Vitamin C looked like a questionable use of one's money.  Again, some have criticized this study for only supplementing with 250 mg of Vitamin, but keep in mind that is roughly the Vitamin C found in five oranges.

CAUTION: If you have a medical condition or are on any medications, please discuss any changes with your doctor first. Certain supplements, foods and even juices can alter absorption rates of certain medications for example. Play it safe.
REFERENCES:
1) Journal of Internal Medicine, 2000; 248 (5), 377-386
2)  American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Dec 2004, 80(6):1508-1520, December 2004 Antioxidant vitamins and coronary heart disease risk: a pooled analysis of 9 cohorts Paul Knekt, et al
3)  Reported on March 2, 2000, by Dr. James Dwyer at an American Heart Association meeting in San Diego
7) The Lancet, 2002, 360(9347):1781-1782
8) Gut, 2007; 56:1678-1684, Published Online First: 4 September 2007, "Fat transforms ascorbic acid from inhibiting to promoting acid-catalysed N-nitrosation"
9) J Am Coll Nutr, 2005 Jun, 24(3):158-65
14) http://esciencenews.com/articles/2009/09/09/ study.reveals.new.role.vitamin.c.skin.protection
15) Experimental Physiology, Published Online: 21 Jul 2009, 94(9):961-971, "The effects of antioxidants on microvascular oxygenation and blood flow in skeletal muscle of young rats"
16) Am J Clin Nutr, Nov 2004, 80(5):1194-1200, "Does supplemental vitamin C increase cardiovascular disease risk in women with diabetes?"
17) JAMA, 2008 Nov 12, 300(18):2123-33, "Vitamins E and C in the prevention of cardiovascular disease in men: the Physicians' Health Study II randomized controlled trial.
18) J of Physiology, Published online before print Feb 3 2014, "Vitamin C and E supplementation hampers cellular adaptation to endurance training in humans: a double-blind randomized controlled trial"

Κυριακή 1 Ιουνίου 2014

Synthetic beta-carotene increases cancer and heart disease risk



Beta-carotene increases cancer risk

A study shows that the antioxidant beta-carotene increases the risk of lung cancer and diminishes the anti-cancer effect of eating fruit and vegetables.
12 06 2003
Antioxidants are incredibly popular and, despite the controversy surrounding Pan Pharmaceuticals, people are still swallowing supplements as if there’s no tomorrow.
The assumption is they’re safe, but a salutary study has fired a shot across the bows of one supplement at least: beta-carotene - the raw material for vitamin A.
A few years ago there was a large trial of beta-carotene to see if it would prevent lung cancer in heavy smokers and people exposed to asbestos.
The trial was stopped early because those who received beta-carotene had an increased risk of lung cancer compared to those on placebo, not decreased as expected.
The results have been re-examined and even more disturbing findings made, this time on the effects of beta-carotene on the benefits of fruit and vegetables. You see, the original study showed that people eating fruit and vegetables had lower rates of cancer.
But the re-analysis found that those taking beta-carotene actually lost that protection. In other words, beta-carotene both increased the risk of malignancy and blocked the beneficial effects of plant-based foods.
It’s a warning that supplements are not necessarily harmless and a reminder there’s a lot more to whole foods than meet the eye.




Vitamin Overdose: The Beta Carotene Tests


A Finish study of high-risk lung cancer patients was one of the first to come back, and demonstrated how mistaken we were.

The study showed that not only had the beta carotene failed to prevent lung cancer, it had actually increased the subjects' chance of getting it by 28 percent (5)! The death rate from heart disease had also increased by 17 percent (6).

The study was called off when the scientists realized what was happening, and only much later did people come to understand what occurs when you flood the body with beta carotene in isolation.

The problem is that a pill is not a plant. Beta carotene is one of about 50 carotenoids found in plant foods. Normally, when the appropriate mixture of carotenoids enters a cell, they float around in the cytoplasm until they find a receptor site to attach to.

But when the body is flooded with a vitamin overdose of isolated beta carotene from a pill, there is an overwhelming competition for the receptor sites, and the 50 other needed carotenoids are displaced, creating deadly nutritional imbalances.


More Cancer
The Alpha-Tocopherol, Beta Carotene Cancer Prevention Study Group. A total of 29,133 male smokers were assigned to one of four regimens: alpha-tocopherol (vitamin E) alone, beta-carotene alone, both alpha-tocopherol and beta-carotene, or placebo.7 Findings: 18 percent more lung cancer and 8 percent more deaths in those taking the preparations with beta-carotene.
The Beta Carotene and Retinol Efficacy Trial. A total of 18,314 smokers, former smokers, and workers exposed to asbestos assigned to take beta-carotene and retinol (vitamin A) or placebo.8 Findings: 17 percent more deaths, 46 percent more lung cancer, and 26 percent more cardiovascular disease for those taking the supplement.

More Heart Disease


Alpha-tocopherol Beta-carotene Cancer Prevention Study. A total of 1862 male smokers who had had a previous myocardial infarction were assigned to dietary supplements of alpha-tocopherol, beta-carotene, both, or placebo.17 Findings: There were 75% more deaths from fatal coronary artery disease in the beta-carotene groups and a slight increase in the alpha-tocopherol groups.