Vitamin C - The truth behind the concerns
Two years ago, the press enthusiastically reported that a new study seemed to indicate that vitamin C supplementation might contribute to hardening of the arteries. This account set many people nervously 'buzzing', with the thought that vitamin C could actively cause this potentially fatal condition. However, before we all start panicking further, let us carefully analyse this 'hotly' publicised piece of 'science'.
This 'study' hasn't even been published yet, or subjected to peer review! This may not seem particularly significant to the man in the street, but I can assure you it is the one single issue about which the medical establishment will very quickly climb upon its 'high horse' about, when positive data on vitamins is to be approved. Peer-reviewed, published studies are the only ones that the establishment considers authentic and worthy of value and recognition.
Vitamin C - Thickening arteries
It is all very unfortunate, that there does seem to be more than a slight tendency amongst the ranks of this very same establishment, to somehow cease to care or worry where studies originate from, or indeed even how accurate they are, if they are about the negative business of 'vitamin assassination'! The most dangerous problem is the academic 'ignorance' of the media! In their confusion they proclaim "thickening" of the arteries, mistaking it for 'occlusion' which is a very different physiological state! As people grow older, their arterial walls weaken and get thinner. It is a well established fact of science, that Vitamin C stimulates collagen production (obviously a fact that is not particularly well heeded in medical school!), and that is most definitely considered a positive result. Thickening -- or strengthening -- of thinned arteries through greater collagen resources being available (which is what was observed) is a positive and desirable outcome. 'Occlusion', which is the closing off or blocking of a passage -- is medically and physiologically completely different. No occlusion whatsoever was reported in this publicised study!
The imaging technique used to measure the thickening is also heavily questionable, as it has not yet even completed clinical trials to be established as an accurate methodology! In addition to this, the technique has three different indicators and the study only used one of them. As mentioned above, the study didn't bother with the other two indicators; hardly a piece of 'cutting edge' efficiency!
Vitamin C and DNA
Many researchers, including Dr. Jonathan Wright, a prominent authority in enlightened medicine, commented on the study's sole reliance on ultrasound. Dr Wright states categorically, that 'ultrasound alone is most certainly not capable of determining the nature of the so- called 'thickening'! It may well be that those who don't take vitamin C actually have weaker and thinner-than-optimal arterial walls. There is absolutely no way to knowing from this study alone. Some years ago there was a great furore over another 'conclusion', claiming to prove that moderate doses of vitamin C "caused DNA damage. Further more competent investigation soon revealed the truth, which was that vitamin C caused a slight increase in easily repairable DNA strand breaks but a large reduction in the hard-to-repair (and much more significant) strand breaks.
Vitamin C - The benefits
Another progressively aware physician Dr. Julian Whitaker, quite rightly pointed out that astronomical amounts of validated research show vitamin C to be of dramatically positive value in preventing kidney conditions, lowering blood pressure, and reducing risk of prostate cancer and viral infections. The efficiency levels of radiation and chemotherapeutic procedures are also improved, along with greatly reduced risk factors in cancers of the lung, colon, breast, prostate, cervix, oesophagus, oral cavity and pancreas.
One group of senior clinical researchers, analysed the vitamin C intake of 11,238 adults over 5 years and discovered that all the men with the highest intakes of vitamin C had a 45% lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease than those with the lowest intakes. For women the difference was found to be 25%.
Vitamin C - The conclusion
In conclusion, the world's leading expert on treating people with high doses of vitamin C, the eminent and respected researcher Dr Robert Cathcart, comments on this latest controversy by saying: "My experience with over 25,000 patients since 1969 indicates that this charge is ridiculous. I've had no patient who had a good heart when I first saw them and took significant doses of C, who has ever developed heart problems. I have to add that I advise all my patients to avoid sugar, chemicals and highly processed foods. If it turns out that there is thickening of the carotid (artery) for example, I am of the professional opinion that it is reversing the anticipated natural thinning that occurs with the ageing process."
I find it very odd that the truly enormous quantities of international research which has been conducted, and verified vitamin C as outstandingly beneficial in a great many areas of human health, doesn't seem to warrant a fraction of the press attention as one small, unverified, badly conducted and incorrectly reported study!
I for one will certainly continue to recommend that all my clients keep on taking their specifically prescribed amounts of daily vitamin C (as Ester-C) supplementation, as part of their health and nutrition plan.
This article is courtesy of Alan Gordon
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