Coronavirus Scare-How Useful is Vitamin C?

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Coronavirus Scare

This article is prompted by the response we are experiencing due to the coronavirus. It is not meant to be offering medical advice. If you have any health issues you are recommended to consult with your doctor. This article is merely to help inform you of some of the uses of vitamin C and how it can help support the body against pathogens, such as the coronavirus.

 

Background Info

Whilst reliable information on the coronavirus is severely lacking at this present time, there is a veritable media blitz going on, leading to different reactions on how to deal with the virus from country to country. This development is leading to a severe reaction in the economy.

 

Part of the provocation for writing this article is due to the imminent release of my next book, How to Prevent Premature Death or Worse—& How to survive in the 21st Century. While the book was not aimed at dealing with the current outbreak, there is a section in this book that discusses vitamin C that is pertinent to the coronavirus outbreak. As the book is not available at the time of writing this article, it felt necessary not to delay passing on what I feel is useful information about this important vitamin.

Further, there are going to be significant economic repercussions following the various government responses. Discussion of this is beyond the scope of this present posting. However, following the announcement by the Federal Reserve of its massive bailout program and the reactions from the wider community deserve serious attention. Discussion of these issues can be found here.

Vitamin C and Viruses

This article is not intended to be a complete history or in-depth study of vitamin C, it is a brief introduction of some of the issues that I feel are important to your health and the current Covid-19 coronavirus situation. I hope to help you understand how vitamin C in large doses can be of real benefit.

Too many people are unaware that vitamin C has been used effectively for decades for treating both viral and bacterial infections. The use of high doses of vitamin C intravenously as sodium ascorbate has been immortalized by doctors such as Frederick R Klenner who in the 1940s, used thousands of milligrams to successfully treat, numerous viral conditions, including pneumonia, hepatitis, and polio. From 1943 through 1947 he successfully treated 40 cases of viral pneumonia with intravenous vitamin C. He published the details of this achievement in 1948 in the Journal of Southern Medicine and Surgery, which was to be the first of 28 scientific publications that he was to write to show the benefits of what was considered massive doses of vitamin C.

Klenner is perhaps better-known for his successful eradication of poliomyelitis in his home town of Reidsville, North Carolina, USA,  during the 1948 epidemic. Klenner informs us of his experience: ‘In the past seven years, virus infections have been treated and cured in a period of seventy-two hours by the employment of massive frequent injections of ascorbic acid of vitamin C. I believe that if vitamin C in these massive doses—6,000 to 20,000 mg in a twenty-four hour period—is given to these patients with poliomyelitis none will be paralyzed and there will be no further maiming or epidemics of Poliomyelitis.’ Klenner used to give 350 mg per kilogram of body weight, which would equate to a dose of approximately 25,000 to 30,000 mg for an adult, taken every two hours. This treatment cured 60 patients of polio, with no lasting symptoms. It was said at these levels he was able to stop measles and dry up chickenpox.[1]

Klenner treated chronic hepatitis with 500 to 700 mg per kilogram of body weight, dosing every 8-12 hours by vein. Routinely, he found a complete resolution of hepatitis could be expected in two to four days. In some cases he would simply use oral administration of vitamin C as ascorbic acid, involving a total of 120,000 mg (120 grams) over a four-day period. Dr Thomas Levy writing in Curing the Incurable—Vitamin C, Infectious Diseases, and Toxins, discusses Klenner’s success with vitamin C, not just with viral infections, but against bacterial infections and numerous other conditions. Dr Levy reports on three cases of children with diphtheria, each one treated by a different physician. The little girl under Dr Klenner’s care was given 10,000 mg of vitamin C as a slow intravenous “push” with a 50 cc syringe every eight hours for the first 24 hours and then every 12 hours for two more doses. Following this, she was given 1,000 mg of vitamin C every two hours by mouth. Dr Klenner also noted that the little girl was given a 40,000-unit dose of antitoxin as were the other children. The other children, however,  died, but Dr Klenner’s patient survived, later becoming a nurse. Dr Levy adds, ‘To date. no viral infection has demonstrated to be resistant to the proper dosing of vitamin C as demonstrated by Klenner. [2]

In a further volume by  Dr Levy,  Primal Panacea,  a book that I would recommend for someone who is not very knowledgeable about vitamin C who may be unfamiliar with what we have discussed so far about the successful use of large doses on pathogens. Dr Levy takes us through the many uses of vitamin C and documents some of the reasons that it is so important to us. However, I offer this example, in which he describes how vitamin C cured a comatose swine flu patient, In 2009 a patient with swine flu was literally at the point of being removed from life support. The patient was a man who had also been diagnosed with white-out pneumonia and “hairy cell” leukemia. The attending physicians had wanted to remove the patient from life-support, but the family insisted on allowing the administration of Klenner-sized doses of vitamin C before turning off the life-support. According to Dr Levy, the clinical response was swift and effective: ‘Almost immediately, the patient’s lungs began to clear and he recovered enough to be taken off the life support. Within a few weeks, he recovered sufficiently that he was able to walk out of the hospital. Furthermore, his leukemia appeared to have resolved along with the swine flu.’ The tragedy of this story, however, was following the miraculous turnaround of this patient, the doctors concluded that his recovery had nothing to do with the infusions of vitamin C.[3]

Vitamin C and Sepsis

Dr Joseph Mercola published an article on vitamin C on his website regarding its use dealing with sepsis, which he informs us is responsible for 1 in 5 deaths each year, killing 11 million people in 2017 alone. He gives a protocol developed by Dr Paul Marik,  a critical care doctor at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital in East Virginia, USA, that significantly reduced mortality in his patients. The protocol, developed for a clinical study he undertook, was for an intravenous application that included 200mg of thiamine [vitamin B1] every 12 hours, 1,500 mg of ascorbic acid and 50 mg of hydrocortisone every 6 hours for two days. This protocol reduced mortality from 40% to 8.5%. The article further notes that suspected influenza cases can mimic many of the signs for sepsis and that sepsis is regarded as one of the leading causes of influenza deaths.[4]  See Video.

Whilst it is encouraging is that the use of vitamin C is becoming more recognised for its use treating serious viral and bacterial conditions, we can still only guess what the outcome of using Klenner-sized doses might have been. As mentioned above Klenner used 25,000 -30,000 mg every two hours for polio which would equate to 300 times the dose given in the case of sepsis patients.

Dr Mercola quotes Dr Ronald Hunninghake, an internationally recognised expert on vitamin C who suggested one of the reasons why conventional medicine has been so slow to recognize the importance of vitamin C has to do with the fact that they’ve been looking at it as a mere vitamin, when in fact it’s a potent oxidizing agent that can help eliminate pathogens when given in high doses. [5]

Vitamin C—More Than a Vitamin

Dr Claus Jungeblut had demonstrated that vitamin C was able to detoxify and inactivate the toxins produced by both viral and bacterial pathogens, including polio, hepatitis, herpes, and staphylococcus. Following a polio epidemic in Australia, he was able to deduce that low vitamin C status was directly associated with the disease. Dr William McCormick, another enthusiast for vitamin C found that supplementation of even a moderate quantity of vitamin C such as 500mg daily has been reported to lower mortality from all causes, including heart disease. Linus Pauline PhD. had the distinction of having two unshared noble prizes, and a real enthusiasm for vitamin C. He believed that vitamin C deficiency played a role in many chronic diseases. He pointed out that the amount that of vitamin C that a rat would produce on a daily level would equate with between 5 and 15 grams a day for a 154-pound (70kg) adult human, yet the recommended daily allowance (RDA) in the USA was less than 0.1 grams per day.[6]

As regards to the RDA, Klenner referred to it as ‘This illegitimate “child”… ’Co-fathered by the National Academy of Science and the National Research Council and represents a tragic error in judgement.’ [7]

Dr Levy points out that goats produce roughly 13 times more vitamin C than cats or dogs. An adult goat makes approximately 13,000 mg daily and under stress can produce 100,000 mg daily which is significantly larger than the 70-90 mg RDA. Levy points out that to achieve success with vitamin C treatment that it is important to get the dose right and he lists what he considers as the absolute requirements for taking the vitamin:

  1. In the right form.
  2. With the proper technique.
  3. In frequent enough doses.
  4. In high enough doses.
  5. Along with certain additional agents.
  6. Taken for a long enough period.

Levy suggests: ‘Yes many viral infectious diseases have been cured and can continue to be cured by the proper administration of vitamin C…Optimal vitamin C dosing should drastically reduce the use of many antibiotics and other medicines.’[8] Here lies the problem—it would significantly improve health and therefore reduce pharmaceutical profits.

It is well-known that the pharmaceutical industry has funded numerous studies utilizing small therapeutic doses of vitamin C that miraculously showed no therapeutic benefit. The benefit to them is they can say that thousands of studies have been undertaken that have shown that vitamin C is of negligible benefit for such and such a condition. They can continue to protect their exorbitant profits, subvert any real regulatory control, use their wealth to influence politicians, and dominate the media, and the medical profession—all to the detriment of our health.

When Dr Klenner achieved his successful treatment of 60 polio patients with vitamin C, it coincided with the introduction of the polio vaccine. The pharmaceutical industry was not interested in having a cure for polio that cost pence, could not be patented and would be in direct competition with the introduction of a vaccine program. Klenner was ignored, most doctors today do not realise that vitamin C can eliminate viruses and bacteria.

There are however small studies that support the use of vitamin C in infectious diseases. Here are some examples by Harri Hemilä, in her article on Vitamin C and infections: In 1984 in Bangladesh, intravenous vitamin C was successfully used on tetanus patients. A group of children aged one to twelve years with tetanus were given 1g /day of intravenous vitamin C. While there were 23 deaths in the group not given the vitamin C, there were no deaths in the vitamin C group. She reports on three pneumonia trials that found a more than 80% lower incidence of pneumonia in the vitamin C groups. She also reports on the use of vitamin C in animals. It is well-known that humans do not have the ability to create vitamin C unlike, most animals. Dogs, for example, can create vitamin C. Hemilä cites the case where dogs infected with the canine distemper virus were given 1-2 g/day of intravenous vitamin C over a period of three days. Normally the recovery rate is only 5-10% of dogs, but this was increased to 44%.                                                                          Immune Response Russell Kightley

In a separate animal study, this time on rats that were administered twice the minimal lethal dose of tetanus toxin all died, whereas the 25 rats that were administered vitamin C all lived.

I added these two animal studies to illustrate how additional vitamin C made the difference in the survival of two groups of animals who were able to produce their own vitamin C, but not enough. The additional vitamin C made a real difference. This comes back to the idea of having adequate supplies and using a high enough dose.

One of the arguments over vitamin C is that there are still members of the medical fraternity who believe that just about everyone has adequate vitamin C in their diets and that any serious lack would show up with symptoms of scurvy.

Hemilä’s report reveals that cases of scurvy have been found in hospitals, one survey revealed 10% of hospitalized elderly patients had scurvy. She suggests that clinical scurvy may appear when the plasma concentration falls below 11 µmol/L, which corresponds to an intake of less than 0.01 g/day. She also reports that surveys have also shown that plasma vitamin C levels below 11 µmol/L were found for 14% of males and 10% of females in the USA, 19% of males and 13% of females in India, 40% of elderly people living in institutions in the UK, 23% of children and 39% of women in Mexico. She also reported that 45% of a cohort of pregnant women in rural India had plasma vitamin C levels below 4 µmol/L. [9]

Vitamin C is much more than a vitamin. Aside from its ability as an antioxidant, it supports the immune system in several ways. The levels of vitamin C in white blood cells is more than eighty times the levels in blood plasma. Vitamin C has been shown to affect the functions of phagocytes, the production of interferon, the maturation of T-lymphocytes and numerous other functions all of which aid the body in fighting pathogens and protecting the body.

Vitamin C Protection.

All of the above should help you realise that being deficient can undermine the body’s ability to fight infections. What can make the difference as to whether one person succumbs to illness compared to another can be as simple as the level of vitamin C your body and how effective your immune response is. When we can help protect ourselves for mere pennies and dimes it makes sense to have the option of bolstering our systems, particularly in the knowledge that so many people fall short of the optimum levels required to keep us in good health.

Vitamin C has a half-life in the body of around 30 minutes. This means that taking a large amount at once is much less useful than spreading dosing during the day. Some people prefer taking vitamin C in tablet form as ascorbic acid. Some prefer using sodium ascorbate powder and adding it to water, this is a ph neutral form, and it’s generally cheaper.

Whichever form is taken, when we have infections such as colds etc. most people can take 15-20 grams a day (15, 000 – 20,000 mg). If we take to too much the body will respond by creating loose stools, which generally indicates we need to take less. If you continue to take high amounts it will create diarrhoea. While it may be considered ok for a cleanse it is not something you would wish to continue with as it would lead to serious loss of fluid and destabilise proper digestion.

As regards to the Covid-19 coronavirus, a news release from the Orthomolecular Medicine News Service has revealed that the Shanghai government has recommended vitamin C for Covid-19. According to the report they are recommending dosages from 50 t0 200 milligrams per kilogram body weight per day. These doses are approximately 4,000 to 16,000 mg for an adult administered by IV. It should be emphasized that intravenous vitamin C is ten times more effective than taking oral amounts.

Dr Richard Cheng, a US board-certified specialist in anti-ageing medicine, was part of the International Intravenous Vitamin C China Epidemic Medical Support Team that oversaw the use of high-dose vitamin C for the treatment of COVID-19 in China. He has been instrumental in facilitating at least three Chinese clinical IV vitamin C studies now underway. Dr Cheng is presently in Shanghai continuing his efforts to encourage still more Chinese hospitals to implement vitamin C therapy incorporating high oral doses as well as vitamin C by IV.[10]

My understanding is that there was a 100% success rate with these trials and that vitamin C therapy is being administered on a wider scale. It’s cheap and effective.

Here are some comments by one of my favourite writers and nutritionists, Andrew Saul PhD. ‘Bowel tolerance levels of vitamin C, taken as divided doses all throughout the day, are clinically proven antiviral without equal. Vitamin C can be used alone or right along with medicines if one so chooses.’ As regards to the coronavirus, he suggests: ‘The coronavirus, in acute infections, may be expected to be just as susceptible to vitamin C as all of the other viruses against which it has been proven to be extremely effective. There has never been a documented situation in which sufficiently high dosing with vitamin C has been unable to neutralize or kill any virus against which it has been tested.’[11]

This coronavirus is going to take time to run its course, months rather than weeks.

My advice would be to get hold of some vitamin C and boost your immune system. If you have an infection of any kind vitamin C can help significantly.

What may also help you is to understand what actions actively reduce vitamin C levels in our bodies. Sugar is a real issue here, as can be high amounts of over-processed carbohydrates, and alcohol (which is effectively fermented sugar). Glucose transportation into the cells is prioritized over vitamin C, so when glucose levels are high vitamin C is not available. All infections, (whether viral, bacterial or fungal), toxins, heavy metals, poisons, some medicines, etc. all use up vitamin C. As we are exposed to so many sources from our food and environment that deplete vitamin C levels our requirements for vitamin C are increased.

 

References

 

[1] Andrew W Saul, Ph.D., “Hidden in Plain Sight; The Pioneering Work of Frederick Robert Klenner, M.D.

[2] Thomas Levy, MD, JD. Curing the Incurable—Vitamin C, Infectious Diseases and Toxins, Livon Books, 2002, p 61.

[3] Thomas Levy, MD, JD. Primal Panacea, MedFox Publishing, 2011, p 18.

[4] Dr Joseph Mercola, “ Vitamin C Works for Sepsis. Will It Work for Coronavirus?” February 24, 2020

https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2020/02/24/iv-vitamin-c.aspx

[5] Ibid.

[6] Steve Hickey, PhD., & Andrew W. Saul, PhD., Vitamin C: The Real Story, Basic Health Publications, Inc., 2008.

[7] Frederick R. Klenner, M.D., F.C.C.P. “Observations on the Dose and Administration of Ascorbic Acid When Employed Beyond the Range of a Vitamin in Human Pathology.” Journal of Applied Nutrition, 1971, Vol. 23, Nos. 3 and 4, pp. 61–87.

[8] Thomas Levy, MD, JD. Curing the Incurable—Vitamin C, Infectious Diseases and Toxins, Livon Books, 2002, p 20.

[9] Harri Hemilä. “Vitamin C and Infections.” Nutrients. 2017 Apr; 9(4): 339.

doi: 10.3390/nu9040339bPMCID: PMC5409678 PMID: 28353648

[10] Andrew W. Saul, Editor.” Shanghai Government Officially Recommends Vitamin C for COVID-19.” Orthomolecular Medicine News Service, Mar 3, 2020

[11] Andrew W. Saul, Editor, “Nutritional Treatment of Coronavirus.” Orthomolecular Medicine News Service, Jan 30, 2020

 

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