Have you seen the headlines in the media saying that vitamin use can be dangerous for older women?
Have you actually read the study that the headlines are based on?
The fact of the matter is that media outlets get much more money from pharmaceutical companies than from vitamin companies.
The fact of the matter is that whereas the minimum required vitamin doses that prevent deficiency-related diseases are well understood, the optimal, or or orthonormal quantities are not as well understood.
It seems to me unlikely that the amounts that you receive in your diet are the optimal amounts.
The vitamins in your food are whats best for your food.
Your food does not care about you.
In fact if anything it does not like you.
Why should what ever you get from your food be the optimal amount of vitamins?
Here is a news video that discusses how those news headlines distorted the findings of the study that they are quoting, and that this study they are quoting does not have much statistical relevance in the first place.
So what do these numbers really say?
Vitamin B complex was associated with a 7% reduction in mortality
Vitamin C was associated with a 4% reduction in mortality
Vitamin D was associated with an 8% reduction in mortality
Magnesium was associated with a 3% reduction in mortality
Selenium was associated with a 3% reduction in mortality
Zinc was associated with a 3% reduction in mortality
I bet you didn't read that in the mainstream media, huh? That's because they never reported these numbers! Once again, they just cherry picked whatever scary data they wanted to show you while ignoring the rest.
On the negative side of the findings:
Folic acid was associated with a 9% increase in mortality
Copper was associated with a 31% increase in mortality
Infowars News
Here is the link to the homepage of the medical doctor who was quoted in the newscast.
drbrownstein.com
Friday, October 21, 2011
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Vitamin C good for Alzheimers
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20110818/Vitamin-C-shows-promise-against-Alzheimers-disease.aspx
(article in progress).
The book featured here is, I believe one of the most cited resources for many brain conditions, such as stroke, Alzheimers, Parkinson's multiple sclorosis, Lou Gehrig's disease and more, using vitamins and other nutritional methods.
(article in progress).
The book featured here is, I believe one of the most cited resources for many brain conditions, such as stroke, Alzheimers, Parkinson's multiple sclorosis, Lou Gehrig's disease and more, using vitamins and other nutritional methods.
Monday, August 8, 2011
How much Vitamin C should you take?
Yeah, that's the question!
Humans are not able to make their own vitamin C, but most other mammals can. We can use the amount they manufacture for themselves as a guide for what we should be eating.
Here are some data points:
(1) 70 kilograms (140 lb) of house flies manufacture 10 grams of vitamin C per day. In general, animals manufacture about 10 grams per day according to Linus Pauling. (see here)
(2) An adult goat makes approximately 10grams of vitamin C per day (see here)
(3) Linus Pauling took 18 grams of vitamin C a day, and he lived to be 93. At least that proves that vitamin C is not detremental to your health.
Each of these must have a compelling reason for making this amount of Vitamin C or they would not do so. Vitamin C is essentitally made from sugar molecules and every gram of vitamin C costs at least a gram of sugar.
Humans are not able to make their own vitamin C, but most other mammals can. We can use the amount they manufacture for themselves as a guide for what we should be eating.
Here are some data points:
(1) 70 kilograms (140 lb) of house flies manufacture 10 grams of vitamin C per day. In general, animals manufacture about 10 grams per day according to Linus Pauling. (see here)
(2) An adult goat makes approximately 10grams of vitamin C per day (see here)
(3) Linus Pauling took 18 grams of vitamin C a day, and he lived to be 93. At least that proves that vitamin C is not detremental to your health.
Each of these must have a compelling reason for making this amount of Vitamin C or they would not do so. Vitamin C is essentitally made from sugar molecules and every gram of vitamin C costs at least a gram of sugar.
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Vitamin C boosts male fertility
Well, I did not know this. I stumbled on this information through this article, which says that vitamin C enhances sperm quality, while a lack of vitamin C can cause burned to clump together so they don't do their job.
There is a lot of really good information on the web about the connection between vitamin C and fertility, and if you are in this condition I would strongly encourage you to do your research.
There is a lot of really good information on the web about the connection between vitamin C and fertility, and if you are in this condition I would strongly encourage you to do your research.
Vitamin B3 good for brain.
Since Martha Ann Miller mentions (previous post) that she takes a super - B vitamin supplement, I would like to take the opportunity to point out that this may be one reason why she is still so mentally sharp.
In this podcast on Science Friday, a researcher from the University of California, Irvine talks about how vitamin B3 supplements keep Alzheimer's from developing in mice that are programmed to develop it with that gene, and how it makes normal mice smarter.
The researcher says that these mice are taking the extremely high with doses of vitamin B3, and implies that these doses are not necessarily safe for humans.
At the same vitamin B3 is water soluble (which means that levels don't build up--unlike fat soluble vitamins)
and complications from too much vitamin B3 are very rare.
This is very exciting because brain conditions are very hard to treat (unlike a broken arm or a missing tooth that can be repaired surigcally without much patient intervention).
Vitamin B3 is also suppoesed to be good for after a stroke.
I talked to a pharmacist and he said the extended release (flush-free) Niacin is safest. It's probably safe anyway.
In this podcast on Science Friday, a researcher from the University of California, Irvine talks about how vitamin B3 supplements keep Alzheimer's from developing in mice that are programmed to develop it with that gene, and how it makes normal mice smarter.
The researcher says that these mice are taking the extremely high with doses of vitamin B3, and implies that these doses are not necessarily safe for humans.
At the same vitamin B3 is water soluble (which means that levels don't build up--unlike fat soluble vitamins)
and complications from too much vitamin B3 are very rare.
This is very exciting because brain conditions are very hard to treat (unlike a broken arm or a missing tooth that can be repaired surigcally without much patient intervention).
Vitamin B3 is also suppoesed to be good for after a stroke.
I talked to a pharmacist and he said the extended release (flush-free) Niacin is safest. It's probably safe anyway.
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Want to live long and stay healthy? Try vitamin C
Martha Ann Miller is a physically active and mentally sharp lady.
She also happens to be 100 years old. She credits her longevity in part to her taking
See the Washigton Post
My own sense is that Martha's longevity is in part attributable to good genes (her mother lived to be 96).
I am a bit surprised that she felt worse after she stopped taking your vitamins.
It is my sense that taking vitamins causes stress on your digestive system, so not taking them is usually pretty easy and does not make you feel bad. But that's just my experience.
She also happens to be 100 years old. She credits her longevity in part to her taking
- Super Vitamin B complex
- Vitamin C
- folic acid
See the Washigton Post
My own sense is that Martha's longevity is in part attributable to good genes (her mother lived to be 96).
I am a bit surprised that she felt worse after she stopped taking your vitamins.
It is my sense that taking vitamins causes stress on your digestive system, so not taking them is usually pretty easy and does not make you feel bad. But that's just my experience.
Hard work and stress cause stiff arteries, inspite of Vitamin C
Firefighters performing heavy activity, that is typical for firefighters
for three hours were found to have acute increases in arterial stiffness and impaired cardiac functioning in young, apparently healthy male firefighters.This phenomenon has also been observed in people performing other heavy physical activities.
About one hour before the pre-firefighting data collection, the participants consumed a standardized meal and a 2-gram Vitamin C capsule or a placebo so researchers could investigate whether the supplement improved arterial function, mitigating the risk of cardiovascular events, as prior studies suggested. The Vitamin C supplements did not appear to affect any of the outcomes, however.
see Fire Engineering.
I would like to point out that 2 g of vitamin C over a 5 hour period is a tiny amount,
especially considering the firefighters were under lot of stress and firefighters are big people.
In contrast Linus Pauling took 18 g of vitamin C a day, and he was a medium sized guy and not doing a lot of physical activity.
So to me this study does not prove much about the effect of vitamin C on the cardiovascular system.
for three hours were found to have acute increases in arterial stiffness and impaired cardiac functioning in young, apparently healthy male firefighters.This phenomenon has also been observed in people performing other heavy physical activities.
About one hour before the pre-firefighting data collection, the participants consumed a standardized meal and a 2-gram Vitamin C capsule or a placebo so researchers could investigate whether the supplement improved arterial function, mitigating the risk of cardiovascular events, as prior studies suggested. The Vitamin C supplements did not appear to affect any of the outcomes, however.
see Fire Engineering.
I would like to point out that 2 g of vitamin C over a 5 hour period is a tiny amount,
especially considering the firefighters were under lot of stress and firefighters are big people.
In contrast Linus Pauling took 18 g of vitamin C a day, and he was a medium sized guy and not doing a lot of physical activity.
So to me this study does not prove much about the effect of vitamin C on the cardiovascular system.
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Vitamin K3 and vitamin C alone or in combination kills leukemia cells by a similar oxidative stress signalling mechanism
The way the cells are destroyed is by induced apoptosis.
What is apoptosis?
Apostis is the programmed death of an old cell. It occurs naturally all the time in healthy people.
For a video illustrating this process (a memorable five minutes worth watching) see Youtube:
For a human-readable explaination of the research, look here: http://www.foodconsumer.org
For advanced understanding look at Cancer Cell International (10 June 2011).
High doses of Vitamin C are needed.
What is apoptosis?
Apostis is the programmed death of an old cell. It occurs naturally all the time in healthy people.
For a video illustrating this process (a memorable five minutes worth watching) see Youtube:
For a human-readable explaination of the research, look here: http://www.foodconsumer.org
For advanced understanding look at Cancer Cell International (10 June 2011).
High doses of Vitamin C are needed.
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Vitamin C and Heart health
I found this set of articles, and lost them, but after much work I found them again.
And I am so glad I was able to find these important links.
In this article,
Vitamin C spells better heart health
Demonstrates convincingly that Vitamin C can reverse hardening of the arteries.
The optometrist, Dr. Sydney Bush, who is the subject of this article, discovered that high doses of Vitamin C don't just cure allergies, but also atherosclerosis. He is in a unique position to show this by his otical equiptment that takes pictures of the arteries in the eyes.
The article also mentions in passing that goats produce 13,000 milligrams (13 grams) of Vitamin C for their own use a day. I had previously pointed out the difficulty in establishing an ideal amount for a vitamin, but the fact that goats produce this amount should be a good indicator of an optimal dose.
Here are two related articles:
Heart attack prevention that works
Dr. Sydney Bush states arteriosclerosis can be reversed by vitamin C
Dr. Bush found the medical establishment so obstinate that he wrote a book that you can get here:
And I am so glad I was able to find these important links.
In this article,
Vitamin C spells better heart health
Demonstrates convincingly that Vitamin C can reverse hardening of the arteries.
The optometrist, Dr. Sydney Bush, who is the subject of this article, discovered that high doses of Vitamin C don't just cure allergies, but also atherosclerosis. He is in a unique position to show this by his otical equiptment that takes pictures of the arteries in the eyes.
The article also mentions in passing that goats produce 13,000 milligrams (13 grams) of Vitamin C for their own use a day. I had previously pointed out the difficulty in establishing an ideal amount for a vitamin, but the fact that goats produce this amount should be a good indicator of an optimal dose.
Here are two related articles:
Heart attack prevention that works
Dr. Sydney Bush states arteriosclerosis can be reversed by vitamin C
Dr. Bush found the medical establishment so obstinate that he wrote a book that you can get here:
Friday, July 29, 2011
French Long-term study shows Vitamins (including Vitamin C) improves Long-term memory
In the 1994–2002 French study participants were 45 to 60 years old, researchers split them randomly into two groups. Half of them took a daily supplement that included vitamins C and E, selenium, zinc, and beta-carotene for eight years.Participants received:
The difference was at least enough to be statistically significant.
The dose of vitamin C is actually very small.
Many (like me) people take one hundred times that amount.
All this goes to illustrate the difficulty in establishing the optimal dose for the various vitamins.
It is also hard to motivate people to take care of health situations that will occur 8 years from now.
I also want to point out the tiny cost of keeping your memory healthy compared to the benefit.
The cost of the vitamins used in this study amounts to pennies a day.
Do you think that the people with the better memory would rather have the good brain or the eight years of pennies a day?
The cost of a week of assisted living can easily make up for whatever was spent on vitamins.
More information here
- daily vitamin C (120 mg),
- β-carotene (6 mg),
- vitamin E (30 mg),
- selenium (100 μg), and
- zinc (20 mg).
The difference was at least enough to be statistically significant.
The dose of vitamin C is actually very small.
Many (like me) people take one hundred times that amount.
All this goes to illustrate the difficulty in establishing the optimal dose for the various vitamins.
It is also hard to motivate people to take care of health situations that will occur 8 years from now.
I also want to point out the tiny cost of keeping your memory healthy compared to the benefit.
The cost of the vitamins used in this study amounts to pennies a day.
Do you think that the people with the better memory would rather have the good brain or the eight years of pennies a day?
The cost of a week of assisted living can easily make up for whatever was spent on vitamins.
More information here
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Want Botox to reduce wrinkles? Try Vitamin C instead
Collagen is a type of protein. Fibrous in nature, it connects and supports other bodily tissues, in particular skin.
It has great tensile strength and functions in a manner that is very different from many other types of proteins.
For example, it can be found both inside and outside of cells.
Collagen fibers are important in contributing to the external structure of cells.
However, they are present on the inside of some cells as well.
Vitamin C contributes greatly to the formation of collagen which explains why it is present in many skin cremes.
One of Shaklee's skin cremes has vitamin C, but unlike other products it has a patented delivery mechanism to cause the vitamin C to penetrate below the surface of the skin to more effectively reduce the presence of wrinkles.
More information is here
It has great tensile strength and functions in a manner that is very different from many other types of proteins.
For example, it can be found both inside and outside of cells.
Collagen fibers are important in contributing to the external structure of cells.
However, they are present on the inside of some cells as well.
Vitamin C contributes greatly to the formation of collagen which explains why it is present in many skin cremes.
One of Shaklee's skin cremes has vitamin C, but unlike other products it has a patented delivery mechanism to cause the vitamin C to penetrate below the surface of the skin to more effectively reduce the presence of wrinkles.
More information is here
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Vitamin C vital for Brain and Eye Health
Researchers found that if you don't have vitamin C inside or outside the cells in the retina, the cells and the receptors start to break down and don't function very well;
but as soon as you add vitamin C, function is preserved perfectly well.It is interesting to note, they say, that when the human body is deprived of ascorbic acid, vitamin C stores in the brain are the last to be depleted.
The role of vitamin C in the brain is at this time poorly understood.
I spoke to someone recently who said that vitamin C helped her with depression.
It is perhaps no coincidence that depression and irritability are some of the first symtoms of scurvy (lack of vitamin C).
More information here
but as soon as you add vitamin C, function is preserved perfectly well.It is interesting to note, they say, that when the human body is deprived of ascorbic acid, vitamin C stores in the brain are the last to be depleted.
The role of vitamin C in the brain is at this time poorly understood.
I spoke to someone recently who said that vitamin C helped her with depression.
It is perhaps no coincidence that depression and irritability are some of the first symtoms of scurvy (lack of vitamin C).
More information here
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Is your Vitamin C made in China?
In a recent article in the Huffington Post it is stated that 80% of the vitamin C sold in the United States comes from China. This claim is hard to verify because most bottles of vitamin C merely state the company they are "distributed by" and often do not list a country of origin.
I have, however found some sources of vitamin C that I note did not come from China.
A quick chat with the customer representative from Swanson revealed that all their products are made in the USA, Europe or Japan.
In particular that means there are vitamin C is not from China.
I also happen to know that Shaklee does not manufacture and of its products in China.
Interestingly, Shaklee sells a form of vitamin C that is blended with iron to reduce the acidity and make its stomach-friendly.
Another stomach-friendly source of vitamin C is Esther-C, which is made in the United States.
Another option for vitamin C that is not from China is the Vitamin C Foundation, which sells vitamin C and powder form for easy consumption of large amounts, and which is manufactured in Europe.
I have, however found some sources of vitamin C that I note did not come from China.
A quick chat with the customer representative from Swanson revealed that all their products are made in the USA, Europe or Japan.
In particular that means there are vitamin C is not from China.
I also happen to know that Shaklee does not manufacture and of its products in China.
Interestingly, Shaklee sells a form of vitamin C that is blended with iron to reduce the acidity and make its stomach-friendly.
Another stomach-friendly source of vitamin C is Esther-C, which is made in the United States.
Another option for vitamin C that is not from China is the Vitamin C Foundation, which sells vitamin C and powder form for easy consumption of large amounts, and which is manufactured in Europe.
Sunday, July 24, 2011
A case against Vitamin C
In the world of vitamin C, it is hard to find anyone who will say anything bad about this vitamin.
I've heard one person say that it can cause kidney stones.
However I doubt that because with as many people taking large doses of vitamin C, you would think that a connection between vitamin C and kidney stones would have been established by now if it were the case.
I have however found a Doctor who rather than believe in antioxidants such as vitamin C, believes in pro-oxidants, or at least the free radicals that occur naturally in the body.
He stated that supplementary vitamin C is not needed unless you have a known deficiency.
Vitamin A and E (an antioxidant) and beta carotene need to be taken with care if it all.
He is Randolph M. Howes (M.D., Ph. D), a plastic surgeon with a Ph.D. in biochemistry.
His position, which he states in his book, in youtube videos, and on his website, he suggests that oxygenization is the primary process for fighting bacteria, fungi, and protozoa such as malaria, as well as for destroying cancer cells.
This being the case, he states that you have no business interfering with the oxygenization process with antioxidants, of which vitamin C is one.
He claims he has many research studies to demonstrate his point, which he has summarized in his book.
It also appears you can download a lot of information for free on its web site.
(www.iwillfindthecure.org)
I do not really know what to make of this, but it does seem to demonstrate the difficulty we have with establishing the optimal levels of vitamins to take for best health.
I've heard one person say that it can cause kidney stones.
However I doubt that because with as many people taking large doses of vitamin C, you would think that a connection between vitamin C and kidney stones would have been established by now if it were the case.
I have however found a Doctor who rather than believe in antioxidants such as vitamin C, believes in pro-oxidants, or at least the free radicals that occur naturally in the body.
He stated that supplementary vitamin C is not needed unless you have a known deficiency.
Vitamin A and E (an antioxidant) and beta carotene need to be taken with care if it all.
He is Randolph M. Howes (M.D., Ph. D), a plastic surgeon with a Ph.D. in biochemistry.
His position, which he states in his book, in youtube videos, and on his website, he suggests that oxygenization is the primary process for fighting bacteria, fungi, and protozoa such as malaria, as well as for destroying cancer cells.
This being the case, he states that you have no business interfering with the oxygenization process with antioxidants, of which vitamin C is one.
He claims he has many research studies to demonstrate his point, which he has summarized in his book.
It also appears you can download a lot of information for free on its web site.
(www.iwillfindthecure.org)
I do not really know what to make of this, but it does seem to demonstrate the difficulty we have with establishing the optimal levels of vitamins to take for best health.
Hello this is my first post
Today is 7/24/2011. I am currently taking about 10 grams of Vitamin C a day based on books by Linus Pauling and others. I'm starting this blog as a way to track information I come accoss about vitamin C as I find it
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