Also known as ascorbic acid, vitamin C was isolated in 1928. This vitamin serves as an excellent antioxidant and could protect various cells and tissues in the body, including brain cells and cells in the eye. The eye is highly susceptible to damage by sunlight, oxygen, various chemicals, and pollutants. Because of an aging Western world population and a continued depletion of ozone, having adequate antioxidants in the eye is very important, perhaps helping to protect against macular degeneration and deteriorating eyesight. Eyesight Rx is a vision enhancement formula that has vitamin C.
    
MultiVit Rx - High Quality Daily Vitamins and Minerals with Vitamin C and Rose hips - 500 mg
Developed by Ray Sahelian, M.D., Manufactured by a FDA-approved and GMP-certified facility.

Supplement Facts:
Vitamin C - 15 mg - (Ascorbic acid)
Citrus bioflavonoids  (eriocitrin, hesperidin, flavonols, flavones, flavonoids, naringenin, and quercetin)
Mixed carotenoids (alpha carotene, astaxanthin, beta carotene is a popular carotenoid, beta cryptoxanthin, Lutein is commonly found in eye formulas, Lycopene is found in high amounts in tomato and watermelon, Zeaxanthin)
Bilberry extract (Vaccinium myrtillus)
Eyebright extract (Euphrasia officianales)
Jujube extract (Zizyphus jujube)
Ginkgo biloba (Ginkgo biloba)
Suma extract (Pfaffia paniculata)
Mucuna pruriens extract (Cowhage), see also Mucuna-Pruriens supplement information.
Cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum)
Lycium berry extract (Lycium Barbarum) - also known as Goji Berry extract supplement.
Sarsaparila (Sarsaparilla Smilax)
Alpha Lipoic Acid antioxidant

Click Eyesight Rx for more information

How much vitamin C is enough to benefit our cells?
Ever since Nobel Prize winner Linus Pauling extolled the benefits of megadosing with vitamin C, the medical community has been debating the optimal dosage intake of this vitamin. Although many doctors stood firm for a long time asserting that the RDA of 60 mg for this vitamin provided adequate benefits, more and more doctors are now realizing that higher dosages can confer additional antioxidant benefits. However, the optimal daily intake of vitamin C has not yet been determined, nor is it likely to be determined soon. Nevertheless, we now suspect that excessive intake of vitamin C, except perhaps in the therapy of a particular medical condition, may not be necessary.
   A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition points that large doses of ingested vitamin C may be excreted without being utilized. When the dosage of vitamin C given to a group of healthy men was increased from 200 mg a day to 2,500 mg a day, blood levels increased only negligibly. Blood levels of vitamin C generally reflect the levels found in the rest of the body. Therefore, there seems to be a vitamin C dosage beyond which no further benefits may be noticed.

Vitamin C and common cold
Taking extra vitamin C does little to stop most people from catching the common cold, but it helps stop those exposed to extreme physical conditions from coming down with the sniffles. Soldiers, marathon runners, and skiers are among those most likely to benefit from taking extra doses of vitamin C unless perhaps for the temporary treatment of a medical conditon.

Vitamin C benefit for Atrial Fibrillation
Oral vitamin C appears to cut the risk of early recurrence of atrial fibrillation after patients undergo electrical cardioversion. Vitamin C also appears to reduce the low-level inflammation that accompanies this condition. Early atrial fibrillation recurrence after cardioversion may be due to electrophysiological changes in the chambers of the heart, known as atrial remodeling. To investigate whether vitamin C can reduce atrial fibrillation recurrence, a research team randomized 44 consecutive patients who had undergone cardioversion for persistent atrial fibrillation to standard therapy plus oral vitamin C or standard treatment only. Patients given the vitamin received a 2-gram loading dose 12 hours before cardioversion and 500 mg twice daily for the next seven days. One (4.5 percent) of the patients given vitamin C had a relapse of atrial fibrillation, while eight (36.3 percent) of patients not given the vitamin did.
The researchers also found that white blood cell levels and fibrinogen levels fell significantly in the group given vitamin C, but did not drop in the control patients. Markers of inflammation were also significantly higher among patients who had a recurrence of atrial fibrillation, compared with those who did not. SOURCE: International Journal of Cardiology, July 2005.

Lower C Reactive Protein with vitamin C supplements
Vitamin C treatment reduces elevated C-reactive protein.
Free Radic Biol Med. 2008 Oct 10. Block G, Jensen CD, Dalvi TB, Norkus EP, Hudes M, Crawford PB, Holland N, Fung EB, Schumacher L, Harmatz P. University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
We investigated whether vitamin C or E could reduce CRP. Healthy nonsmokers (N=396) were randomized to three groups, 1000 mg/day vitamin C, 800 IU/day vitamin E, or placebo, for 2 months. Median baseline CRP was low, 0.85 mg/L. No treatment effect was seen when all participants were included. However, a significant interaction was found, indicating that treatment effect depends on baseline CRP concentration. Among participants with CRP indicative of elevated cardiovascular risk (>/=1.0 mg/L), vitamin C reduced the median CRP by 25% vs placebo (median reduction in the vitamin C group, 0.25 mg/L, 16%). These effects are similar to those of statins. The vitamin E effect was not significant. In summary, treatment with vitamin C but not vitamin E significantly reduced CRP among individuals with CRP >/=1.0 mg/L. Among the obese, 75% had CRP >/=1.0 mg/L.

Vitamin C benefit for gout
Vitamin C supplementation may lower uric acid levels which could be beneficial in those who have gout.

Vitamin C and kidney failure - caution
Excess intake of vitamin C from supplements is usually excreted harmlessly in the urine, but in patients with
kidney failure, vitamin C is retained and can combine with oxalate to form crystals that deposit in the kidney tubules. High-dose vitamin C supplement use should be avoided in patients with kidney failure.

Topical Vitamin C cream
Cosmeceuticals containing antioxidants are among the most popular antiaging remedies. Topically applied antioxidants exert their benefits by offering protection from damaging free radicals produced when skin is exposed to ultraviolet light or allowed to age naturally. Vitamin C is a naturally occurring potent water-soluble antioxidant. Accordingly, it has been incorporated into a variety of cosmeceuticals designed to protect and rejuvenate photoaged skin.

Vitamin C and Vitamin E
Vitamin C supplements can help reduce the high rate of vitamin E depletion that occurs in smokers. If a person is under oxidative stress, have low vitamin C intakes, then vitamin E doesn't do its job as well as it should and gets destroyed. Vitamin C supplements appear to reduce this tendency in smokers.

Vitamin C overdose - side effect of too much vitamin C
Vitamin C is helpful for many conditions and it is one of the safest supplements on the market. High doses of vitamin C are taken at the onset of a cold. I have personally taken up to 8 grams of vitamin C at one time with the only side effects being nausea. It is very difficult to overdose on vitamin C. Another symptom of vitamin C overdose is diarrhea and some people report other gastrointestinal disturbances. I am not aware of any fatalities from vitamin C overdose. Too much vitamin C is not necessary, and any dosage above 500 or 1000 mg a day may not provide any further benefit.

Vitamin C intravenously and Cancer
High-dose intravenously administered vitamin C led to longer-than-expected survival in three patients with advanced cancer. Two of the three patients are still alive without evidence of disease. In the three cases described in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, vitamin C was given intravenously at doses ranging from 15 to 65 grams to produce plasma concentrations that cannot be achieved by taking vitamin C by mouth. The first patient was a 51 year-old-women with advanced renal cancer who underwent surgical removal of the kidney but had evidence that the cancer had spread to the lungs. She received IV vitamin C 65 grams twice a week for 10 months, in combination with other alternative therapies. Repeat chest x-ray revealed one small spot, assumed to be a scar. Five years later, new lung masses were detected. The patient again received intravenous vitamin C, with unsuccessful results. The second patient, a 49-year-old man, had bladder cancer with multiple satellite tumors. He received IV vitamin C 30 grams twice a week for three months, followed by 30 grams vitamin C once every 1-2 months for four years. Nine years after diagnosis, the patient is in good health, without signs of disease. Case three was a 66-year-old woman with lymphoma invading spinal muscle and bone. She received IV vitamin C 15 g twice weekly for 7 months, then 15 g every 2-3 months for about one year. Ten years after diagnosis, the patient is in good health. It appears all three patients survived for longer than expected for the types and stages of cancers that they had. Canadian Medical Association Journal, March 28, 2006.

Vitamin C Research Update
If a pregnant woman's waters break too early, her unborn baby can be put in danger of complications. The risk of this happening, however, may be reduced if she takes daily supplements of 100 mg vitamin C after the half-way point of pregnancy.

The effects of vitamin C supplementation on serum concentrations of uric acid: results of a randomized controlled trial.
Arthritis Rheum. 2005 Jun;52(6):1843-7. Huang HY, Appel LJ, Choi MJ, Gelber AC, Charleston J, Norkus EP, Miller ER 3rd. Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland
Reductions in serum uric acid levels are clinically relevant. Previous studies have suggested a uricosuric effect of vitamin C. Whether vitamin C reduces serum uric acid is unknown. We undertook this study to determine the effects of vitamin C supplementation on serum uric acid concentrations. METHODS: The study was a double-blinded placebo-controlled randomized trial conducted in research units affiliated with an academic institution. Study participants were 184 nonsmokers, randomized to take either placebo or vitamin C supplements (500 mg/day) for 2 months. RESULTS: At the end of the study period, serum uric acid levels were significantly reduced in the vitamin C group (mean change -0.5 mg/dl, but not in the placebo group. The same pattern of results was evident in subgroups defined by age, sex, race, body mass index, chronic illness, diuretic use, and quartiles of baseline serum ascorbic acid levels. CONCLUSION: Supplementation with 500 mg/day of vitamin C for 2 months reduces serum uric acid, suggesting that vitamin C might be beneficial in the prevention and management of gout and other urate-related diseases.

Older women with diabetes who take high doses of vitamin C for the sake of their hearts may be doing more harm than good, new research suggests. The study, which followed nearly 2,000 postmenopausal women with diabetes for 15 years, found that those who took heavy doses of vitamin C supplements -- 300 milligrams (mg) a day or more -- were roughly twice as likely to die of heart disease or stroke compared with women who took no supplemental C. The researchers did find statistically weak evidence that lower supplement doses -- up to 99 mg per day -- curbed the risk of cardiovascular death, and high intakes of vitamin C from food were not related to a greater risk of death from cardiovascular causes. The findings appear in the November 2004 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Researchers who set out to prove that a mega-dose of vitamin C can improve exercise performance in fact showed it has no effect at all. The vitamin, given intravenously to younger and older volunteers, did nothing to help them work harder on a treadmill, the team at the University of Colorado found. But the vitamin, given as ascorbic acid, did reduce oxidative stress - chemical damage done to cells and proteins in the body, the researchers found. "We did see a decrease in oxidative stress with large doses of vitamin C, but this decrease didn't improve aerobic abilities either for younger or older subjects," said Christopher Bell, now at Colorado State University, who led the research.
     We received this email: Dear Dr. Sahelian, I was very pleased to see your excellent "Vitamin C Research Update" on Chris Bell's "mega-dose" (as well as "chronic" dose study on potential effects on endurance exercise. However, it would be great if you could note that the Vitamin C study appeared in the Journal of Applied Physiology, published by the American Physiological Society. Best wishes, Mayer R. Resnick, Communications Officer, American Physiological Society, Bethesda, MD.

A dose of vitamin C may give a quick boost to the poorer-than-average blood circulation seen in healthy young smokers. The study of 25 healthy men found that although smokers initially showed poorer results on a test of blood flow to the heart, that changed after they took a large dose -- 2 grams -- of vitamin C. Shortly after taking the vitamin, the 13 smokers showed blood circulation on par with that of the 12 non-smokers, according to findings published in the American Heart Journal.

Comprehensive study on vitamin C equivalent antioxidant capacity (VCEAC) of various polyphenolics in scavenging a free radical and its structural relationship.
Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2004;44(4):253-73.
Department of Food Science and Technology, Cornell University, Geneva, New York
Antioxidant capacity for a wide range of natural or synthetic polyphenols was comprehensively evaluated by vitamin C equivalent antioxidant capacity (VCEAC) assay using free blue/green ABTS radicals. The polyphenolics tested are grouped into the following categories: vitamins (beta-carotene, alpha-tocopherol, vitamin A, and vitamin C), phenolic acids (benzoic acid, phenylacetic acid, cinnamic acid, and their derivatives), flavonoids (anthocyanidin, flavanol, chalcone, flavanone, flavone, flavonol, isoflavone, and their derivatives), synthetic food additives (BHA, BHT, TBHQ, and PG), and other miscellaneous polyphenolics (ellagic acid, sesamol, eugenol, thymol, etc.). A positive linear relationship between VCEAC and the number of free OH groups around the flavonoid framework was found, whereas, for phenolic acids, the linear relationship was not as good as with the flavonoid aglycones. Groups of chemicals having comparable structures generally showed similar trends. Polyphenolics commonly showed a higher VCEAC compared to monophenolics. Compounds like gallic acid with 3 vicinal hydroxy substitutions on the aromatic ring in phenolic acids or like epigallocatechin with 3 vicinal hydroxy substitutions on the B ring in flavonoids showed the highest antioxidant capcity among the groups. In the flavonoids, 2 characteristic chemical structures were very important, the catechol moiety in the B ring and the 3-OH functional group in a chroman ring. Glycosylated flavonoids showed less potent antioxidant capacity than their aglycone alone. Synthetic antioxidant food additives (BHA, TBHQ, and BHT) conventionally used in the food industry were less effective antioxidants than ascorbic acid. Other naturally occurring polyphenolics tested followed the expected general trends of phenolic acids and flavonoids.

A major study has found that taking supplemental Vitamin C (more than 700 mg. a day may be of benefit by reducing the rate of coronary heart disease. However, taking additional Vitamin E or carotenoids showed no reduced risk. The study, which was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, was an epidemiological study, which suggests a relationship between two or more things but does not prove that one thing causes another.

The effect of 5-year vitamin C supplementation on serum pepsinogen level and Helicobacter pylori infection.
Sasazuki S. National Cancer Center Research Institute East, Kashiwa 277-8577, Japan.
Cancer Sci. 2003 Apr;94(4):378-82.
We conducted a population-based, double-blind, randomized controlled trial to examine the effect of vitamin C supplementation on serum pepsinogen (PG) level, Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori ) infection, and cytotoxin-associated gene A (Cag A) status. Subjects aged 40 to 69 years living in one village in Akita prefecture, a high-risk area for gastric cancer in Japan, were recruited through annual health check-up programs. Among 635 subjects diagnosed as having chronic gastritis on the basis of serum PG levels, after excluding ineligible cases, 439 subjects were assigned to one of four groups using a 2 x 2 factorial design (0 or 15 mg/day beta-carotene and 50 or 500 mg/day vitamin C). However, based on the results from two beta-carotene trials in the United States, we discontinued beta-carotene (vitamin C supplementation was continued). Finally, 120 subjects in the low-dose group (vitamin C 50 mg), and 124 subjects in the high-dose group (vitamin C 500 mg) completed the 5-year supplementation. The difference in the change of PGI/II ratio between baseline and after 5-year follow up was statistically significant between the intervention groups among those who completed the supplementation: - 0.25 for the low-dose group and - 0.13 for the high-dose group (P = 0.046). To conclude, vitamin C supplementation may protect against progression of gastric mucosal atrophy.

Timing of antioxidant vitamin ingestion alters postprandial proatherogenic serum markers.
Carroll MF, Schade DS. University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM
Circulation. 2003 Jul 8;108(1):24-31.
This study was designed to determine the optimal timing of vitamins E and C to prevent oxidative stress induced by a high-fat evening meal in type 2 diabetes. Eleven subjects were admitted on 4 occasions. Euglycemia was maintained for 24 hours by insulin infusion. Participants were fed a high-fat test supper equivalent to a McDonald's Big Mac Meal. Blood was drawn for measurement of C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin 6 (IL-6), plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), malonyldialdehyde (MDA), and total radical antioxidant parameter (TRAP) before and during the 4 hours after the test meal. Studies were performed in random sequence with vitamin E 800 IU and vitamin C 1 g given either before breakfast or before supper in a double-blind manner on the day of the test meal. Control studies were performed with no vitamins and no test meal administered. There was a significant rise in CRP and PAI-1 after the test supper (P<0.05 compared with "no meal"). Either presupper or prebreakfast vitamins E and C prevented the meal-induced rise in CRP, although presupper vitamins were more effective (P=0.03 compared with prebreakfast vitamins). Only prebreakfast vitamins prevented the meal-induced rise in PAI-1. There were no significant meal-related changes in the concentrations of IL-6, MDA, or TRAP. The timing of administration of antioxidant vitamins has variable effects on markers of meal-induced inflammation and fibrinolysis. This observation may be one reason why cardiovascular disease prevention trials using these vitamins have reported conflicting results. vitamin c graduation vitamin c vitamin c lyric vitamin c graduation song vitamin c overdose graduation vitamin c lyric friends forever vitamin c benefit of vitamin c vitamin c skin care vitamin c ester.

Vitamin C Supplement Use and Bone Mineral Density in Postmenopausal Women
J Bone Miner Res 2001 Jan;16(1):135-40. Morton DJ; Barrett-Connor EL; Schneider DL . Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, USA.
A vitamin C benefit is the stimulation collagen and bone synthesis. Studies of dietary vitamin C intake and the relation with bone mineral density (BMD) have been conflicting, probably because of the well-known limitations of dietary nutrient assessment questionnaires. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the independent relation of daily vitamin C supplement use with BMD in a population-based sample of post menopause women. Subjects were 994 women from a community-based cohort of whom 277 women were regular vitamin C supplement users. Vitamin C supplement use was validated. Daily vitamin C supplement intake ranged from 100 to 5,000 mg; the mean daily dose was 745 mg. Average duration of use was 12.4 years; 85% had taken vitamin C supplements for more than 3 years. BMD levels were measured at the ultradistal and midshaft radii, hip, and lumbar spine. After adjusting for age, body mass index (BMI), and total calcium intake, vitamin C users had BMD levels approximately 3% higher at the midshaft radius, femoral neck, and total hip. In a fully adjusted model, significant differences remained at the femoral neck and marginal significance was observed at the total hip (p < 0.06). Women taking both estrogen and vitamin C had significantly higher BMD levels at all sites. Among current estrogen users, those also taking vitamin C had higher BMD levels at all sites, with marginal significance achieved at the ultradistal radius, femoral neck, and total hip. Women who took vitamin C plus calcium and estrogen had the highest BMD at the femoral neck, total hip, ultradistal radius, and lumbar spine. Vitamin C supplement use appears to have a beneficial effect on levels of BMD, especially among postmenopausal women using concurrent estrogen therapy and calcium supplements. vitamin c serum too much vitamin c graduation friends forever vitamin c vitamin c food graduation by vitamin c vitamin a e c fact on vitamin c vitamin c the singer source of vitamin c.

Vitamin C supplement emails
Q. Dr. Sahelian, what's your opinion on the ideal daily dose of Vitamin C and the benefit of taking vitamin C supplements?
   A. If you ask a dozen doctors this question, you are likely to get a dozen different answers. I would say that for those who have an excellent diet with plenty of fresh fruits (including citrus) and vegetables, they many not need to take any vitamin C supplements. For those whose diet is not ideal, it would seem reasonable to take between 50 to 300 mg once or twice a day, preferably a formula that includes bioflavonoids.

Q. For what it is worth, I have megadozed on vitamin C for nearly forty years. From age 40 to age sixty, when I retired, I walked fifteen miles a day with a heavy satchel on my back delivering mail to some 549 houses on a foot route (no vehicle) in every type of weather. I averaged about 10,000 milligrams of vitamin C a day during those years. Today at 68 I take no precription drugs and am in apparently good health, except for a degree of arthritis in my lower back, likely a result of walking 75,000 miles over twenty years. Today I average about 14,000 milligrams of vitamin C a day.

Q. What's your opinion of Ester-C vitamin ? And also chewable Ester C. I read on some websites the following claims:
" Ester C is the most advanced form of vitamin C " " Ester C is formulated for faster absorption " " By esterifying vitamin C with calcium and bioflavonoids, vitamin C can be absorbed 300 % faster. "
   A. Honestly I just don't see the necessity of taking Ester-C vitamin as opposed to regular vitamin C. I know Larry King has been promoting Ester C on radio, but what does he know about optimal health and nutrition? He doesn't even ask though questions to his political guests let alone asking the company he is the spokesperson for the easy question: What is the research that says Ester C vitamin is preferable to regular vitamin C? Most people who take a vitamin C supplement ingest as much or more vitamin C than they need if the supplement has at least 200 mg of vitamin C. And most vitamin C supplement tablets are often 250 mg or 500 mg. There are no long term human studies that say Ester C is a healthier option than regular C. However, if there are bioflavonoids in Ester C preparations, that could offer some additional benefits, but then again it's cheaper to buy a vitamin C supplement with bioflavonoids as opposed to Ester C.
   Chewable vitamin C could cause tooth enamel erosion if left in the mouth too long. I am not sure whether Ester C vitamin would have the same effect on tooth enamel.
   Here's a study on Ester C that supports my viewpoint:

Pharmacokinetics in dogs after oral administration of two different forms of ascorbic acid.
Res Vet Sci. 2001 Aug;71(1):27-32. Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, University of Oslo.
The dog is able to synthesise vitamin C, but is frequently given the vitamin in an attempt to improve health and performance. The pharmacokinetics of vitamin C in this species, however, are not well studied. Using a selective analytical method and careful stability control, the pharmacokinetics of orally given vitamin C was studied in 20 dogs, at two dosage levels (15 and 50 mg kg(-1)) and with two forms of supplement [crystalline vitamin C and the vitamin C product Ester-C (Inter-Cal Corp., Prescott, AZ, USA)]. After oral administration, a rapid increase was found in the plasma level of vitamin C, indicating a possible intestinal active transport mechanism in this species. The obtained C(max) and AUC values were found to increase in a non-linear fashion when the dose of vitamin C was increased. The pharmacokinetic modeling of the elimination of vitamin C was made difficult by a pronounced secondary peak appearing after about 9 hours. The comparison of crystalline vitamin C and Ester-C did not indicate any significant differences in pharmacokinetic parameters between the two preparations of the vitamin.

Q. Does Ester C vitamin have side effects?
   A. Ester C would have a similar side effect profile as regular vitamin C.

Q. Is Ester C better than regular vitamin C?
   A. I have not seen any evidence to indicate Ester C to be any better than regular, and cheaper forms, of vitamin C. Ester C promotion appears to be marketing hype.

Q. Is there an acne vitamin, I mean does vitamin C help acne?
   A. We are not aware of any vitamin supplements that help improve acne. Diet is the most important.

Q. I was informed by various sources that natural vitamins are better than synthetic and donate photogenic energy that only occurs in live source materials. Natural vitamins cost so much more and have lower dosages. Isolated vitamins are missing all the elements found in whole food source derivatives. Can you shed some light in this and maybe help save me money at the same time?
   A. The chemical structure of a vitamin, whether extracted from nature such as a plant, or whether made in a laboratory, will be the same and have the same exact role in the body. There are times, though, that an extract of a vitamin from a plant could contain additional beneficial substances. In the case of vitamin C, whether it is from nature or made in the lab, it will have the same effect. But there are extracts of vitamin C that come from certain fruits that will also contain substances known as bioflavonoids that have a lot of health benefits. In the latter case, the vitamin bottle supplement fact panel will indicate that there are bioflavonoids in addition to vitamin C.

Additional Antioxidants to consider.
Aceytylcysteine is a powerful antioxidant used in hospitals also. Acetyl l Carnitine is best taken less than 300 mg since higher amounts can cause nausea and restlessness. CoQ10 30 mg can be used daily, higher amounts such as 50 or above should be taken every other day.

Choline which helps form acetylcholine and phospholipids