Glossary: vitamin C

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vitamin C
Also known as: ascorbic acid
What is it?
It wrought so well that if all the physicians of Montpelier and Louaine had been there, with all the drugs of Alexandria, they would not have done as much in one year as that tree did in six days." Thus spoke French explorer Jacques Cartier in 1535 on his second voyage to Newfoundland after seeing Native Americans cure his men of scurvy with a strong sassafras tea. In 1747, a British Navy surgeon experimenting with sailors' rations showed that those given oranges and lemons each day were cured of scurvy. Throughout the following years, British naval surgeons' medicine chests included concentrated syrup of lemon juice (or lime, as the Brits called it, which is why British sailors are known as limeys). Another 173 years would pass before researchers extracted this antiscorbutic substance from orange juice and named it vitamin C. We now know that ascorbic acid is a particularly versatile VITAMIN. It's integral to the building and maintenance of collagen, a PROTEIN or "glue" that holds the body's cells in place. It's indispensable to bones and teeth (for much the same reason), to blood vessels, to the healing of wounds. Further, vitamin C helps metabolize several AMINO ACIDS and hormones. It's a powerful ANTIOXIDANT, too, helping the body rid itself of carcinogenic by-products of metabolism called free radicals. There's even strong evidence that vitamin C may raise blood levels of HDL, or "good"cholesterol, which helps flush fatty deposits from the arteries, thereby reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease. Or so studies at the National Institute on Aging and the USDA indicate. But researchers are quick to point out that beyond 345 milligrams of vitamin C per day for men and 215 milligrams for women, the HDL boosting stops. Deficiency Symptoms Severe deficiency results in scurvy, an acute or chronic disease characterized by hemorrhagic manifestations and abnormal osteoid and dentin formation. In adults, primary deficiency is usually due to food idiosyncrasies or improper diet. Deficiencies occur in GI disease, especially when the patient is on an "ulcer diet." Pregnancy, lactation, and thyrotoxicosis increase vitamin C requirements; acute and chronic inflammatory diseases, surgery, and burns can significantly increase requirements. Diarrhea increases fecal loss, and achlorhydria decreases the amount absorbed. Cold or heat stress increases urinary excretion of vitamin C. Heat (eg, sterilization of formulas, cooking) can destroy vitamin C in food. Good Sources Citrus fruits, strawberries, green and red peppers, collard and mustard greens, broccoli, spinach, tomatoes, potatoes, kiwi, guava and parsley. Precautions Vitamin C is a very misunderstood vitamin. The government is responsible for this because they have decided that you rate any vitamin C product according to the amount of ascorbic acid it contains. Ascorbic acid is an antioxidant. It is the preservative part of the C complex. To refine out or to synthesize the preservative, in our opinion, is a mistake. The real vitamin C complex contains the P factors, which maintain vascular integrity. These are deficient in people who bruise easily or who have "pink toothbrush." Their blood vessels break too easily and bleed. The P factors strengthen the vascular system. They make the vessels tougher and more durable. Vitamin K is another part of the C complex. It promotes prothrombin. That means it helps in coagulation (blood clotting). Bleeders do not have enough vitamin K. Another factor in the C complex is J. The J factor is the part of the C complex which increases the oxygen carrying capacity of the blood. If you have a cold, you want to get oxygen to your tissues where it oxidizes the toxins and carries them off as carbon dioxide and water.* In addition to these, the C complex contains enzymes, the outstanding one being tyrosinase. That's organic copper, an adrenal activator, If you want to rate vitamin C according to one thing, it would be logical to rate the tyrosinase. We have found that the products containing the most tyrosinase produce the best clinical results. But all of these other factors are important for the reasons mentioned, In addition to all these factors, the vitamin C complex also contains ascorbic acid. To say that ascorbic acid is vitamin C is like looking at a wheel and saying that it is an automobile, while it is just a small part of an automobile.* Standard Process™ Supplements Cataplex� AC, Cataplex� ACP, Cataplex� C, Congaplex�, Cyruta�, Cyruta� Plus, Immuplex�, Collagen C.