What is High Dose Vitamin C?
Vitamin C is vital to all parts of your body. In fact, it helps all your body tissues grow and develop properly, while repairing any damage along the way. Further, it helps form collagen, absorb iron, improve immune system function, and maintain bones, teeth, and cartilage. Plus, it helps protect your body from free radicals, or harmful molecules, that result from tobacco use. As a result, Vitamin C helps protect you from heart disease, cancer, and arthritis.
What happens when you have low levels of Vitamin C?
Your body doesnโt make Vitamin C. Rather, you have to get this vitamin from food. So, a Vitamin C deficiency is rare. Usually, only malnourished adults have this issue. Still, symptoms of low levels of Vitamin C include:
- Anemia
- Loose teeth
- Weakness
- Bleeding
- Bruising
- Scurvy
What are the benefits of High Dose Vitamin C?
High Dose Vitamin C has many benefits for your entire body. Here are some of them:
- Low levels of Vitamin C lead to many stress-related diseases. For instance, Vitamin C is the first nutrient lost in alcoholism, tobacco-use, and obesity. So, it is vital to maintain healthy levels of Vitamin C to promote your overall health.
- Research shows that eating fruits and vegetables increases your Vitamin C level. And it lowers your risk of a stroke by 42%.
- Although Vitamin C is not a cure for a common cold, studies show that it lowers your risk of severe complications like pneumonia and lung infections.
- Aging of the skin. Vitamin C helps with cell inside and outside of your body. In fact, this vitamin improves dry skin, wrinkles, and overall appearance of aging skin.
- Lower inflammation.
- Reduce risk of cancer and heart disease.
- Improve macular degeneration.
What are the side effects of Vitamin C?
For most people, there are no known side effects of Vitamin C if you take the recommended dosage. However, if you exceed 1000mg Vitamin C daily, you could experience:
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Headaches
- Stomach cramps
- Heartburn
- Etc.
If you take more than 2000mg Vitamin C daily, you could experience severe diarrhea and kidney stones.
Are there any interactions between Vitamin C and other drugs?
Vitamin C has interactions with multiple drugs. Here is a list of all the moderate interactions between Vitamin C and other drugs:
- Fluphenazine (Prolixin)
- Estrogens
- Aluminum
- HIV/AIDS medications (Protease Inhibitors)
- Niacin
- Lowering cholesterol medications (Statins)
- Warfarin (Coumadin)
- Cancer medications (Chemotherapy)
Here is a list of all the mild interactions Vitamin C has with other drugs:
- Choline Magnesium Trisalicylate (Trilisate)
- Aspirin
- Acetaminophen (Tylenol, others)
- Nifedipine
- Nicardipine (Cardene)
- Salsalate (Disalcid)
How much Vitamin C should you take a day?
You can take up to 1,000mg without side effects like stomach pain, flatulence, severe diarrhea, and kidney stones. Here is a chart with recommended dosage based on the method, situation, age, and gender.
| Method | Situation | Daily Dosage |
|---|---|---|
| Mouth | General (Men) | 90 mg |
| Mouth | General (Women) | 75 mg |
| Mouth | General (Infants 0-12 months) | Breast milk |
| Mouth | General (Children 1-3) | 15 mg |
| Mouth | General (Children 4-8) | 25 mg |
| Mouth | General (Children 9-13) | 45 mg |
| Mouth | General (Girls 14-18) | 65 mg |
| Mouth | General (Boys 14-18) | 75 mg |
| Mouth | Pregnancy/Breast-feeding (18 & under) | 115 mg |
| Mouth | Pregnancy/Breast-feeding (19-50) | 120 mg |
| Mouth | Vitamin C deficiency | 100-250 mg daily (twice a day for scurvy) |
| Mouth | Irregular heartbeat | 1-2 g daily for 1-3 before surgery 1-2 g (divided in 2 doses) daily for 4-5 days after surgery |
| Mouth | Common cold | 1-3 g daily |
| Mouth | High cholesterol | 500 mg daily for at least 4 weeks |
| Mouth | High blood pressure | 500 mg daily + blood pressure medication |
| Skin | Redness from injury or irritation | Creams with 10% vitamin C, 2% zinc sulfate, and 0.5% tyrosine Apply daily for 8 weeks. |
| Skin | Wrinkles from sun damage | Creams containing 3% to 30% vitamin C Apply daily. Avoid eye area, clothes, and hair. |
| IV | Irregular heartbeat | 2 g 1-2 times the day before surgery 1-2 g daily for 4-5 days after surgery |
| IV | Post-op pain relief | 3 g during the first 30 minutes of surgery |
