It is widely believed among the people that vitamin C is a universal remedy for all diseases. The vitamin gained such popularity after the discovery of its properties to support human immunity. For a long time, ascorbic acid was considered, and even now considered by many, to be the safest and most beneficial of all vitamins. One of the distinguishing features of the generation of the 70s and 80s was the habit of eating up to a gram of ascorbic acid per day during the period of risk of getting colds. There have been many reports that this miraculous vitamin helps prevent such a serious disease as cancer.

Misconceptions about vitamin C

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An outstanding chemist, winner of two Nobel Prizes, Linus Pauling, did a lot to popularize vitamin C. In early 1971, he wrote the book Vitamin C and the Cold, where he talked about the miraculous properties of ascorbic acid. Then he came to the conclusion that literally all diseases can be cured with this vitamin, and already in the next book, Cancer and Vitamin C, he stated that large doses of ascorbic acid improve the condition of patients with certain types of cancer and prolong their lives.

Pauling died at the age of 94. His followers explain such a long life of the scientist precisely by the miraculous effect of vitamins.

Thanks to the high authority of Pauling, not only his fans listened to him, but also doctors, who began to conduct a number of experiments and clinical trials. The results of such experiments were quite unexpected, since the conclusions of the famous chemist were not confirmed in any way. It turned out that large doses of vitamin C do not prevent cancer or colds, although they somewhat reduce the duration of treatment for the latter.

Misconceptions about vitamin C

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Recently, other reports about vitamin C have also begun to appear. An article in the British newspaper The Times talks about a sensational study by doctors from the University of Leicester in the English county of Lechestershire. According to them, the standard dosage of vitamin C, widely advertised as an anti-heart attack, does not so much prevent prevention as exacerbate some diseases.

During the study, 30 healthy men and women were divided into two groups. For six weeks, one received daily vitamin C, and the other received a “dummy” under the guise of the same vitamin. As a result, the first felt much better than the second. But continued research revealed something else: everything goes well with a daily intake of up to 500 milligrams of vitamin C. But already from 600 milligrams, the “wonderful” vitamin begins to “work” to the detriment of a person. With its "help" in human blood, the number of free radicals that destroy DNA increases. And this can cause cancer, heart disease, aging.

Misconceptions about vitamin C

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Adherents of vitamin C have always focused on its ability to bind highly active free radicals, which cause the destruction (oxidation) of the genetic material of human DNA and lead to aging.

However, the results of research by British scientists (published in the journal Nature) have practically refuted the dogmas of recent years. A group of 30 completely healthy volunteers received the therapeutically conventional dose of 500 mg (0,5 g) of ascorbic acid per day. Then their leukocytes (white blood cells) were checked for the presence of special markers that appear in the blood when DNA is oxidized (oxoguanine and oxoadenine). If vitamin C really inhibits oxidative processes in the body, then their concentration should theoretically decrease. In fact, everything turned out not quite like that. The concentration of oxoguanine really fell, but oxoadenine grew. After the volunteers stopped taking the vitamin, within a few weeks the amount of both markers in the blood returned to normal.

Misconceptions about vitamin C

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Thus, the study showed that vitamin C at elevated doses can not only have a protective effect, but can also be harmful. The research was immediately followed by the reaction of English physicians: the recommended doses of daily intake of ascorbic acid were reduced to 60 mg per day.

And one more study. A group of American scientists made a statement that large doses of vitamin C contribute to the more rapid development of atherosclerosis. The study involved 570 people. A comprehensive examination of volunteers, whose average age was about 54 years, showed that their vessels are normal. A year and a half later, the examination was repeated, and it turned out that atherosclerosis of the carotid arteries supplying blood to the brain is 2,5 times more in those who ate large doses of ascorbic acid. What is most interesting, these people took 500 mg of vitamin C per day just to prevent atherosclerosis.

Some parents are also alarmed by the attempts of some parents to treat colds in children with large doses of vitamin C. Those who believe that regular intake of vitamin C can prevent colds are mistaken. Even impressive doses of this vitamin cannot prevent a cold, but they can really alleviate its course.

Misconceptions about vitamin C

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