The word on Vitamin-C

[Tony Moses]

I was wondering if anybody had any opinions or any studies they could link on mega dosing with Vitamin-C.

I have always been from the school of though that more is merrier. I was taught that the RDA isn't nearly enough to effectively boost the immune system and that mega doses are harmless as C is water soluble and cannot really become toxic as it leaves the system quickly through urination and sweating. Also, athletes need mega doses because of the amount of fluids lost through both sweat and urination due to a higher than normal water consumption.

I have read that 3-4 grams a day is fine for a daily dose, and at times 10 grams a day can even be benificial.

I have heard conflicting info. lately that mega doses of C are not only unnecessary, but also can be toxic.

I was just looking for opinions or research.

[nathan fitzgerald]

Most people believe that mega doses of Vitamin C helps boost your immune system but there is really no evidence to support it (As far as I know).

Vitamin C along with Zinc,Vitamin E,A,B-12,Iron,Copper,and folic acid may help your immune system.

I think that taking a good multi-vitamin rich in the above are your best bet.

[Joshua Davis]

Zinc does retard and prevent pathogens from reproduction, which is a very good thing. I take alot of C when I think I am getting sick (about a gram with each meal), but other than that, I just refer to what is in my multi. However, I also take double ZMA before bed, and use Zicam about every hour or so.

[Tony Moses]

Joshua, I had a cold last winter, and I caught it early and used Zicam hourly, I was skeptical at first...but it really does what it claims to.....it was definitely a short, mild cold.

[Scott Porter]

Poliquin does Vitamin C IV in 50g doses with his athletes.

[Mr_T]

VITAMIN C

How much should be taken? Are there any side effects?

Since the body processes Vitamin C quickly, many experts recommend taking Vitamin C in doses of 500 mg twice per day. For intense training, some experts recommend all athletes training hard intake about 3 grams per day and upwards of 8 grams per day when combating a cold or cutting up.

*© Bodybuilding.com "http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/vitc.html"

[Aaron Anderton]

I usually take 4 grams of vitamin C per day when I am healthy. If I start to get sick, I double it to 8 grams at least. While it is not guaranteed to keep you healthy, I have managed to limit myself to only a few colds that only lasted a day or two each, this year. That may not seem like much to some of you, but I have young children who get sick a lot, and in the winter there is always someone sick in my house. If only I could get my wife and kids to take some extra vitamin C, maybe I could avoid some of the few colds that I do get.

[Andy Lidbury]

That may not seem like much to some of you, but I have young children who get sick a lot, and in the winter there is always someone sick in my house.

Know exactly what you mean.

[Sean Crabbe]

Vit C is water-soluble; you CAN'T "overdose" on Vit C, as you'll end up pissing it out. For this vitamin, it's not a concern if you take in 500mg/day, or 10g/day (10000mg/day). like tony was saying, it's beneficial. it's probably one of the more better investments to make especially for athletes like us. :)

[lhprop1]

This study is long, but is worth the read. My synopsis of it is this: A doctor a while ago treated patients ailing from everything from malaria to leukmia with iv doses and oral doses of C. All got better without the use of conventional medicines.

http://www.seanet.com/~alexs/ascorbate/198x/smith-lh-clinical_guide_1988.htm

Personally, I take 2-3 grams per day of Emergen C (http://www.alacer.com/cgi-bin/dbsearch.exe?mdb=/products.mdb,tbl=products,DB_code=54,DBCOMP=ABS,te mplate=/products/returntitle.htm) and I notice a significant difference in performance (or just generally feel run down) if I don't take it.

[Josh Kamins]

I think the literature right now has shown that it doesn't necessarily prevent colds but has shortened them up to 9% in duration. I'll try to find the papers later.

[Poul Nielsen]

I have noticed that when I take 1.5 grams along with my recovery shake that I am less sore and or fatigued the next day.
If I stay away from vit C I just don't recover as quickly.

[Jacob Sauter]

Vit C is water soluble, and you shouldnt take more than 200-500mg at a time. I take 2-3g a day, but its not to keep from getting sick, it plays a very important role in collagen synthesis. I used to have the conversion, but I cant find it :mad: So I will keep looking.

[John O'Brien]

Something to keep in mind is that if you are susceptable to kidney stones, you may want to avoid mega doses of vitamin C becasue many stones are calcium citrate. If you haven't had a kidney stone, you definitely want to avoid it...

[Luke Paskins]

I would not recommend going overboard on any supplement. You should aim for 200% RDA from your regular diet and then boost up on different stuff as your lifestyle demands otherwise your body will start flushing out everything including a % of your regular RDA.

The main thing you can use Vitamin C for is actually to break down carbs...starchy carbs get kinda supercharged by a big gulp of OJ or whatever. This can be bad for digestion though so watch out.