Vitamin C is probably the best known and most widely used vitamin. Since childhood, our mothers have been giving us effervescent Celaskon in winter to make us resistant to colds and flu. And although recent research casts doubt on all this, i.e. there is no study that directly confirms that vitamin C protects against flu and colds, there are facts that cannot be disputed.
Sailors used to fall ill with scurvy on long voyages. Their gums bled, teeth fell out, and wounds were difficult to heal. As a result of a monotonous and poor diet (salted meat and hard bread), they lacked important substances, especially vitamin C. This is mainly found in fruit (currants, rose hips, kiwis, citrus fruits...) but also in some vegetables: cauliflower, peppers, cabbage, potatoes. And it is potatoes that have become the saviour of sailors. They last a long time, they contain C and there was no problem transporting them on ships. It's funny today, but it wasn't until 1934 that the first synthesized (manufactured) vitamin C began to be sold.
An interesting fact is that all animals and plants (there are only a few exceptions) can synthesize their own vitamin C (e.g. the common domestic goat up to 14g per day). Humans, however, need it and therefore need to obtain vitamin C from external sources. Today, with sufficient food, there can be no shortage of vitamin C for anyone. Nevertheless, he buys and takes honey in increased quantities. There are many good reasons for this.
Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is very important in regulating metabolism, promoting iron absorption, maintaining blood vessel strength, stimulating white blood cell production, bone, tooth and cartilage development, and promoting growth... No wonder our mothers prescribed it to us so often when we were young. Moreover, even if they overdid it, you cannot overdose on it, as any excess is excreted in the urine. One of the few side effects is the possibility of clogging your blood vessels if you take too much (because vitamin C strengthens their walls). In this case, reduce your daily dose from the recommended 90/75 mg to 40 mg.
Vitamin C has been linked to miraculous stories about its effects, for example, in the treatment of cancer. There are more than 2,200 studies that deal with its effects. Although doctors consider its benefits in cancer treatment to be a myth, the truth is that vitamin C is actually used in oncology for certain forms of cancer. Perhaps the best-known story is that of American physicist and chemist Linus Pauling. In 1954, he won the Nobel Prize for his research on chemical bonding. In 1962, he received the Nobel Peace Prize (he protested against ground-based nuclear tests) and collaborated with Oppenheimer, although as a pacifist he rejected work on the atomic bomb and instead joined its opponents alongside Einstein. Why are we talking about him? Because he became a proponent of extreme doses of vitamin C.
In 1966, biochemist Irwin Stone published a concept of extreme doses of vitamin C (several grams every day) to prevent colds. Pauling subsequently began collaborating with British oncologist Ewan Cameron, and together they wrote many books (e.g., Cancer and Vitamin C) promoting the administration of large doses of vitamin C directly into the vein. He himself took 3 g daily, eventually increasing to 18 g! In 1973, he co-founded the Linus Pauling Institute, where he also researched the effects of vitamin C. Despite his enormous lifelong achievements and two Nobel Prizes, he was labelled a charlatan and a fraud for his research on vitamin C, and many references to his work have been deleted from the internet.
Let's leave the conspiracy theories aside. The recommended daily dose of vitamin C is 90 g for men and 75 g for women. There are many reputable retailers where you can buy high-quality vitamin C in health-safe capsules.
