Vitamins for Mental Health, VitaminC - Information and benefits
Mental Health > supplements-vitamins : VitaminC
Vitamin C
Other names
Ascorbate, ascorbic acid, calcium ascorbate, sodium ascorbate, magnesium ascorbate, potassium ascorbate
Summary
Vitamin C is considered the body's primary water-soluble antioxidant. Early on, it was found to prevent scurvy. Now the focus is on its ability to protect the cells in the body. Vitamin C can help the body in many ways, including protecting against cancer and heart disease, improving the immune system, protecting against pollution and cigarette smoke, helping heal wounds, and decreasing the risk of cataracts. Signs of deficiency include fatigue, weight loss, bleeding gums, loose teeth, poor wound healing, joint pain, easy bruising, heart disease and frequent infections, including colds.
High doses may cause diarrhea, gas, bloating, heartburn, nausea and vomiting, flushing, tiredness, and insomnia or sleepiness. These symptoms will be relieved by decreasing the dose. Overall, vitamin C is extremely safe. Major drug interactions with vitamin C have not been identified. Vitamin C, however, works in conjunction with other nutrients, including Vitamin E, selenium and beta-carotene, to enhance their effects. The new RDA for vitamin C is 200 mg/day but doses have ranged from 500 - 20,000 mg daily. Some experts think the optimum intake for humans may be 500 - 1000 mg or more.
When the body is under stress, the requirement for vitamin C increases. Plain ascorbic tablets (not chewable) are the least expensive form to supplement with. Food sources of vitamin C include citrus fruits like orange pulp, lemon pulp, the Acerola cherry, red chili peppers, sweet green peppers, papaya, cantaloupe, broccoli cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, collard leaves, kale, turnip greens and strawberries. The fresher the fruit or vegetable, the higher the vitamin C content.
Uses
Vitamin C has several main uses in the body. It enhances the immune system increasing resistance to diseases including infections and cancer. It can decrease the symptoms of a cold as well as shorten its duration. Vitamin C lowers histamine levels in the body and is called a natural antihistamine. In this role, it can be used to prevent or improve the symptoms of allergies and asthma. Vitamin C is an antioxidant and plays a big role in the prevention of some cancers (stomach, colon, breast, pancreas, bladder, lung, esophagus, cervix) and heart disease. It not only prevents LDL cholesterol from being oxidized and causing damage, higher vitamin C levels also lower levels of total cholesterol and HDL. Vitamin C also lowers blood pressure.
As an antioxidant, vitamin C has a role in slowing the aging process and preventing the development of cataracts. It also prevents the body from making nitrosamines from the nitrates and nitrites we are exposed to in our food (cured meats, including hot dogs, bacon, sausage), water, and air (polluted air and cigarette smoke), protecting us from cancer. Vitamin C is needed to manufacture and stabilize collagen, a protein substance that is found throughout the body including the connective tissue, cartilage, tendons, and blood vessel walls. In this way, it can help in wound healing, strengthens blood vessel walls to prevent easy bruising, repairs blood vessel walls to prevent the development of atherosclerotic plaques, and strengthens and maintains healthy bones and joints.
Vitamin C is needed by the adrenal glands to produce the hormones that respond to physical, mental, and emotional stress. It is also needed to help maintain healthy gums and teeth, produce hemoglobin in the red blood cells, and assist the body in absorbing iron from the food we eat.
Proposed Mechanism of Action
As an antioxidant, vitamin C is an electron donor and reduces oxidizing agents in the body. In this way, it recycles other antioxidants, like vitamin E, and increases their effects. Vitamin C stimulates the activity of white blood cells and increases the mobility of phagocytes. It prevents the secretion of histamine by white blood cells and increases the breakdown of histamine. It also increases interferon levels, antibody responses, and the secretion of hormones from the thymus gland. Vitamin C is a substrate or cosubstrate for eight different enzymes including ones for collagen synthesis, the conversion of folic acid to folinic cid, catecholamine synthesis, carnitine synthesis, and tyrosine metabolism. Vitamin C enhances the absorption of iron from food, possibly by converting ferric to ferrous in a reducing process.
Side Effects / Precautions
Vitamin C is extremely safe and the side effects are generally related to the dose. High doses may cause diarrhea, gas, bloating, heartburn, nausea and vomiting, flushing, tiredness, and insomnia or sleepiness. These symptoms can be relieved by decreasing the dose. Although a high intake of vitamin C has been thought to cause calcium oxalate kidney stones, no cases have been reported in people who do not already have severe kidney disease or recurrent kidney stones. People with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency may experience hemolysis of red blood cells if large doses are given intravenously. An increase in iron stores has been seen in those who are homozygous for hemochromatosis.
Interactions
Vitamin C works in conjunction with Vitamin E, selenium and beta-carotene, and all of their effects are enhanced when taken together. It increases the absorption of iron. High doses of vitamin C, greater than 2000 mg/day, may interfere with the absorption of copper and selenium. Vitamin C may also interfere with blood test for vitamin B12. Vitamin C does not cause problems with any drug therapy. However, certain drugs, including oral contraceptives, estrogens, barbiturates and aspirin can increase the body's requirement for vitamin C. Cigarette smoking also increases vitamin C requirements.
Symptoms of Deficiency
The classic disease associated with vitamin C deficiency is scurvey. Fatigue is one of the first signs. Other symptoms associated with vitamin C deficiency include fatigue, weight loss, bleeding gums, loose teeth, poor wound healing, joint pain, easy bruising, heart disease and frequent infections, including colds. High doses may cause diarrhea, gas, bloating, heartburn, nausea and vomiting, flushing, tiredness, and insomnia or sleepiness. These symptoms will be relieved by decreasing the dose.
Symptoms of Toxicity
Vitamin C is considered extremely safe. Diarrhea and gas may result from taking high doses.
Dosage and Administration
The body cannot make vitamin C so it must be ingested. There is still great contoversy over how much vitamin C is needed to maintain health. The new RDA is 200 mg/day but doses have ranged from 500 - 20,000 mg daily. Some experts think the optimum intake for humans may be 500 - 1000 mg or more. When the body is under stress, vitamin C is rapidly excreted. It is important to take more at these times to maintain the immune function and other vitamin C dependant functions in the body.
Taking plain ascorbic acid is the least expensive way to supplement. However, bioflavanoids, which have many of the same effects as vitamin C, help the absorption of ascorbic acid. Rose hips do contain vitamin C. However, taking vitamin C solely from rose hips would be extremely expensive. Most often these products actually contain synthetic vitamin C. Esterified vitamin C is advertised to have better absorption and fewer side effects.
It is more expensive than vitamin C and the amount absorbed is about the same. Mineral ascorbates, e.g. calcium ascorbate, are buffered forms of vitamin C and may be easier on the stomach. The chewable forms of vitamin C and the powders that are dissolved in water or juice should not be taken. Long term use of either of these products can destroy the enamel on the teeth.
If large amounts of vitamin C are taken daily, it is best taken in divided doses throughout the day, preferably with meals
Food Sources
Food sources include citrus fruits like orange pulp, lemon pulp, the Acerola cherry, red chili peppers, sweet green peppers, papaya, cantaloupe, broccoli cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, collard leaves, kale, turnip greens and strawberries. Other sources include grapefruit, tangerines and potatoes. The vitamin C content of food declines rapidly after it has been picked and completely lost with cooking so fresh, raw foods are the better sources.
Other Supplements to Consider
Vitamin E
Folic acid
Selenium
Bioflavanoids
Vitamin A
N acetyl-cysteine (NAC)
Glutathione
Carotenes