8 Vitamin C Benefits (and Some Common Side Effects)

Colds
Posted by Lizzi (London, Uk) on 12/19/2010
★★★★★

My partner woke up with a very heavy cold and so we decided, following an article we had read to take 6 grams of vit c every 20 mins until he hit near diararea. At that point you back off and just take around 20 grams every 3 hours. It totally worked. It was incredable to see. There he was sneezing and coughing, runny nose and then it all stopped. Like turning off a tap. But make sure you keep with it for at least another 3 days. Look up cold on the vit c website for more info. I also felt one coming on and did the same thing. No cold.


Colds
Posted by Ron (Emporia, Kansas) on 12/24/2009
★★★★★

I too have taken Vitamin C for colds and flu for over 20 years.

I had a friend of mine who got a full body flu...he said he ached from head to toe...he was shivering and sweating a lot and looked very pale. I suggested that Vitamin C might help...to take 500mg every hour (if wake up a night = take another 500mg). He took the C with a little snack, like a cracker or small slice of bread...something to buffer his stomach from the acid. Within 24 hours all his symptoms were gone and didn't come back.

When I first notice symptoms of a cold coming on (slightly swollen throat or my nose starting to drip or pressure in head or just a feeling some kind of bacteria has gotten into the body), I immediately start the following:

If the symptoms are mild, I will take 500 to 1000mg Vitamin C powder (can also use capsules or tabs) every 2 hours. I sometimes add it to my Apple Cider Vinegar and Honey tea, or just with water or just before a meal...but I never take the C on an empty stomach.

If the symptoms are bad, I will take 500 to 1000mg C every hour.

What happens in the body is that when a person has a cold or flu, they tend to have to urinate more. When sick the body uses up Vitamin C very fast. Even if you take 5000mg or more in one shot, within 2 hours all of it will be gone through the urine. That's why it is so important to take it in smaller doses every hour or two.

I discovered this approach from Adelle Davis in her book Let's Get Well...it was published in the 1960s. I have been able to kill all cold and flu symptoms within about 24 hours for over the last 20 years...I have not had a full blown cold or flu since. The Keys are (1) start early when first get symptoms and (2) take the Vitamin C every hour or two until better.


Colds
Posted by Lisa (Liverpool, New York USA ) on 10/21/2008
★★★★★

Colds and Allergies

My children usually get sick at the beginning of the spring and the beginning of fall... most likely allergies. They also usually get whatever sickness is going around school. For the last year, I've been successfully giving my 6 and 8 year olds 500 mgs of vitamin c under the recommendation from the Linus Pauling Foundation. They love the chewables (ascorbic acid). They havent gotten sick AT ALL in that time. Meanwhile, my 13 year old has gotten broncitis and pneumonia who refuses to take the vitamin c. I've been trying to get her to take the vitamin c but she is not big into the taste of the chewables and doesn't like taking pills. Everytime she gets sick, I try to reason with her that the other two are not getting sick anymore, and in fact, NONE of us are, so why is she the only one in our house getting sick?? It used to go from one of us to the next and the next like a domino effect. Now, it's just her.( My husband and I take 2000 mg of Vitamin C per day, also recommeded by the Linus Pauling Institute)