Vitamin C may be, after all, effective against viral, bacterial and fungal infections
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The topic of vitamin C and enhanced resistance against (as well as accelerated recovery from) infections (especially viral) is highly controversial. Modern medicine dismisses vitamin C as being good for only preventing/treating scurvy. However, a number of high-profile scientists, including Nobel laureate Linus Pauling believed (and repeatedly demonstrated in studies) that vitamin C has a broad immunostimulating effect and may be effective at both preventing and treating variety of infections, especially viral ones such as influenza and cold (COVID-19 anyone?), and even cancer! The study below seems to vindicate Mr. Pauling and demonstrates that the beneficial effects of vitamin C are not limited to just viral infections, but also extend to bacterial, fungal and even multi-cellular (parasitic) infections. The exact mechanism of action of vitamin C is not known, however given its structural similarity to sugar and usage of the same pathways of active transport into the cell (the GLUT channels/receptors), I suspect that vitamin C may serve as a glucose mimetic in situations when the cell is under stress and glucose availability is limited. Glucose availability has already been demonstrated to be crucial for resistance to all types of infection, and lowering serum glucose is known to increase lethality from both pathogens and allergens.
https://doi.org/10.3390/nu9040339
The Surprising Link Between Vitamin C and Fighting Off Infections, According to Science
“…The notion that vitamin C could help ward off infections is not new. As early as the 1930s, physicians like Dr. Casimir Funk pioneered the use of vitamin C to combat infectious diseases. However, the advent of antibiotics in the mid-20th century largely overshadowed research into vitamin C’s antimicrobial potential [1]. “Our review aimed to dust off a century’s worth of accumulated evidence on vitamin C and infections,” explained Dr. Samantha Patel, lead author of the study and a researcher at the University of Helsinki. “What we found was a wealth of data suggesting that this humble vitamin could be a valuable addition to our anti-infection toolkit.”
“…Dr. Patel’s team began by analyzing over 148 animal studies that investigated vitamin C’s impact on infectious conditions. Remarkably, they found that vitamin C demonstrated protective effects against a variety of pathogens, including bacteria, viruses, fungi like Candida albicans, and even parasitic protozoa [1]. “Across diverse animal models, vitamin C consistently helped prevent, shorten, and alleviate infectious diseases,” noted Dr. Patel. “While the human implications remain to be fully elucidated, these findings strongly suggest that vitamin C has untapped potential as a broad-spectrum antimicrobial agent.”
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This is a different angle on Vitamin C I had never thought about. As the molecule is very close to glucose, vitamin C could take on the properties of glucose and be used by the body for energy as needed by our immune system to counter pathogens. On this alone, I have a newfound respect for vitamin C that goes beyond its usual association to being an antioxidant.
I have been monitoring my oxygen saturation every night for 3 years already, and I follow with interest the nightly spO2 charts (at 4 second intervals), and see the effects of phagocytosis by neutrophils and macrophages using respiratory burst, which consume plenty of oxygen that lead to sharp temporary drops in spO2. Even eosinophils consume large amounts of oxygen to produce ROS that spewed at larger pathogens. Energy is needed for these white blood cells to protect us from pathogenic insults, and it is plausible that vitamin C does as much as glucose does to provide an emergency boost to strengthen our immune system.
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