![[Vitamin C Part 2] The Most Cost-Effective and Safest Antioxidant | Dr. Esther Yeo](http://esther-mall.com/cdn/shop/articles/31_3a327495-958f-4a7f-a3d0-e8058370609c.jpg?v=1734112310&width=480)
Despite some of the drawbacks and criticisms of vitamin C, I believe it's well worth it. This is because vitamin C is the only vitamin with antioxidant activity that is water-soluble and can be administered in large quantities with few side effects. As you know, vitamins A and E are fat-soluble, and if you consume them in excess, they can accumulate in your body and cause side effects. Vitamin C, on the other hand, has few side effects, to the point that high-dose regimens are prevalent.
Gastrointestinal disorders such as diarrhea and abdominal pain, which are commonly mentioned, are not toxic to vitamin C itself, but rather temporary symptoms caused by unabsorbed vitamin C remaining in the intestines and attracting water through osmotic pressure. It's also often misunderstood that vitamin C causes kidney stones. Doses ranging from 30 mg per day to 333 times that amount, or 10 grams per day, have little change in the concentration of oxalic acid in the urine that causes stones. It can be a problem for people who already have a unique condition called hyperoxalaciduria, but in most cases, a high-dose vitamin C regimen will not cause a stone in the kidney.
The side effect of vitamin C being an excessive increase in iron levels in the body is also a concern unless you suffer from a rare condition called congenital hyperhemoglobinosis. The U.S. National Medical Association, which has the strictest standards for nutritional supplements and dietary supplements, has set an upper limit of 2,000 mg per day for vitamin C. As long as you take at least 2,000 mg, this means that there is no reason to worry about side effects when it comes to vitamin C.
Of course, antioxidant activity can also be expected from other plant-derived nutrients, such as lycopene from tomatoes or quercetin from onion and apple peels. However, unlike vitamin C, they cannot be obtained cheaply and in large quantities, and since they are pigment components, they have many limitations in their use, such as burdening the liver when administered in large quantities. Vitamin C is the most cost-effective and safe source of antioxidant power.
One of the most notable studies related to vitamin C is its effectiveness in preventing the common cold in people who exercise or overwork, such as marathon runners, skiers, and military personnel, as well as the elderly and smokers. When they were given vitamin C at a dose of 250 mg to 1 gram per day, they were reduced in their chances of catching a cold by 50 percent. The study, published in 2007, is valuable because it is a randomized clinical trial, and it is worth noting that the subject of the study was the Cochrane group, which is the most critical of vitamins and other nutritional supplements. Vitamin C was not observed to prevent colds in people who did not have a cold, but it did reduce the duration and symptoms of a cold in those who already had it. People who exercise strenuously produce large amounts of harmful free radicals due to excessive oxygen metabolism, which leads to cell and tissue damage. The same goes for the elderly or smokers. For these people, the antioxidant benefits of vitamin C have been proven to help. In 2000, the National Medical Association of the United States issued a guideline that smokers needed an additional 35 mg of vitamin C daily.
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