Vitamin C - The Master Nutrient

PREFACE – What's different about this book

What will you learn from this book about Vitamin C that you have not already read or heard about from the plethora of excellent books and journal articles already on the market or in the scientific literature? A perfectly valid question for the discerning nutritionally conscious consumer or health practitioner.

One of the main themes which will be emphasized in this book is that, in addition to being a Vitamin, which by definition, is required for life in tiny amounts, Vitamin C, or ascorbic acid, is actually an essential nutrient, which, taken in optimal quantities, can vastly improve health and prevent many serious conditions, including heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.

Even a fairly superficial review of what has been written about Vitamin C reveals perhaps hundreds of books and thousands or even ten thousand research papers on the subject. There have been 3 ENTIRE Conferences of the New York Academy of Sciences devoted to Vitamin C ALONE over the past two decades! Linus Pauling, dual Nobel prize winner (Chemistry 1954, Peace, 1962), eminent scientist and statesman has rigorously and eloquently put forward the attributes of Vitamin C, with more than 500 references appended in his most recent book "How to Live Longer and Feel Better" (Avon, 1986). Dedicated and erudite experts Irwin Stone, Emanuel Cheraskin, Ewan Cameron, Marshall Ringsdorf, and Emily Sisley, to name but a few, have authored books and performed clinical studies which have put Vitamin C "on the map" and before the public eye more than any other nutritional supplement(1,30,35,43,50,54,164, 166,200).

And, although a fascinating historical saga of great importance, the nutritionally informed reader probably does not need to be reminded at length of how in 1747 the British naval physician James Lind experimentally discovered a preventative for scurvy in citrus fruits, which is at the origin of the inaccurate term "limeys" later attributed to British sailors.

This book, written in light of and with respect to the immense body of knowledge which has been established historically about Vitamin C, is a present and future-oriented look at the exciting developments taking place which will certainly alter our views about fundamental biochemical workings of the body.

So what else, the reader may ask, is there to say about this vitamin which has been touted as a miraculous cure for just about everything from the common cold to hemmorhoids? And who is this person who purports to add another volume to the already heavy Vitamin C bookshelf?

This book:

1. Critically analyzes the most up-to-date scientific information about Vitamin C, especially pertaining to its therapeutic efficacy and mode of action with respect to illnesses including atherosclerosis, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis and cancer;

2.Presents for the first time ever in popular print, rigorous and astonishingly encouraging laboratory results detailing Vitamin C's antiviral activity against the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV);

3.Describes for the first time in book form, the development of a novel form of Vitamin C, tradename Ester-CR ascorbate, and presents clinical data and critical analyses to document and explain aspects of its apparently superior mode of action.

As for my position. I am a scientist by training and profession. In addition to my role as a Health Consultant, I am also, as are we all, a consumer of health care. I find myself, at this point in history, situated in two worlds virtually at war with each other, although each speaks sincerely of its committment to the well being of its patients. I speak of course of the medical and scientific "establishment" on the one hand, and the naturopathic, alternative or complementary practitioners on the other. Having been trained both in orthodox and alternative practices, I understand and empathize with how this tremendous schism came into being between these two "solitudes". I also grieve for the sick individual who is suffering and who is entitled to the best that all traditions can offer. I am one of many who are committed and are working toward constructing a tangible bridge to connect these two worlds, with the goal of developing an improved paradigm of health care that will embrace the best of western technological medicine with the efficacy and safety of traditional natural medicine.

Vitamin C is both an outstanding example as well as a victim of this rather unharmonious situation. Reams of literature abound attesting to the clinically therapeutic and preventive value of this nutrient; yet probably the majority of medically trained physicians still hold the outdated view that amounts of Vitamin C in excess of that sufficient to prevent scurvy are a waste of money and simply produce "expensive urine". Linus Pauling has documented numerous examples of misinterpreted, badly designed and/or poorly executed clinical trials purporting to "objectively" investigate the efficacy of Vitamin C and has eloquently painted the dismally divided research scenario(166). Pity that despite disparagement of the reputation of such an eminent scientist and octogenarian, many physicians do secretly admit, off the record, that Vitamin C works.

For, despite the voluminous legacy of words and data which already exists regarding Vitamin C, there IS breakthrough and exciting new information which has only recently been discovered, and which must be told. New information which has only very recently been released within the scientific world is starting to shed light on Vitamin C's ability to be a potent force in the fight against AIDS, heart disease, diabetes and to counter the free-radical pathology involved with Rheumatoid Diseases. In addition, the commercial development of a new form of Vitamin C called "Ester-CR ascorbate", which contains extra natural metabolites, has serendipitously thrust the limelight further into the biochemical mechanisms behind the action of Vitamin C.

This book, published by the nonprofit Rheumatoid Disease Foundation, brings together the latest research being performed on many aspects of Vitamin C's therapeutic action. This information, properly implemented, may save countless lives and promote better health. And, in interpreting some of the facets which appear to enhance the action of Vitamin C and Ester-CR ascorbate (which, interesting enough, have a connection with the latest Vitamin C/AIDS research), the gap between the research scientist, physician and the lay person can be bridged, facilitating an improvement in health care.

I have not spent decades devoted to Vitamin C research, as have Linus Pauling and dedicated others. I do not own nor do I have any interests in the sales or promotion of Vitamin C, or, for that matter, of any other commodity. Nor do I purport to have all the answers which will magically settle the controversy which presently pits much of the medical and scientific establishment against nutritionally oriented practitioners. Nevertheless, the application of a scientific as well as a holistic approach to the subject of Vitamin C and health can be an invaluable contribution to that day when many more illnesses will be prevented, and when the majority of illnesses can be healed using more refined, and less harmful therapeutic practices than at present.

This book cannot even attempt to review all the existing literature about Vitamin C. This book STARTS OUT by bringing you up to date with a short historical retrospective about Vitamin C. THEN, this book is the FIRST to describe the elegant experiments which demonstrate the power of Vitamin C against the AIDS virus, AND attempts to interpret how this action may be happening. AFTER summarizing some of Vitamin C's fundamental health-empowering roles including immune enhancer and free radical scavenger, this book brings you the most up-to-date information, gleaned from many and varied sources, about how Vitamin C can help in treatment for diabetes, heart disease, and rheumatoid arthritis. NEXT comes the exciting story of the development of ESTER-CR ascorbate, whose properties enable it to be more efficiently absorbed and retained than other forms of Vitamin C. FINALLY, this book addresses you, the consumer, and fields questions each individual will encounter in forming their own decision about whether to take Vitamin C, which form, and how much.

For it is you, the individual person who must ultimately decide how much Vitamin C to take - whether your glass of orange juice will also contain several or many grams of Vitamin C, whether it will be ascorbic acid, one of the ascorbates, or the new Ester-CR ascorbate. In any case, a toast to your health, and enjoyable reading.