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Large Doses of Vitamin C may Improve Body’s Immune System

Large Doses of Vitamin C may Improve Body’s Immune System

Large doses of vitamin C might mitigate the body’s stress response and reduce the levels of C-reactive protein, a marker of inflammation. Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, acts as an antioxidant, meaning it neutralizes free radicals generated by the body’s normal metabolism. Your body also relies on vitamin c to launch an effective immune response against infection. High dose vitamin C is often given intravenously after major surgeries.

Vitamin C is not produced by the body but is necessary for immune function, bone structure, iron absorption, and healthy skin. We get vitamin C from our diet from fruits, green vegetables, peppers and tomatoes.

Vitamin C Mitigates Stress Response

The human body responds to mental stress by releasing hormones called corticosteroids, triggering the body’s fight-or-flight response. Chronic activation of these hormones can impair immune function, increasing susceptibility to infection and disease.

Findings from an early study in mice demonstrate that vitamin C mitigates the body’s stress response, thereby improving immunity. The authors of the study immobilized mice for an hour every day for three weeks to induce stress. They also fed the mice 200 milligrams of vitamin C daily, roughly equivalent to several grams per day in humans. A control group of mice also received vitamin C but they were not subjected to stress.

Vitamin C LiposomalThe stressed mice that received large doses of vitamin C in their diets exhibited fewer signs of stress as evidenced by lower levels of corticosteroid hormones as well as other physical manifestations, such as weight loss. The mice also exhibited higher levels of IgG, the most abundant antibody in circulation, responsible for binding a broad selection of pathogens such as viruses, bacteria, and fungi, to prevent infection. Interestingly, the non-stressed mice that received large doses of vitamin C exhibited even greater increases in IgG, suggesting that stress cancels out some of the beneficial effects of the vitamin.

These findings suggest that high dose vitamin C might improve immune function, especially during times of mental and physical stress.

Vitamin C reduces C-reactive protein (CRP) among some groups of people

Inflammation is a biological phenomenon triggered by the immune system in response to a physical injury or infection. Vitamin C’s immune-boosting and antioxidant properties can mediate the body’s inflammatory response, reducing the symptoms or risk of various diseases. Evidence suggests that vitamin C can lower C-reactive protein (CRP), a marker of inflammation.

C-reactive protein is a protein that increases in the blood with inflammation and infection as well as following a heart attack, surgery, or trauma. It is one of several proteins that are often referred to as acute phase reactants. Blood levels of CRP greater than 1 milligram per liter are indicative of elevated cardiovascular disease risk.

Vitamin C Liposomal has greater concentration than capsulated

Liposomal (or pro-liposomal) vitamin C affords a superior form of oral administration of this essential vitamin. Liposomal vitamin C is a water-soluble antioxidant that is shown to improve physiological function. It plays a role in iron absorption and collagen formation, and supports the body in the processing of many hormones, enzymes, and amino acids. 

What are Liposomes?

Research studies show that vitamin C encapsulated in liposomes provides greater concentration of vitamin C than the ingestion of unencapsulated vitamin C.  Liposomes are manufactured microscopic, hollow spherical vesicles composed of a lipid bilayer. When loaded with pharmaceuticals or dietary supplements, liposomes are an effective drug delivery method as they override the usual intestinal absorption pattern and facilitate the entry of vitamin C into metabolically active cells and tissues.

Liposomal vitamin C is shown to more effectively lessen oxidative stress than unencapsulated vitamin C. Oxidative stress can lead to tissue damage caused when blood supply returns to tissue after a period of ischemia or lack of oxygen.

High-dose vitamin C has been shown to improve memory by increasing blood flow and reduce severity and duration of viral diseases, including the common cold.* Vitamin C is also a powerful antioxidant that can strengthen your body’s immune system by preventing oxidative stress, which interferes with the cells’ ability to detoxify free radicals, peroxides and heavy metals. Likewise, presurgery ingestion of encapsulated vitamin C may help alleviate oxidative stress-mediated damage and promote accelerated recovery.

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