If you do some quick research on vitamin C and pneumonia, you will notice that there are many articles dedicated to vitamin C on the Internet. The majority of these articles recommend taking high amounts of vitamin C.
However, many people are not familiar with the research and don’t know the basic function of this vitamin. Reviewers at Cochrane have looked at vitamin C in relation to pneumonia, and researchers are still studying the topic. Vitamin C is a nutrient, not a medicine, and it is not a substitute for medical care.
Pneumonia is a serious illness. If you or someone in your family has symptoms of pneumonia, see a doctor and follow the prescribed treatment.
It is also worth mentioning that some people, including some alternative health practitioners, believe that ascorbic acid should only come from natural sources like berries and citrus fruits, which also contain bioflavonoids.
On the other hand, people in the orthomolecular field – a small community of doctors and health care practitioners who work with high amounts of supplements – point out that ascorbic acid is simply regular vitamin C. The majority of animals produce their own vitamin C with the help of the liver. Humans lost this ability a long time ago. C6H8O6 is the chemical formula for vitamin C.
C stands for carbon, H stands for hydrogen, and O stands for oxygen, and this is exactly what ascorbic acid looks like too. Some practitioners prefer the one offered by the Vitamin C Foundation.
According to them, this is a pharma-grade ascorbic acid that comes from Europe and is not made from GMO corn.
Learning More About Vitamin C
Two authors from the field of orthomolecular medicine (which relies on high amounts of supplements) have written a detailed book about vitamin C. The book is aimed at both beginners and specialists in this field.
The content of this book is interesting and questions widely accepted views on vitamins. Bo Jonsson, MD, PhD, of the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, has recommended it to readers who want to learn more about vitamin C.
Adrianne Harun has also published a detailed review of this book and praised its descriptions and details related to vitamin C. The book is called Vitamin C: The Real Story and it was written by Andrew Saul, PhD, and Steve Hickey, PhD.
Dr. Saul is a strong supporter of taking high amounts of ascorbic acid. You can watch his interview below, where he shares his views and personal experiences, including his own experience with pneumonia. These are personal accounts, not clinical evidence, and results vary from person to person.
High doses of vitamin C can cause side effects such as an upset stomach and diarrhea. Never give supplements to infants or children without asking your pediatrician first.
According to official statistics, pneumonia is among the leading causes of death worldwide, and it is a common complication of the flu. Dr. Andrew Saul has his own website called Doctor Yourself, where he publishes his views on different supplements.
During World War II and the decade after it, polio was a very frequent disease. At that time, Frederick Robert Klenner, a medical doctor from North Carolina, used vitamin C with his patients in his office and a local hospital. He presented his observations at an AMA conference in 1949, but they did not receive much attention.
Dr. Klenner believed that vitamin C in large quantities could help the body deal with viral infections. His reports and notes cover about three decades of using vitamin C with his patients. His claims have not been confirmed by modern clinical trials.
But that’s not all. You can also read the work of Irwin Stone, a biochemist who researched vitamin C for more than four decades. His book dedicated to this vitamin is called The Healing Factor and you can find it via the Vitamin C Foundation.
It is very likely that you have never heard about these authors and their work, as their views are outside mainstream medicine. Health authorities also point out that taking very high amounts of certain vitamin supplements can carry risks, so talk to your doctor before taking high doses of any supplement.
Via Cochrane
This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always talk to your doctor about any health concern.