This week our main topic is vitamin C as we posted episode 7 of our podcast – protect your cells with vitamin C. I want to discuss this subject further by referencing the book “Curing the Incurable” by Thomas E. Levy (1). Levy discusses three topics that I found especially interesting:

1. Vitamin C is not really a vitamin but a necessary nutrient needed to stay healthy.

2. Humans cannot synthesize vitamin C on their own and need to ingest a varying amount of it daily or else risk having a deficiency.

3. Levy recommends high doses of vitamin C.

I found this book very useful in providing me a medical opinion on vitamin C using a variety of scientific references. It has further strengthened my opinion that it is important to take high quality vitamin C nutrition supplements** in order to maintain or improve health.

Vitamin C is not really a vitamin

What is vitamin C if it is not really a vitamin? Well, it has something to do with helping to enhance the flow of electricity in the body. According to Levy, “health exists when electrons flow fully and freely, illness exists when this flow is significantly impaired, and death occurs when this flow stops.” From what I understand, vitamin C is used up as electricity flows through the body and a greater amount of vitamin C is needed to help the electricity flow for a person dealing with illness or other health problem.  The body needs vitamin C similar to how a car needs gasoline: gasoline is needed for a car to go anywhere and more gasoline is needed for farther distances or steep inclines.

It is possible to be vitamin C deficient

Humans cannot synthesize or make within themselves vitamin C. This means that they have to ingest a varying amount of it regularly or else risk having a deficiency. Levy explains that “while vitamin C is certainly necessary in at least trace amounts for the body to survive and to avoid the deficiency disease known as scurvy, much larger amounts are necessary for the body to achieve and maintain optimal health.”

Scurvy is the worst case of vitamin C deficiency. It affects people who don’t ingest enough vitamin C. A person may have enough vitamin C to keep them from exhibiting full-blown scurvy symptoms, but he or she may not have enough vitamin C to enhance the electricity flow needed in his or her body to combat other illness. Put another way, “chronic vitamin C depletion is often one of the primary reasons that many common infectious diseases are contracted in the first place” according to Levy.

Vitamin C deficiency may not only impair a person’s ability to fight off illness, but it may also affect a person’s ability to recover. Levy states that “evidence contained in [his] book will actually demonstrate that many people with such vitamin C-depleting infectious diseases actually die from complications completely consistent with the symptoms of acute scurvy. For example, many people who eventually die from an infectious disease actually die from a bleeding complication. An acute and severe vitamin C deficiency is often the immediate underlying reason for either subtle bleeding or massive hemorrhage.” Vitamin C needs to be taken to help with healing or else risk complications from vitamin C deficiency. Basically if a car runs out of gasoline it can’t keep going.

High dosages of vitamin C needed

Levy also states repeatedly that high “optidoses” (optimal doses) of vitamin C are needed for healthy individuals and even more so for unhealthy individuals. He recommends that “for the average healthy adult, taking a daily dose of vitamin C ranging between 6,000 and 12,000 mg will generally meet the body’s metabolic needs. Most adults will need a dosage closer to 12,000 mg than to 6,000 mg.” 6,000 mg of recommended vitamin C intake is substantially higher than other vitamin C dosage recommendations I have read.

Here is an example that Levy uses to describe an optidose for vitamin C to help with fighting of influenza: “Magne (1963) reported on the vitamin C treatment of 130 cases of influenza. Males and females, ranging in age from 10 to 40 years, were treated. Treatment was given for one to three days with doses of vitamin C up to 45,000 mg. In spite of this variable approach, Magne reported good success, with 114 recovering and only 16 not significantly responding. As has already been seen repeatedly in Klenner’s work, failing to provide an adequate dose of vitamin C can be expected to show little or no clinical effect.”

I appreciate that Levy provides actual examples of doctors supplementing treatment with vitamin C and recording the results. I interpret Levy’s scientific references to indicate that vitamin C was not provided in place of other treatment but it was instead given to assist with treatment. For example, someone close to me was recently hospitalized for a serious injury. During the treatment process, the doctors provided him with a sugar drink and salt-tablets to supplement his treatment. Similar to how in this experience doctors were willing to supplement treatment with a sugar drink and salt-tablets, I hope they are also willing to supplement treatment with vitamin C when needed.

Overall, I was astounded to read about Levy’s medical opinion on the role that vitamin C plays in health. I was not aware of its importance in helping a body function let alone fight off illness. I especially appreciate the many references that Levy cites of doctors obtaining favorable results by using vitamin C to supplement their treatment of illnesses. I do not believe that vitamin C should be interpreted as a cure all but I do think that this research indicates the importance of adequate vitamin C supplementation* in health and in illness.

*consult with a medical professional before taking any nutrition supplements

**Check out our store with vitamin C nutrition supplements available

References

1) Levy, Thomas E. MD, JD. Curing the Incurable. Livon Books. 2002.

Disclaimer

This publication contains the opinions and ideas of its author. It is intended to provide helpful and informative material on the subjects addressed in the publication. It is provided with the understanding that the author and publisher are not engaged in rendering any kind of personal or professional services in this publication. The reader should consult with a competent professional before adopting any of the suggestions in this publication or drawing inferences from it. The author and publisher specifically disclaim all responsibility for any liability, loss, or risk, personal, professional, or otherwise, which is incurred as a consequence, directly or indirectly, of use and application of any of the contents of this publication.