Are vitamin C supplements the end to all ills?

I wonder, in fact I wondered so much I decided to look at it a bit more deeply and see if vitamin C really is the ‘magic bullet’ it’s touted as.

Interestingly enough the human body is actually unable to synthesise vitamin C. Although most of the animal world can synthesise it in their bodies, humans, guinea pigs, fruit eating bats and a rare bird are however the exceptions. This means that we, humans, need to make the effort to source our vitamin C, and as it is an essential vitamin for us it is important that we do this successfully.

Vitamin C is known to strengthen the immune system, one of its roles is that of an antioxidant as it reacts with free radicals to inactivate them before they can damage the proteins or lipids in the body.

What I find so irritating is that instead of promoting that an apple would provide the same anti-oxidant effect as 1500mg of vitamin C [1], the marketing angle is that if you pop one vitamin C pill you will get all the vitamin C you need for the day, without eating apples.

So the major beneficiary from vitamin C supplements is actually the manufacturer and their marketing departments. I still needed to know if it was going to do any good for me.

Further investigation indicates that certain groups of people should possibly take vitamin C supplements:

People with cold or flu symptoms
The jury is still out on the effectiveness of vitamin C supplements during a cold or flu. However there is no doubt that vitamin C does boost the immune system, so while vitamin C can’t cure a cold or flu, it may help to lessen the severity or length of the virus.

Vitamin C supplements usually won’t harm a person while suffering cold or flu symptoms, although many do take massive doses which can cause diarrhoea. But at least if you’re crapping your brains out a cold is the lesser of your worries.

The homeless/refugees
People normally think of scurvy occurring in the days of Drake, Raleigh and their protracted sea voyages, but it is still today, in the 21st Century, an issue occurring around the world.

Relief camps helping refugees of fighting or natural disasters such as the Asian tsunami disaster provide a basic ‘maintenance’ diet, they do not provide optimum nutrition, this means that the diet would not provide adequate vitamin C for the needs of those receiving it.

But it’s not just developing, war ravaged or disaster hit countries around the world that scurvy presents itself in. It has also been reported among the UK’s homeless, many of whom eat poorly, with rarely if ever, fresh fruit and vegetables. Having seen well meaning people leaving fast-food bags of food at a homeless persons side it’s no wonder that they have a poor diet. A bag of fresh fruit, or some fruit supplementation to a takeaway meal would help more. So if you’re one of those kind hearted people who give food to the homeless, give them some fruit too.

Teenagers
Surprisingly scurvy has been reported among teenagers. Yes, really. These are teenagers that come from backgrounds where there are no food shortage issues, but rather they exist on a diet of junk food and over processed foods, both of which are extremely deficient in vitamin C.

It is essential that young adults develop high peak bone mass, and vitamin C is an essential factor in forming the structural framework for bones. So missing out at this stage can mean that peak bone mass is not attained, which of course can have detrimental effects in later life.

Elderly or institution residents
The large scale catering processes that are used in residential homes and hospitals generally mean that most meals served are vitamin C deficient (as well as mind bogglingly nasty). Meals are often prepared in advance or to tight budgets, both of which have a detrimental effect on their vitamin content.

It has also recently been found that the elderly may benefit further from vitamin C supplementation as it protects blood vessel integrity, which may prevent strokes, cognitive impairment and the formation of cataracts.

Smokers
It’s thought that the reason smokers have poor vitamin C levels in the body could be due to the increased demands made on the body for vitamin C to combat the free radicals generated by smoking. That’s why most female smokers look like haggard old bags at such an early age. And the men aren’t immune either.

Pregnant women
The demands that pregnancy puts on a women’s ‘maternal store’ of vitamin C means that pregnant women should increase their vitamin C to meet and maintain these requirements, but this should of course be under medical supervision.

Infants and young children
In recognition of the demands that a growing body places on its vitamin reserves, vitamin C is sometimes given to this group, particularly where a natural diet appears to be failing to provide enough vitamin resources for the body i.e. a diet full of sugar, refined processed foods and soft drinks, or ‘spoilt child’ food fads.

Athletes
Vitamin C has been found to have several exercise related functions; the growth and repair of body cells, manufacture of adrenaline, increased oxygen uptake and aerobic energy production, to name a few. With its role as a powerful antioxidant it also can protect against cell damage as intense exercise causes greater free radical damage. Vitamin C deficiency will reduce physical performance.

Cancer sufferers
Because of the antioxidant effects of vitamin C it has been used successfully in some cancer therapies and treatments, but only under medical supervision. The cancers it is considered most effective against are cancers of the oesophagus, stomach and pancreas.

Alzheimer’s sufferers
Vitamin C has been found to be useful in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease, however it has been found that natural vitamin C obtained through a healthy diet is actually more effective than if it is taken as a supplement. Now where did I put that orange? Now where did I put that orange? Now where did I…

The beauty brigade
Vitamin C, because of its antioxidant properties has been eagerly seized on by the beauty brigade. Vitamin C slows down the effect of ageing and protects against age related diseases and it is this that grabs people’s attention in an effort to remain ever youthful.

While beauty aide devotees are sold the idea that vitamin C supplements will help maintain their youth, this group of people will continue to buy and swallow immense numbers of vitamin C supplements, yet at the same time following a healthy diet. Excess vitamin C is excreted in the urine, so generally they are not harming their body unless they have a predisposition to kidney stones. In most cases the major harm is merely to the wallet, if you’re into vanity then you have to pay for it. Or eat an orange.

So there appears to be a diverse group of people for whom vitamin C supplementation may be justified or beneficial. However as with all vitamin and mineral supplementation self-diagnosis can sometimes result in producing no benefits to the body, however producing a seriously detrimental effect on the wallet from the costs incurred purchasing, or diarrhoea

Vitamin C supplementation is rarely damaging unless very high doses are taken, and diarrhoea should be taken as a warning. High dosage under medical supervision can be beneficial in certain treatments, such as cancer treatment.

Most nutritionists and dietitians agree that apart from the groups of people highlighted above, most people can get exactly the vitamin C they need naturally from a well balanced diet rich in fresh fruit and vegetables.

What is really required is further education, a handful of supplements does not abdicate a person from the responsibility to their body to feed it correctly. A person existing on junk food simply cannot take a supplement and be as healthy as a health food and fitness devotee. In the majority of vitamin C supplementation cases, manufacturers and marketing departments are at fault for pandering to people’s insecurities, laziness and vanity.

So to sum up, vitamin C supplementation has a very necessary place in the diet of certain groups of people, but the majority of vitamin C pill poppers would do better by eating an apple a day. Or an orange…

References:
[1] Professor Chong Yong Lee (2000), Cornell University, New York, Nature 405, pp903–904