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Orthomolecular Medicine News Service, October 30, 2017

Vitamin C Material: Where to Start, What to Watch

Commentary by Tom Taylor

(OMNS Oct 30, 2017) There are numerous vitamin C videos online on the web. This article is an effort to provide recommendations to quality material. Although vitamin C is one of the most researched substances in medicine, the best research seems to see the light of day mostly through these videos. How best to learn about vitamin C can be confusing and intimidating. Where does one start, and what is important?

Videos are the easiest source to access vitamin C information, so most of the reviews that follow are for videos. There is also one paper and a few books on the list. As far as ratings, the video and paper by Dr. Robert F. Cathcart gets the ultimate 5-star rating of excellence. Cathcart's paper and lecture stand out as packed with the most information.

The review ratings and criteria are mine. Your conclusions may be different. I did try consulting the feral cats I have been assigned by my wife to feed. But as typical for cats, they gave me the look as if to say, "We make our own vitamin C (which they do; see Suzanne Humphries below), so we don't care about your videos."

Having invested many hours in watching and reading this material, do I feel it was worth my time? The answer is yes, and here is an example. Being in my early 60's, I cannot visit with a group from this age range without someone talking about their recent back/hip/shoulder operation, or how they are taking multiple prescription meds, or their doctor-shopping activities. Some of these people know their drugs like others know fine wine. I do not do or know these things, including the wine. My doctor is the guy who gives me an FAA required pilot's medical exams and calls me "disgustingly healthy." I really enjoy that wise-crack. Clearly to me, a major factor for my clean health and reasonable blood pressure is I learned the art of taking vitamin C over the last 14 years. Vitamin C has definitely and unquestioningly saved me many a home sick-day. It has definitely been my most effective solution for controlling hay fever and cat allergies. So yes, it works and is worth it. Proving to yourself vitamin C's value is relatively easy: you try it.

As far as time commitment, I just watched these videos instead of The Simpsons. If Lisa starts educating the world on vitamin C, maybe I will tune back in.

Five Star Rating

1. A very useful video is Dr. Robert F. Cathcart's 26 minute presentation at the Silicon Valley Health Institute. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VkkWDDSti_s
   
   This is rapid fire and information packed, so much so that I have listened to it multiple times. My personal judgment is that every rapid-fired word he says is true and you should act on that basis until you have personal data to prove otherwise. Much of what he says is easy to prove for yourself.
   
   A critical success factor for vitamin C use is Dr. Cathcart's statement. "A person must be good at taking vitamin C." Cathcart is saying that the need for vitamin C varies daily. A person needs some each day, the amount depending on their general health, but the instant of that first sniffle or extreme fatigue that signals you are about to get sick, one needs to shovel vitamin C in until the threat passes. These dosage amounts vary with the individual and requires individual discovery.
2. Secondly, this seminal paper Dr. Cathcart should be studied to the point you can start reciting key passages. http://www.doctoryourself.com/titration.html
   
   Print it out, carry it around with you. You and your friends will be healthier and wealthier (low doctor bills, no sick days) for it. Actually, your friends will be very annoyed by your vitamin C comments while they are eating ice cream and such. (I learned not to do that.) If you just want to "know the facts" only, Cathcart is a quick study and he is right as far as I can discern. If time is limited and you are just busy, busy . . .well, then, learn Cathcart.
3. Vitamin C dosing can be very confusing and puts off many people. Doses up to 100,000 or even 200,000 milligrams per day sound way off base when one first hears about them, but sometimes these doses are necessary. The best explanation of dosing I have found is the book Ascorbate: The Science of Vitamin C (2004) by Steve Hickey and Hilary Roberts. This book starts with Cathcart's paper and expands it with associated research to give a full picture of dosage.
4. 60 Minutes New Zealand (New Zealand's version of CBS 60 Minutes in the USA) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VrhkoFcOMII&t
   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7O_Wrvbqn0
   
   Fascinating true-life story of a family's efforts, and massive doses of vitamin C, clearly saved a farmer's life. Even so, the medical circles chose to view this as a fluke.

Four and one-half Star Rating

Cathcart's years of front line clinical vitamin C experience preceded all listed below. These presentations are high quality in information and probably visually more appealing presentations than Cathcart's. The order of these is the order that I would tend to recommend them. Watch them in any order. All are award quality.

1. Suzanne Humphries MD: Most easy to follow presentations on vitamin C. Suzanne is an MD who made a couple of very pleasant and thoroughly informative vitamin C lectures into videos. One was in Sweden and the other in New Zealand. Similar material in both. When I am trying to get a vitamin C skeptic to look closer, I always cite Suzanne's lectures.
   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0LLX0sgwAU&t Sweden lecture, long version
   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFT5rdwrNV0&t New Zealand lecture, shorter version, similar material.
2. Thomas Levy MD: Best presentation on Liposomal vitamin C (3rd one). Best for comments on oral health's major impact on overall health. As Tom has so many excellent presentations and books, I have listed a few of his most recent videos. In fact, I claim that the city of New Orleans should replace the statue of General Lee at Lee's circle with a statue of Levy. Levy would probably say no, not him, but a statue of Dr. Fred Klenner would be appropriate. Levy heavily cites Klenner's groundbreaking work in vitamin C.
   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmCUhP3SjBI The Cause of All Disease: A Unified Theory
   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0x8CxUKDrc Vitamin C The Ultimate Antibiotic
   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GH492eeTyjk&t Vitamin C - Ascorbate - Liposomal Vitamin C and Antioxidant Therapy.
   
   In Levy's book Curing the Incurable , the first 100 pages or so summarize his key points. The remainder of the book is an excellent reference for vitamin C's application to many diseases. I also recommend his website, www.peakenergy.com.
3. Andrew Saul PhD: Best presentation on vitamin C and children (1st one). Best vitamin C history (2nd one). This presentation is unique in that he mentions vitamin C dosages for children. Overall, this is an information-rich video that covers a lot of material. Andrew has many other vitamin C related videos. This one is the most recent. Additionally, he is a prolific book writer. His website www.doctoryourself.com lists these. The one I have read is Vitamin C: The Real Story. This book has an extended chapter on dosing and is coauthored by the same Steve Hickey in the book in the 5 Star section.
   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5Bgdqsorg0&t at Riordan Clinic
   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wq29rADk9Os A Timeline of Vitamin Medicine
4. Margreet Vissers PhD: Best presentation on biological science of vitamin C (1st one). Margreet, a professor in New Zealand, has two excellent and unique videos. The first one is exceptional material from an electron microscope showing vitamin C in action. Really interesting and definitive proof of the effectiveness of vitamin C. New Zealand seems to be far enough away from the centers of drug company power that she can do academic-sponsored research on vitamin C and not get squashed by the pharmocracy. If she keeps up this good research, the drug companies may be forced to put research centers or pill plants in New Zealand so they can have enough economic might to dry up her funds. Her major sponsor seems to be the Kiwi fruit promotion board.
   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPyj9Pi8nw4&t -- Interesting electron microscope material.
   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JS1JalMT7xQ&t -- Overview material.
5. Sydney Bush OD: Best presentation on eye health and vitamin C. Talk about interesting material out of left field: it is Dr. Sydney Bush. He can accurately predict a person's risk of clogged arteries by taking periodic color photos of the blood passages in the back of the eyeball. Very easy, non-invasive, painless. Brilliant and ingenious. London should take down the statue of milord whoever and replace it with one of Dr. Bush. If the world paid attention to Dr. Bush's work, the amount of lives saved/extended would be in the millions. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qhcb302DPiY
6. Matthias Rath MD: Best presentation on heart disease and vitamin C. Best exposé on the drug industry. Matthias worked with Linus Pauling in Pauling's original institute (not the institute that carries Pauling's name today). After Pauling's death, Rath returned to Germany and continued his work associated with vitamin C. He is an outstanding crusader for vitamin C. Martin Luther would be proud.
   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0lEmXJD7p4 Excellent presentation that explains the connection between heart disease and vitamin C.
   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7Sho5JUSIQ Rath made a special effort to make this presentation at Auschwitz, Poland. Yes, the concentration camp from WWII. He has his reasons as you will see. In it he explains the rise of the German drug/chemical industry, its tie to Auschwitz, and its behavior today. A very insightful exposé.
7. Victor Marcial-Vega MD: Best presentation on vitamin C and cancer therapies. Very interesting, provides comments on medical school attitudes towards vitamins. Victor is an oncologist and since 1991 he has learned to use vitamin C to complement cancer therapies. "Once you start doing vitamin C, you will never go back" is a direct quote. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDXtc-RrtFs&t
8. Russell Jaffe MD: Best presentation on toxic metals and vitamin C. Jaffe is an eclectic researcher and generally entertaining to listen to. He promotes his eight indicators of long term health. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TM_z-cMYplc&t
   Using vitamin C to detox heavy metals. Vitamin C will slowly remove heavy metals from the body. This is the only presentation I know of on that subject.
   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsA3Ei7rvo8 Top Eight Predictive Biomarkers. One is vitamin C related.

Four Star Rating

Four stars are for web videos below. Vitamin C is only one of many subjects they cover.

1. Question and Answer with Andrew Saul and Trevor King: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4xsPKVdL1U&t Two hours of wide ranging Q & A on vitamins in general. Lots of good pointers on vitamin C. Mentions vitamin C for fibromyalgia late in the discussion.
2. That Vitamin Movie: https://thatvitaminmovie.com Discusses vitamins and nutrients more broadly than just C alone. Takes a subtle but effective approach for vitamins and minerals.
3. Riordan Clinic: https://riordanclinic.org/video-gallery A unique clinic in Kansas that produces videos across a wide range of health subjects. The Andrew Saul lecture listed above was given at this clinic.
4. Silicon Valley Health Institute: http://www.svhi.com A California study group that brings in outstanding speakers and presents videos of the lectures on the internet. Tom Levy has a vitamin C lecture here.
5. Dr. Joseph Mercola: https://articles.mercola.com/videos.aspx Interviews that cover a lot of subjects including vitamin C.
6. Dr. Peter Glidden: https://www.glidden.healthcare Famous for calling the AMA the American Medication Association. Discusses vitamins and minerals in general.

Three Star Rating

Dr. Linus Pauling is famous in vitamin C circles. When he gave his lecture on Vitamin C at Stanford University, he was 91. Even at this age, he was a very coherent, no-notes lecturer. A lot of information for the careful listener. However, this is a little dated and has poor production quality, as the microphone gets bumped a lot. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bymKIPaTws

Dr. Gifford-Jones: Canadian video from Calgary. The audio is difficult because it was from a room microphone, not directly from the microphone visible. Appears to be very good info, but tortuous to listen to. Note to video makers: excellent audio is essential. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHWRoLd1XQw

I would give most all interviews by podcaster channels a three-star rating, some two. Many of these are fine, but they are usually all audio or, at best, talking heads and typically lack the graphics that makes a better presentation of the story.

One Star Rating

Pretty much any video by the Linus Pauling Institute that I have seen to date. These guys are so cautious, so afraid of the establishment: seemingly everything ends with the phrase "needs more research." I recommend they redirect their research to studying Pink Flamingos in Antarctica. They can have a lot of fun traipsing around Antarctica looking for evidence of Flamingos and they can always end every paper with their catch phrase "needs more research."

Quick-Start Procedures for Vitamin C

When you don't want to read all the instructions or sit through the videos, try the following steps. These are default recommendations I offer to those who just want a quick start. They are a direct takeoff from the above material combined with my personal vitamin C experience.

1. Understand that C lasts a very short time in your body; a half-life of three hours is a good rule. This means the more you can spread out the dosing over the day, the better.
2. The best type of vitamin C is the cheapest, according to Andrew Saul. There are many types. Find the one that does not upset your stomach in high doses. For example, chewables upset my stomach in high doses. Any C that your body likes will work.
3. A safe starting point is to take 4 grams a day. 2 in the morning and 2 in the evening. Taking some at lunch is better. Note that this is grams; 4 grams = 4,000 milligrams.
4. Always carry some C with you or keep stashes in cars, offices, toolboxes.
5. At the first sign that you are getting sick (that sniffle or extreme fatigue, etc.) start taking one gram an hour. If you continue to deteriorate, go to two per hour. I have gone up to four per hour, two every thirty minutes.
6. Continue high dosing until you seem to stabilize or suddenly feel sort-of OK. At that point, continue high dosing until bowels starts feeling gassy, then back off about 1/4 to 1/2 the dosage rate for the evening. Take it easy; get a good night's rest. Most times, in the morning the symptoms will be gone. Continue higher than usual doses for next two days, say 8 grams a day.
7. Many people will need higher daily doses than listed here, but that takes time and/or guidance to figure out and is not a quick start. It goes by body weight, so if you're big or small you may need to adjust to larger or smaller doses. But the above procedure is something you can do today.

Closing Comments

There is a tremendous amount of vitamin C material in this world, certainly more than I have come across. However, through watching just these listed, and testing their recommendations, it will become evident that vitamin C works. Yet, as several authors have pointed out, no commercial enterprise is going to spend the money on a "gold-standard" double-blind study for such an unpatentable substance. Thus, drug companies will always have that claim of no double-blind studies that test the efficacy of vitamin C. What C does have is voluminous clinical experience support, as exemplified by Humphries, Cathcart, Kenner, and others.

The Art of Taking Vitamin C

In my experience, a big impediment for vitamin C to overcome is the fear of overdosing. Everyone fears dirty underwear and/or they know too much of a medicine is bad. Both are teachings from our mothers by age 3, so it sticks with us. However, to my knowledge, no one has yet discovered a way to kill themselves by taking too much vitamin C. Medicine largely employs the term "anti" (as in antibiotic or antihistamine) that is included in the name of so many modern drugs. Drugs must be carefully administered. Vitamin C, on the other hand, is a vital nutrient that your body needs daily. Hard to get a toxic overdose from a vital nutrient.

As usual, a little bit of study can save money. In this case, a little study and learning the art of taking vitamin C can save a lot of money and your health. All you need to do is adopt this motto: "The best health care is selfcare."

(Tom Taylor, EE, ME, MBA is an engineer, patent holder and vitamin C video critic. He has studied and used vitamin C for 14 years, but has no financial interest in the medical or nutrient industry. He heads www.Maskinell.com, a small technical group that develops prototypes of new products. He also is a commercial pilot.)

Note: The opinions expressed in this article are the author's and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Orthomolecular Medicine News Service or its editorial board. OMNS offers equal time for rebuttal. Submissions may be sent to the editor at drsaul@doctoryourself.com.

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