The History & Benefits of Vitamin C

The history of Vitamin C or rather its importance was first noted by sailors on long voyages without access to fresh fruits and vegetables. During the first crusade, beginning in 1095 AD, physicians noted in the port city of Jaffa that sailors were bleeding from their gums and had hemorrhaging under their skin. Centuries later in 1769 a British physician, William Stark, began experimenting on himself, denying himself any fresh fruits or vegetables for roughly 31 days surviving only on bread and water. His chief symptom was bleeding from the gums upon the slightest touch and seven months, later due to complications, the man was dead. From the years 1757 – 1795 a Scottish Royal Navy Physician, James Lind, championed and petitioned for the eventual mandatory use of citrus fruits in all naval vessels for the British Empire. All throughout these years no one truly knew the importance of these fresh vittles, especially the citrus fruit. Sailors and physicians only knew that these fruits prevented some nasty symptoms and even a horrendous prolonged death.

Finally, in the 1930s a brilliant medical chemist named Dr. Albert Szent-Gyorgyi isolated and discovered the existence of Ascorbic Acid known more commonly as Vitamin C. For the next many years of his career, Dr. Albert worked with many scientists and physicians isolating different sources and the metabolic pathways of vitamin C earning the Nobel Prize in 1937.

Since its discovery there have literally been hundreds of studies on the importance of this chemical. First and foremost, human beings cannot synthesize, make their own, Vitamin C. Vitamin C must be obtained through dietary sources. Secondly if you do not consume Vitamin C you run the risk of obtaining several different diseases, up to and including death. Since

Vitamin C is water soluble it is extremely safe. In fact, only Canada and the United States have deemed a tolerable upper intake level of Vitamin C. Furthermore, the American Association of Poison Control Centers has reported 0 deaths due to Vitamin C toxicity.

Today, the RDA or Recommended Daily Allowance, for Vitamin C is 90 mg for men and 75 mg for women. However, more and more research is being done slowly proving that the RDA for Vitamin C is somewhere on the low side of optimal health maintenance. Furthermore, to get the RDA of Vitamin C one would have to consume the 7-9 servings of fruits and vegetables daily. The reality is, according to the CDC or Center of Disease Control, only 1-10 Americans eat the correct number of servings of fruit or vegetables. This leads to the public health case for supplementation.

There are literally hundreds of natural Vitamin C sources and thousands of Vitamin C products. For optimal health, consider, for about 2 seconds, and take both. Talk to your nutritionist and doctor, consult your local farmer, and carefully read your nutrition labels at the supermarket. I think you will be surprised as to where you can find Vitamin C.

Sources

1. The Orthomolecular Treatment of Chronic Disease – Andrew W. Saul

2. A Harvard Medical School Special Health Report “The Truth about Vitamins and Minerals: Choosing the nutrients you need to stay healthy.”

3.  Centers for Disease Control & Prevention

4.  American Chemistry Society

5. WebMD

6. American Association of Poison Control Centers 

7. National Institute of Health (NIH)