To Kime concerning vitamin C - Asthma Message Board

proudmom47 · 08-23-2004, 08:51 PM

Kime,
I would like to know if I can take a "store" brand of vitamin C 1,000 mg. each several times a day to achieve my own tolerance. I have heard that the body can only absorb about 500 to 1000 at a time, so to space it out like every hour. Is this true? Or can I take several pills at once? I took 5 grams yesterday because I was taking them every hour but only had enough time in the day to take five. Its kind of hard to remember to take that much. I also posted this in the "allergies" thread, so you don't have to answer both. I guess it would be better to take the powder form for convenience. Thanks for your information.
Cindy

bobbyjoe · 08-29-2004, 01:40 AM

i was watching a biology show that they have discoverd that a body needs 2000mg a day,of vitamin C
may i ask why your consuming so much?

ErimusValidus · 08-29-2004, 04:53 AM

The 2g a day is for healthy people - someone using vitamin C to combat illness might need more.

Kime · 09-02-2004, 03:31 PM

I have been answering this thread on the allergy board but I think I need to post here now, too, because we didn't realize it until last week the vitamin C wasn't the only thing that was helping my husbands asthma. We have discovered that a combination of vitamin C and niacin is what he needs and just one alone doesn't do the job. It's kind of a long story how we figured it out so I won't put it here. He takes vitamin C to bowel tolerance, and enough niacin to flush. (the amount he needs to flush is a little different on different days) We don't know if niacinamide would work just as well, but we think it might. So for him, he takes about 12 grams of C and usually 300-400mg niacin twice a day. This is just to give people an idea because each person is different.

As far as the amount of C that a person needs, this varies with each person and with the circumstances that a person is under at a particular moment, so it isn't accurate to say everyone needs just such and such an amount all the time. Any stress or illness or exposure to toxins or allergens will increase a person's need for vitamin C. If you have a cold 2000 mg will do little or nothing to alleviate your symptoms, but if you take it to bowel tolerance it really helps get rid of sore throats, coughing, itching ears, etc.

I should also add here that I have discovered that if I take more than about 5 grams of C on a full stomach I get bloated so for larger doses it is best to take on an empty or at least a not very full stomach.