Alkaline Vitamin C Ascorbate

In 1928, Szent-Gyorgy, while doing work with the adrenal glands of oxen, isolated a sugar-like substance which was crystalline in nature and similar to the properties of anti-scorbutic factors in citrus fruits. However, it was not until 1932 that the substance was identified as ascorbic acid and the molecular formula and synthesis were worked out. For their work, Dr. Szent-Gyorgy and Sir Walter Haworth received Nobel Prizes in 1938. Now that the world had a ready supply of the elusive "miracle drug", research started all over the world to ascertain its properties in the biological systems and its modes of action.

Apparently, vitamin C acts as a reducing agent, aiding in the prevention of aging cells and tissues. The vitamin prevents improper oxidation in the cells’ aqueous portions, and promotes healing by acting as an intermediary in the synthesis of collagen, (the tissue protein that holds the body together). It was learned that vitamin C is essential to proper adrenal function and that the adrenal gland becomes depleted very quickly when an organism is subjected to long periods of stress. This depletion can play havoc with the body's ability to control those processes governed by the adrenal gland: minerals and electrolyte balance, healing, secondary sex traits & functions, and all functions of metabolism, including the release of glucose from the liver to burn as energy. Apart from vitamin C's role in the biochemistry of the body, researchers found that it played a key role in detoxification and in fighting disease. As early as 1939, Dr. H.N. Holmes found that ascorbic acid detoxifies the effects of lead in the body. There is evidence that it may act as a chelating agent and remove this heavy metal from the body. Many papers have been published describing the positive effects of vitamin C and its ability to alleviate the symptoms of heavy metal poisoning. Vitamin C in large doses has been found to be effective against many types of viruses, although more effective against smaller types of viruses. The most profound work has probably been done by Dr. F.R. Klenner, who has cured cases of polio, encephalitis and meningitis in 3 to 4 days with high intravenous doses of sodium ascorbate (the sodium salt of vitamin C). He has reduced high fevers to normal in 2 hours. Using between 50 and 150 grams of vitamin C in 24 hours in intravenous solution, Dr. Klenner treats all types of viruses from herpes simplex to mumps, with great success. Ascorbic acid is also effective against bacterial disease. In multigram doses, it has been used by many investigators against diseases such as tuberculosis, typhoid fever, pneumonia, whooping cough and leprosy. Ewan Cameron has demonstrated a definite slowing in the growth of tumours using 10 grams of vitamin C per day. They found that the group of terminal cancer patients given 10 grams per day lived an average of 4.2 times longer than those not given any vitamin C. 10% actually lived much longer (20 times) than those in the control-group. In an experiment in guinea pigs performed by Dr. G.C. Willis, the rapid onset of atherosclerosis was found to take place in those control groups which were deficient in vitamin C. Those groups fed high cholesterol diets needed higher doses of vitamin C to retard the progression of plaque formation. In human patients, Dr. Willis monitored the progression and regression of atherosclerotic plaques by a serial X-ray technique and noted that massive doses of ascorbic acid were probably of therapeutic value. So, we felt that it would be important to develop a non-irritating oral form of vitamin C which could be well tolerated and which would supplement losses of trace minerals due to the chelating effects of ascorbic acid and its metabolites.

Vitamin C performs the following important physiological functions: