Unfortunately, humans are not able to produce our own vitamin C, we need to get it from our diet or supplements, at least 2-13 grams of vitamin C/day according to experts. Researchers say that millions of people have been diagnosed with vitamin C deficiency worldwide, and vitamin C supplementation can improve blood pressure, dental health and joints (connective tissue) etc.

The word vitamin comes from the Latin vita, which means ‘life’. Vitamins are part of many enzymes, which speed up almost all reactions in the body. Therefore, vitamins are important in the regulation of metabolism. There are fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, F and K) and water-soluble vitamins (B, C and H). In 1938, Albert Szent-Györgi was awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine for his studies on the biological functions of ascorbic acid.

Our need for vitamin C

Most plants and animals, from insects to mammals, can synthesize ascorbic acid (vitamin C) from the simple sugar glucose. A rat produces 4 grams of vitamin C per day without stress exposure, and 20 grams under stress (converted to per 70 kg of body weight for comparison with us). A goat produces the equivalent of 100 g of vitamin C under stress exposure!

Based on the production of vitamin C by animals, several researchers estimate that humans need at least 2-13 grams of vitamin C per day – depending on age, stress levels and diseases.However, humans have an enzyme defect that means we cannot produce our own vitamin C, but must get it from the diet or supplements. You could call vitamin C a  anti-stress vitamin, and for example, top athletes who take vitamin C supplements are less likely to catch a cold than colleagues who do not take vitamin C. 

The Swedish National Food Agency’s recommendation of 75 mg (0.075 grams) per day is set to keep scurvy at bay, but it neither meets the body’s needs nor contributes to building good and strong health. Vitamin C is also heat sensitive and is destroyed when heated above 42 degrees, so it is important to take supplements. This key vitamin counteracts premature ageing and it promotes the health of bones, collagen tissue, teeth and palate – so a range of benefits from increasing vitamin C intake. I have been taking vitamin C supplements since childhood, 0.5-1 grams per day or more, and I am very grateful for it.

Vitamin C protects cells

Vitamin C’s two main functions are as a powerful antioxidant and as a cofactor for enzyme processes, so it can protect cells, cell membranes and mucous membranes in the body. Mild deficiency of vitamin C can cause bleeding in the gums (which can lead to tooth loss), impaired wound healing, fatigue, muscle weakness and increased risk of infection. Severe vitamin C deficiency causes scurvy. Long-term, low-level stress is unfortunately quite common today, requiring high doses of vitamin C.

Throughout history, many people have died from scurvy, and in the American Civil War, 30 000 soldiers died from this cause. In the Middle Ages, the Black Death, a bacterial infection, was rampant and many people contracted pneumonia due to scurvy. In total, 25 million people died from these diseases – a quarter of Europe’s population.

In 1753, Sir James Lind proved that citrus fruit cures scurvy (caused by vitamin C deficiency). But it wasn’t until 1795, after 100 000 British sailors had died of scurvy, that the British Navy gave its sailors citrus fruit.

Vitamin C therapy

In 1937 and 1938, the Nobel Prize was awarded to three scientists who determined the structure and biological functions of ascorbic acid. They experimented with giving higher doses of chemically produced vitamins in medical therapy. The double Nobel laureate  Linus Pauling was among the first to recognize the crucial importance of vitamins and minerals for good health. Pauling is best known for recommending large daily doses of vitamin C to prevent colds and illness. More recently, high doses of intravenous vitamin C have attracted considerable interest for the treatment of cancer, as in the movie  Vitamin C: the unsung molecule.

Research has proven that vitamin C neutralizes free radicals that would otherwise prevent the production of nitric oxide in the walls of blood vessels (endothelium). This improves the flexibility of blood vessels, smoothing out high or low blood pressure more effectively. Millions of people have been diagnosed with vitamin C deficiency worldwide, and supplementation with vitamin C can improve blood vessel function and counteract high blood pressure.

Natural sources

As vitamin C is heat-sensitive, it is good to eat some raw vegetables every day. White cabbage is an example of a good source of vitamin C in the Nordic countries, and it contains 36 mg of vitamin C per 100 g, which is three times as much as potatoes. Horseradish is the most vitamin C-rich root vegetable with 152 mg per 100 grams, which is 25 times more than carrot (which is high in beneficial vitamin A and beta-carotene).

Vitamin C is abundant in rose hips, fresh chili peppers, dried papaya, parsley, horseradish, black currants, sea buckthorn, lemon peel and kale.

Drinking orange juice adds nothing, unless it is freshly squeezed from sun-ripened oranges as the vitamins are formed in the final phase of the fruit’s ripening. But most fruit is harvested unripe these days and shipped halfway around the world… Fifteen minutes after pressing, the vitamins are gone from the juice, so it’s just an expensive sugar water.

Take supplements

The safest way is to take supplements daily because it helps with cell rejuvenation. I take 2-5 grams of vitamin C a day and higher doses temporarily when under stress and when people around me have a cold. A good form for higher doses is acid-neutral vitamin C in powder form. Take supplements in as pure a form as possible, so avoid effervescent tablets.

I take really high doses in batches, up to 15-20 grams per day for a week or so. It can then have a laxative effect, so I reduce the level. This is only for a short time and occasionally, when I need it.

The most effective way is to supplement higher doses of vitamin C with other nutrients. The body defends itself against the onslaught of free radicals through a couple of antioxidants – for example, vitamin C, bioflavonoids, beta-carotene, vitamin E and glutathione. These work together as a team, so getting just one or two of them doesn’t help – you need them all for antioxidation to work.

So a full spectrum of nutrition is always best, and natural sources of food are a prerequisite. I always take supplements and for spot interventions in case of increased stress levels, physical strain or in case of cold or illness.