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From: tedrick@ernie.BERKELEY.EDU (Tom Tedrick)
Newsgroups: net.med
Subject: Re: Vitamin C megadose caveat
Message-ID: <10813@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU>
Date: Sun, 27-Oct-85 00:51:56 EST
Article-I.D.: ucbvax.10813
Posted: Sun Oct 27 00:51:56 1985
Date-Received: Mon, 28-Oct-85 03:19:24 EST
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Sender: usenet@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Reply-To: tedrick@ernie.UUCP (Tom Tedrick)
Organization: University of California, Berkeley
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>	Previously the only real side effect of Megadose Vitamin C I was aware
>of is Rebound Scurvy,  the result of an acute Vitamin C shortage that results
>from dropping suddenly to normal dosage -- while the body continues to burn it
>up at R17 (ie, clearly too fast.)

I take about 6 grams of Vitamin C as Calcium Ascorbate crystals
(from Bronson) daily, so I am interested in this subject. I
definitely feel worse when I don't take it, even after a long
period of time (like a year) when the "Rebound" effect should
have disappeared. It has eliminated (pardon the pun) a lifelong
problem with constipation.

However I am certainly not a model of radiant health by any means.
While I prefer to keep taking the Vitamin C, there are some problems.

(1). Speeding up eliminations may result in poor assimilation.
(2). I read a magazine article (a popular type magazine, not
     a respectable scientific one) at the local gym that said
     megadoses of Vitamin C may result in poor assimilation of
     iron.

As this problem is of great interest to me, I would like to
hear about others knowledge of/experience with Vitamin C. And
what does "burn it up at R17" mean? I have no formal medical
education or training ...

Thanks,
	  -Tom

ps- Are there any new developments on the Linus Pauling/Vitamin
    C versus Cancer front? My grandfather's brother who was an
    aerospace engineer died of cancer recently. I gave him a
    copy of Pauling's book but he didn't think much of it,
    and didn't follow its advice.