Hi Beenthere,
the theory that Vit C boosts your defenses was initially proposed some 35 years ago by Linus Pauling, Nobel laureate in Chemistry. I has never been disproved, however it hasn’t been conclusively proved, either. Pauling got lots of flack from the medical community because of his theory, but stood by it the rest of his long life. He took up to 30 grams of C, with no adverse effects and recommended a dose between 5 and 10 grams. He claimed never to get sick and lived a very healthy life well into his 90’s, as I recall.
There are many studies that suggests Vit C does improve your immune system. I’m a believer, one of the reasons I take it. However, there are many factors that determine immunological response. Good health, not only physically but -of great importance- mentally is a strong factor. Today, it’s well known that macrophages (white blood cells that eat away foreign matter, germs,bacteria, viruses, etc.) are slower in depressed individuals, for instance. Exposure to chemicals and other contaminants, certain germs (HIV, most notably) can have an adverse effect on it.
It is of great importance to take Vit E, C and A (as betacarotene) together in order to get the full antioxidant effect. As a matter of fact, the main antioxidant is E, but it oxidizes too easily, so C and A protect it from oxidizing by binding to oxygen free radicals first. It is true that E is a blood thinner; however, E is a fundamental component of lipoproteins and lipoproteins are part of all cellular membranes in the human body. So, keeping E from oxidizing first, assures a good supply of it for building new tissue, including vascular tissue and that of the dick. Also, it has a strong protecting activity of vascular linings against free radicals. There are studies that show that it not only prevents heart disease, but also reverts it. Today, doctors routinely prescribe up to 3,000 IU of Vit E in cardiac patients for this reason. Hence, I think that these mechanisms of action of Vit E offset the possible complications of the thinning of blood, even more if combined with C.
There is a theory that cancer is caused -at least in some degree- by free radicals. According to it, free radicals (atoms of Oxygen) bind to healthy cells damaging their DNA (a similar -but not the same- mechanism as in vascular damage), thus creating cancerous cells. Again, the oxidizing properties of Vit E, C and A help prevent oxidation of healthy cells, this is the reason they are called antioxidants. But again, taken together. Other antioxidant commonly believed to be useful in cancer prevention is Selenium, that’s why there are many formulas in the market that combine it with E.
Regarding the action of Vit C, and in my opinion highly pertaining to vascular protection, is the supplementation with Bioflavonoids, generally found in the peel of citrus, grapes, green tea, etc.. They’re also very powerful antioxidants and vascular protectors. There are actual prescription medications for vascular disease that contain (Daflon, i.e.).
Whatever supplementation you take, it is just that supplementation, meaning added to something else, and that something else is a sensible diet rich in fruits and vegetables that already contain these nutrients. This is especially critical but not restricted to Vit C and Bioflavonoids, so think of adding the zest of lemon to your lemonade, which gives it excellent taste.
Take care,
