Vitamin C causes body to RUST?

ZoMbSta

Member
Awards
0
Here's some food for thought for those who increase their vitamin C dosage during injury and illness:

Body May Rust Inside If Vitamin C Over Maximum Dose

If you have a bruise, a muscle sprain, an inflammatory disease or if you take iron supplements, exceeding 100 mg per day of vitamin C may be damaging to your body, according to a study by University of Florida researchers.

That's because all of those conditions produce free iron, which reacts negatively with vitamin C in much the same way that the iron on bicycles and fences reacts with water and oxygen.

"You will rust inside, so to speak," said Christiaan Leeuwenburgh, the senior author and an assistant professor in UF's department of exercise and sport sciences.

In a study published this month in the journal Free Radical Biology and Medicine, several UF researchers worked with renowned vitamin C expert Barry Halliwell to test the effects of vitamin C and N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC, another water-soluble antioxidant) at the cellular level.

In this study, the researchers began with the hypothesis that vitamin C and NAC would speed the recovery of a muscle injury because of their anti-oxidant properties and ability to reach damaged cells quickly.
Fourteen healthy men volunteered to have one of their arms injured by a machine that ruptured their bicep muscles and created swelling. Researchers then gave half of them a placebo and the other half a drink supplemented with about 700 mg of vitamin C and 800 mg of NAC.

"Initially, the vitamin C and NAC were given to prevent the injury, because we thought they'd have protective effects," Leeuwenburgh said. "Instead, they were damaging."

Leeuwenburgh attributes the damaging effects of the vitamin C and NAC to their reaction with iron in the body. Normally, iron is bound to proteins and enzymes and therefore can't react with vitamin C and NAC.

But when inflammation occurs -- as it does in muscular injuries and a variety of diseases such as Alzheimer's, arthritis and cardiovascular disease -- the body releases more free iron, which is highly reactive to outside elements -- in this case, vitamin C and NAC. Indeed, the researchers showed that there were increases in free iron following this type of exercise.

"Vitamin C isn't bad, and neither is NAC, but by some mechanism in this situation there were some pro-oxidant effects of supplementation," said April Childs, a graduate student in the department of exercise and sport sciences and the lead author of the study.

And although Leeuwenburgh says people who have taken vitamin C or NAC in the past shouldn't worry too much about the new finding, he recommends caution in supplementing vitamin C in doses greater than 100 mg after injuries or disease condition characterized by increases in free iron.

"People should limit their vitamin C intake until we know more," he said. "Everyone agrees that after 80 to 90 milligrams, about the recommended daily allowance, it goes out of your body since measurements show that white blood cells are saturated completely after this dose. You'd think that if it goes out of your body it isn't harmful, but maybe the high transient levels do react in a negative way. There's no benefit to taking more than the RDA, and it could actually harm you."

Furthermore, he said, "Vitamin C is believed to prevent cancer, but instead, it may be damaging. Studies performed in humans actually show that it may increase DNA damage."

Because vitamin C and NAC in the body appear to react most negatively with iron, Leeuwenburgh said, those with inflammatory diseases and those who take more than the recommended daily allowance of iron should be particularly vigilant about limiting their vitamin C and NAC intake.

"If you're taking more than the RDA of iron, you're putting yourself at risk by taking more than the RDA of vitamin C or NAC at the same time," Leeuwenburgh said. "Iron is very important in preventing anemia. So many people -- particularly women -- are supplementing, and the effects of supplementing iron and vitamin C for long periods have not been adequately studied.

"Therefore, to supplement vitamin C and iron together may be damaging. Further studies are required to fully understand the antioxidant and pro-oxidant nature of vitamin C," Leeuwenburgh concluded.

[Contact: Christiaan Leeuwenburgh, Kristin Harmel]



27-Sep-2001

Body May Rust Inside If Vitamin C Over Maximum Dose
 

GreenTempo

Board Supporter
Awards
0
Anyone smarter than me have any imput on this?? I regularly megadose vitamin C at 2-3 grams a day....
 
Dagron

Dagron

Member
Awards
0
Sounds like a buncha hogwash to me. 80 - 90 mg recommended per day of Vitamin C? You've got to be ****ting me.
 

GreenTempo

Board Supporter
Awards
0
Thats what I thought too, I've never heard a recomended amonut that low.
 

ZoMbSta

Member
Awards
0
LOL..my daily multis already have 150mg...anybody care to debuke this?
 
bulls**t

bulls**t

Member
Awards
1
  • Established
Who makes bicep rupturing machines, and who volunteers for something like that?
 
natiels

natiels

Board Supporter
Awards
0
Seems odd that they never really went into details on the "damage" that was caused.
 
king1033

king1033

Active member
Awards
1
  • Established
OH NO!!! i guess we cant eat ANY FRUIT ANYMORE (give me a break)
 
CrzyHrse

CrzyHrse

New member
Awards
0
Let me guess.......this study was sponsored by some big pharma company, right? They want to make it to where we can only get our vitamins by prescription so they can profit from it. Hence, the conclusion of -
"There's no benefit to taking more than the RDA, and it could actually harm you."

Yeah right!
 
bigrobbierob

bigrobbierob

Active member
Awards
1
  • Established
:think:

The RDA is the minimum of the compound needed to prevent health issues.
 
MuscleGuyinNY

MuscleGuyinNY

Banned
Awards
1
  • Established
The acidity apparently burns the enamel from your teeth as well. I'm sure that excessive and constant amounts of Vitamin C over long periods of time would, but I don't know anyone who constantly consumes it. Soda would do the same thing.
 
jpk

jpk

Member
Awards
0
I hear the DEA busted a big Vitamin C lab recently and threw the perps in jail for life.
 
king1033

king1033

Active member
Awards
1
  • Established
lol this thread should be deleted so it doesnt throw off gullible people
 
natiels

natiels

Board Supporter
Awards
0
The acidity apparently burns the enamel from your teeth as well. I'm sure that excessive and constant amounts of Vitamin C over long periods of time would, but I don't know anyone who constantly consumes it. Soda would do the same thing.
I have heard that too, but I wonder if it is really worse then say, a can of coke. Probably really doesnt matter tho since you would have to be chewing all your vit C for this to even be an issue.
 

diminuendo

Board Supporter
Awards
1
  • Established
Any antioxidant becomes, by definition, oxidative at some threshold. Oxidation, fire and rust are all essentially the same thing. I don't know f^%$ all about "free iron" though. Doesn't seem to make a whole lot of sense though.
 
Force of Green

Force of Green

Well-known member
Awards
1
  • Established
Death to the pharmaceutical companies!
 
eatingisfun

eatingisfun

Active member
Awards
1
  • Established
Makes some sense in theory but really it seems to only be a problem if you have high iron which isn't a problem for most people.
 

IainDaniel

Member
Awards
0
Ah so that whole 5 grams of Iron spread through out the body will all the sudden cause everything to rust?
 

IainDaniel

Member
Awards
0
What is even funnier is that Vitamin C is required to help absorb Iron.
 

ftchef

New member
Awards
0
Guess I'm screwed with 1000mg 2x aday.... just call me tin man
 

AlexParty

Yari Ka Daw!
Awards
1
  • Established
In Europe, for some time, they use to dose 10,000mg to cure illnesses!!!! Obviously that's insane but Vitamin C is non-toxic and your body pisses out the rest of whatever you don't use so for your body to rust off an Anti-Oxidant does not make sense even after studies.
 
Iron Warrior

Iron Warrior

Registered User
Awards
1
  • Established
Linus Paulding (Noble prize winner) used 10 grams daily and he was fine :) Anti-oxidant actually prevent "rusting" of the cells.
 

AlexParty

Yari Ka Daw!
Awards
1
  • Established
Linus Paulding (Noble prize winner) used 10 grams daily and he was fine :) Anti-oxidant actually prevent "rusting" of the cells.
Nice reference. It just doesn't make sense that an anti-oxidant would so damage to your body? It's like saying protein breaks down muscle, it just doesn't make sense.
 

Vinny

Member
Awards
0
Let me guess.......this study was sponsored by some big pharma company, right? They want to make it to where we can only get our vitamins by prescription so they can profit from it. Hence, the conclusion of -
"There's no benefit to taking more than the RDA, and it could actually harm you."

Yeah right!

I myself have no idea if the article is legit or not and than again studies change all the time so it could be though I myself doubt it .
HOWEVER your right about the Pharm industry HATING vit C infact they hate ALL vitamins.
They make no money from supplements-certainly cant patent them and have a long history with their lobbyiest trying to remove natural supplements.
They have a vested interest in people getting sick ,not being able to sleep,etc
Yrs ago L-tryptophan was removed due to bad batch coming in from over seas . It was the Pharm industrys lobbyiest who had it removed . Meanwhile that same yr many had all seriuos problems from sleeping aides these companies sold but that ofcourse was fine.
Pharmacy industry = pimps
Congress = whores OWNED by pimps
 
terminator

terminator

Member
Awards
0
LMAO with this article. When was it written, on April fools day?

First- Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) and NAC are anti-oxidants-

Rust is caused by oxidative stress and anti-oxidants reduce oxidative stress, not increase it.

Secondly- Who is stupid enough to have their biceps ruptured by a "bicep rupturing machine"? If you rupture your bicep, the last thing on your mind is taking some vitamin C and NAC. How in the world are you going to pick up a glass of water to swallow the Vitamin C and NAC?

Thanks for the laugh!
 
Grassroots082

Grassroots082

Board Supporter
Awards
1
  • Established
Nice reference. It just doesn't make sense that an anti-oxidant would so damage to your body? It's like saying protein breaks down muscle, it just doesn't make sense.
Anti-oxidants become pro-oxidants at excessive doses, therefore causing more harm than good. Vitamin C has a very high threshold though and it has been noted in this thread that doses from 10-100g are used in certain situations. WRT anti-o's more is not always better (i.e. CoQ10, NAC, ALCAR). Just something to keep in mind.
 

AlexParty

Yari Ka Daw!
Awards
1
  • Established
Anti-oxidants become pro-oxidants at excessive doses, therefore causing more harm than good. Vitamin C has a very high threshold though and it has been noted in this thread that doses from 10-100g are used in certain situations. WRT anti-o's more is not always better (i.e. CoQ10, NAC, ALCAR). Just something to keep in mind.
Vitamin C is non-toxic period.
 
Grassroots082

Grassroots082

Board Supporter
Awards
1
  • Established
Vitamin C is non-toxic period.
Alex, there is a difference between acute toxicity and oxidative stress. I suck at arguing on the internet and would rather not, but just because something isn't toxic, doesn't make it beneficial. If you read what I wrote, I didn't say it was toxic. But yes, Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) does have an LD50 and yes it can kill you... at what dose? We don't know, although you can find the LD50 of rats, and I shouldn't have even went there. The reason I responded is because you said it doesn't make sense that an anti-oxidant would damage your body and the answer is that it can.
 
Last edited:

AlexParty

Yari Ka Daw!
Awards
1
  • Established
Alex, there is a difference between acute toxicity and oxidative stress. I suck at arguing on the internet and would rather not, but just because something isn't toxic, doesn't make it beneficial. If you read what I wrote, I didn't say it was toxic. But yes, Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) does have an LD50 and yes it can kill you... at what dose? We don't know, although you can find the LD50 of rats, and I shouldn't have even went there. The reason I responded is because you said it doesn't make sense that an anti-oxidant would damage your body and the answer is that it can.
Sounds logical... I only take 1000mg 3 times a day so I'm good :)
 
BodyWizard

BodyWizard

Registered User
Awards
1
  • Established
:think:

The RDA is the minimum of the compound needed to prevent health issues.
And the health issues specifically prevented by the RDAs are vitamin deficiency diseases (plus a modest margin of error, to placate all us "food faddists").
 

krazy

Member
Awards
0
You think beer shits suck? Imagine rust shits. They're the WORST.
 

Similar threads


Top