For 70 years Vitamin C has been one of the biggest weapons in the skin care industry. It's used to make cleansers, moisturizers, lotions, masks, and serums. So what is this powerful vitamin? How can it benefit you? Why should you use serums that contain Vitamin C? We're here to answer all of those burning questions in this complete guide and reveal the many benefits Vitamin C serums offer for your skin.
What Are Vitamin C Serums?
There are many variations of Vitamin C, but the most popular is ascorbic acid, a common ingredient in skincare products. However, all the variations of Vitamin C have anti-inflammatory benefits.
Vitamin C Serums are products that contain a high level of Vitamin C. They're used to treat wrinkles, sagging skin, lighten dark or red spots, prevent breakouts and even your skin tone. Basically, they battle all of those annoying skin issues. There are loads of products out there that claim they'll save your skin, but some can cause damage. Vitamin C is one of the most revered ingredients and conclusive research has shown how effective it can be.
How Are Vitamin C Serums Made?
Well so far we've talked about how incredible Vitamin C is and it sounds like a dream come true doesn't it? It's not all good. In fact, the mighty vitamin is unstable when it's exposed to air and light. Other ingredients need to be used to stabilize it and allow it to deliver amazing results. The serums are combined with ferulic acid and Vitamin E. According to researchers the perfect mixture is 15% Vitamin C with 1% Vitamin E and 0.5% ferulic acid. This makes Vitamin C perform to the best of its abilities, without damaging your skin.
What Does Vitamin C Serum Do for Your Face?
Boosts Collagen Production: Collagen keeps your skin firm and prevents sagging. Environmental factors such as lifestyle choices and pollution can increase the elasticity of your skin, so it's important you try to increase your collagen production.
Hydrates Your Skin: Dry skin is a common issue, but Vitamin C can help to give your skin that much-needed moisture boost. Remember, it doesn't work immediately so you need to keep applying the serum to see results.
Brightens Your Complexion: Dark spots on your skin are caused by the overproduction of melanin. Vitamin C decreases the production and lightens the dark spots to even out your complexion.
Reduces Redness and Inflammation: Conditions such as Rosacea leave many people searching for a magic cure. Vitamin C helps facial redness and inflammation by reducing the appearance of broken capillaries.
Why Should You Be Using Vitamin C Serum?
Don't think Vitamin C serums are just beneficial for your face. They can also shield you from sun damage and reduce stretch marks.
Saves You From The Sun: Prolonged exposure to UV rays can cause long-term damage to your skin. Luckily, Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that reduces red sports and prevents sunburn from spreading.
Fades Acne Scars: Acne plagues most of us at some point and we look forward to being free. Most of us get stuck with some scars but Vitamin C helps to fade scars and even out any discoloration.
Reduces Stretch Marks: Yes, Vitamin C serum can even help prevent those unsightly stretch marks by tightening your skin.
Are you ready to change your skin? Add a Vitamin C serum to your beauty regimen and enjoy a glowing complexion.
Vitamin E is a compound that plays many important roles in your body and provides multiple health benefits. In order to maintain healthy levels of vitamin E, you need to ingest it through food or consume it as an oral supplement. Read on to find out which foods are recommended sources of this essential nutrient, along with other basics to know about vitamin E.
Vitamin E is classified as an antioxidant. This means that vitamin E helps to destroy harmful compounds called free radicals that can build up in your body. Free radicals cause damage to cells through oxidative stress, and they've been linked to aging and health problems such as cancer and heart disease. Getting enough vitamin E on a daily basis may help to combat these conditions by protecting the outer membranes of your cells from free radical damage.
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Vitamin E also plays an important role in your immune system and your body's ability to fight infection. At certain doses, vitamin E has been shown to stimulate the function of T cells — a type of cell that responds to pathogens that cause disease. Recent studies have shown that increasing your vitamin E intake may correlate with a stronger immune response and greater resistance to infection.
Vitamin E is present in the following whole foods:
As people age, their daily dosage recommendation for vitamin E increases. For these standard recommended daily doses, a healthy balanced diet is usually sufficient for getting the required amount of vitamin E:
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Birth to 6 months: 4 milligrams (mg)/day
1 to 12 months: 5 mg/day
1 to 3 years: 6mg/day
4 to 8 years: 7mg/day
9 to 13 years: 11mg/day
14+ years, including adults and seniors: 15mg/day
A person's age, gender and health conditions can help determine their recommended daily dose of vitamin E. Always consult a healthcare professional before altering your intake of vitamin E from the recommended daily dosage.
Taking Vitamin E Supplements
If it becomes necessary, such as if you become deficient in vitamin E, your doctor may advise you to start taking vitamin E supplements. Vitamin E supplements may come with some minor side effects if you take more than the recommended daily amount or if you combine these supplements with certain medications.
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For example, vitamin E may increase the risk of bleeding if you take it with anticoagulants (also called blood thinners) like warfarin. Other medications, like chemotherapy drugs and cholesterol-lowering drugs, have potential harmful interactions when combined with vitamin E supplements. Talk to a healthcare professional before introducing daily vitamin E supplements, and be sure to discuss current medications you're taking.
Signs of a Vitamin E Deficiency
Because most people are able to get a sufficient amount of vitamin E through their normal daily diet, vitamin E deficiency is rare and typically related to an underlying health issue. For example, because vitamin E is a fat-soluble nutrient, there's a risk for vitamin E deficiency in people whose bodies are unable to absorb fat properly. Premature infants may also become deficient in vitamin E.
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When vitamin E deficiency does occur, these are some of its common symptoms:
Muscle weakness
Unsteady gait
Nerve pain or numbness
Impaired vision
Vitamin E deficiency can be detected with a blood test. It typically resolves with minor changes in your diet or the addition of vitamin E supplements. It's important to address any out-of-range vitamin E levels with your doctor. Chronic deficiencies may prevent your immune system from functioning normally.
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Hepatitis is a condition that causes inflammation of your liver. Currently, there are an estimated 6 million people living with hepatitis in the United States, and more than 50,000 people are diagnosed with this disease every year. There are three primary types of hepatitis, and while their symptoms can be similar, they vary largely in the ways they're transmitted. Learning more about each type of hepatitis can help you better understand the condition as a whole.
Hepatitis A is the most easily transmitted of the three viruses. It affects approximately 2,500 people every year in the United States. It typically spreads through feces-contaminated food or water and is found in the feces of people who have the virus. Hepatitis A causes a short-term, acute sickness that most people heal from without treatment. However, it can cause serious illness in some people. This virus is more common in places with underdeveloped sanitation systems.
While doctors can't treat hepatitis A with medication, people who get this virus can manage its symptoms with fluids, rest and good nutrition. There's also a safe and effective vaccine available to protect you against hepatitis A.
What Is Hepatitis B?
Hepatitis B can occur both acutely (meaning it develops quickly and lasts a short time) and chronically (meaning it develops slowly over time and worsens over months or years). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, up to 2 million people in the United States are chronically affected with hepatitis B. Hepatitis B can be transmitted through sexual activity and exposure to infected blood. It can also be passed from a parent to their newborn child during birth.
Hepatitis B usually causes short-term discomfort that many people recover from completely after about four to eight weeks. However, it can turn into a chronic condition that lasts for years; this is more likely in older adults. Doctors can treat severe chronic hepatitis B with antiviral medications. However, in most cases, treatments focus on proper hydration and nutrition. There's a safe vaccine available to protect you against hepatitis B, too.
What Is Hepatitis C?
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Approximately 4 million people in the United States are affected with hepatitis C. This form of hepatitis causes a chronic illness in over 50% of people who get this type of the virus. It's the least transmissible of the three viruses and can spread through contact with infected blood.
Hepatitis C occurs more commonly in people who engage in intravenous drug use. If you received a blood transfusion before 1992, you should also get tested for hepatitis C if you haven't previously. Hepatitis C can spread through unprotected sexual intercourse, but this is a less common way to transmit it. While there's no vaccine for chronic hepatitis C, treatments that are available today offer a 95% cure rate.
Chronic hepatitis C can significantly affect how your liver works. It can cause cirrhosis, which means that your normal liver tissue is replaced with scar tissue. It can also cause liver cancer. However, there are medications that can help keep this disease in check. Making lifestyle changes, such as reducing or eliminating alcohol from your diet, can also decrease your chances of experiencing complications. In severe cases, hepatitis C may require a liver transplant.
The varying forms of viral hepatitis affect millions of people in the United States. Chronic hepatitis often has few symptoms in its early stages, so recognizing the associated dangers and getting tested if you've been exposed may save your life. Although there are five types of viral hepatitis, only A, B and C are the forms commonly found in the United States.
Resource Links:
"Hepatitis A, B, and C: Learn the Differences," Immunization Action Coalition
"What's the Difference Between Hepatitis A, B and C?," UNC Health Talk
"The ABCs of Hepatitis," Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
"What's the Difference: Hepatitis B vs Hepatitis C?," Hepatitis B Foundation
Whether in the form of a fizzy drink or flavored lozenges, cold and flu preventative supplements almost always highlight vitamin C as one of their key ingredients. So, what's so magical about vitamin C? Also known as ascorbic acid, vitamin C is critical to living healthily. Since the human body cannot spontaneously generate this nutrient, vitamin C must instead be absorbed from outside sources, such as vitamin supplements or foods that are naturally rich in it.
Commonly found in cold and flu preventative supplements, vitamin C strengthens and speeds up immune system functionality. Though research does not indicate that vitamin C intake alone can prevent the onset of cold or flu, adequate daily intake may shorten the duration of an infection or lessen the severity of symptoms.
Vitamin C is crucial for the maintenance of well being. For example, it plays a role in wound healing and helps maintain many essential body tissues. It also acts as a potent antioxidant and can repair damage from free radicals, which are linked to aging effects, and disease vulnerability. Additionally, vitamin C can also prevent anemia, since it helps the body increase absorption of dietary iron, another vital mineral that the body cannot spontaneously create.
Foods that contain high concentrations of vitamin C have been linked with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, like heart attack and stroke. Vitamin C can also increase levels of nitric oxide, a compound that widens blood vessels and, in turn, lowers blood pressure. In addition, regular intake of vitamin C, along with other vitamins, has been linked to a decreased risk for developing age-related cataracts, a leading cause of visual impairment in the United States.
Common Sources of Vitamin C
Vitamin C can be easily obtained through the many different foods, including:
Citrus fruits and juices (orange, grapefruit, lemon, lime and tangerine)
Berries
Melons
Mangoes
Kiwi
Tomato
Broccoli
Red peppers
Spinach
Squash
Potatoes
Cooking these foods may result in the loss of some of the vitamin content, so it is ideal to ingest them raw, either whole or juiced. Nowadays, there are also numerous packaged food products, like cereals, that have been enriched and fortified with vitamin C, so that the nutrient can be easily obtained.
Vitamin C may also be labeled as "L-ascorbic acid" in supplement form, and most over-the-counter multivitamins contain the recommended daily amount of the vitamin. While it is a good source when an individual is in need of a vitamin C boost, supplements are not meant to replace a diet rich in naturally derived vitamin C.
What Happens When You Have Too Much — or Too Little — Vitamin C?
Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin that can be easily flushed out of the body via urination when it is not needed. Therefore, if the main source of vitamin C is from naturally occurring foods, it is near-impossible for excess vitamin C to produce side effects. However, taking excessive concentrated vitamin C supplements may lead to diarrhea or stomach upset.
Since vitamin C-rich foods are so readily available nowadays, symptoms of inadequate vitamin C intake are also rare in the United States. However, malnourished individuals can experience symptoms of vitamin C deficiency over time, including:
Weakness
Fatigue
Anemia
Easy bruising
Joint pain
Skin breakdown
Weakened tooth enamel
Gum inflammation
Severe vitamin C deficiency is referred to as scurvy. Scurvy can be easily treated with increased dietary or supplemental vitamin C. Since vitamin C is crucial in the detoxification of the body, a lack of vitamin C can compromise the immune system and make an individual more susceptible to diseases and infections. Individuals with insufficient vitamin C may find that it takes longer than usual to recover from a cold or a physical wound.
Daily Dosage Recommendations:
The daily dosage recommendation for vitamin C is different for everyone, depending on factors such as gender, age, lifestyle and current health condition. The recommended daily dosage for vitamin C is at least 75 mg daily for women and 90 mg for men. Since people who are pregnant, breast feeding, smoking or using oral contraceptives have a lower blood level of vitamin C than others, larger doses of vitamin C may be needed to achieve optimal results in these individuals. Those who have prior or current medical conditions may also require bigger or smaller dosage levels, as recommended by their healthcare providers.
Resource Links:
"Vitamin C" via MedlinePlus
"Vitamin C and Infections" via MDPI
"Extra Dose of Vitamin C Based on a Daily Supplementation Shortens the Common Cold: A Meta-Analysis of 9 Randomized Controlled Trials" via Hindawi, BioMed Research International
"Vitamin C" via National Institutes of Health
"Scurvy" via U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, National Institutes of Health
"Dietary intake and blood concentrations of antioxidants and the risk of cardiovascular disease, total cancer, and all-cause mortality: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of prospective studies" via The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
"Dietary vitamin and carotenoid intake and risk of age-related cataract" via The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
"Cardiovascular System" via Department of Anatomy, Seoul National University College of Medicine (via Springer)
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Hepatitis is a condition that causes inflammation of your liver. Currently, there are an estimated 6 million people living with hepatitis in the United States, and more than 50,000 people are diagnosed with this disease every year. There are three primary types of hepatitis, and while their symptoms can be similar, they vary largely in the ways they're transmitted. Learning more about each type of hepatitis can help you better understand the condition as a whole.
Hepatitis A is the most easily transmitted of the three viruses. It affects approximately 2,500 people every year in the United States. It typically spreads through feces-contaminated food or water and is found in the feces of people who have the virus. Hepatitis A causes a short-term, acute sickness that most people heal from without treatment. However, it can cause serious illness in some people. This virus is more common in places with underdeveloped sanitation systems.
While doctors can't treat hepatitis A with medication, people who get this virus can manage its symptoms with fluids, rest and good nutrition. There's also a safe and effective vaccine available to protect you against hepatitis A.
What Is Hepatitis B?
Hepatitis B can occur both acutely (meaning it develops quickly and lasts a short time) and chronically (meaning it develops slowly over time and worsens over months or years). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, up to 2 million people in the United States are chronically affected with hepatitis B. Hepatitis B can be transmitted through sexual activity and exposure to infected blood. It can also be passed from a parent to their newborn child during birth.
Hepatitis B usually causes short-term discomfort that many people recover from completely after about four to eight weeks. However, it can turn into a chronic condition that lasts for years; this is more likely in older adults. Doctors can treat severe chronic hepatitis B with antiviral medications. However, in most cases, treatments focus on proper hydration and nutrition. There's a safe vaccine available to protect you against hepatitis B, too.
What Is Hepatitis C?
Photo Courtesy: BSIP/Getty Images
Approximately 4 million people in the United States are affected with hepatitis C. This form of hepatitis causes a chronic illness in over 50% of people who get this type of the virus. It's the least transmissible of the three viruses and can spread through contact with infected blood.
Hepatitis C occurs more commonly in people who engage in intravenous drug use. If you received a blood transfusion before 1992, you should also get tested for hepatitis C if you haven't previously. Hepatitis C can spread through unprotected sexual intercourse, but this is a less common way to transmit it. While there's no vaccine for chronic hepatitis C, treatments that are available today offer a 95% cure rate.
Chronic hepatitis C can significantly affect how your liver works. It can cause cirrhosis, which means that your normal liver tissue is replaced with scar tissue. It can also cause liver cancer. However, there are medications that can help keep this disease in check. Making lifestyle changes, such as reducing or eliminating alcohol from your diet, can also decrease your chances of experiencing complications. In severe cases, hepatitis C may require a liver transplant.
The varying forms of viral hepatitis affect millions of people in the United States. Chronic hepatitis often has few symptoms in its early stages, so recognizing the associated dangers and getting tested if you've been exposed may save your life. Although there are five types of viral hepatitis, only A, B and C are the forms commonly found in the United States.
Resource Links:
"Hepatitis A, B, and C: Learn the Differences," Immunization Action Coalition
"What's the Difference Between Hepatitis A, B and C?," UNC Health Talk
"The ABCs of Hepatitis," Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
"What's the Difference: Hepatitis B vs Hepatitis C?," Hepatitis B Foundation
Nearly 2 million American adults each year are diagnosed with cancer. If you receive a diagnosis, your schedule can quickly start to fill up with doctor's appointments, medical procedures and pharmacy visits. Creating a checklist of things to do can help keep you busy and feeling more in control. But acknowledging the effects a cancer diagnosis can have on your emotions — and healthily managing those emotions — is almost as important.
Doctors and psychologists now recognize that healing improves after a diagnosis when both our physical and emotional needs are met, says Niki Barr, Ph.D., a psychotherapist at the Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders in Texas, who consults with medical doctors, extended families and caregivers about emotionally coping with a cancer diagnosis.
Learning you have cancer is a stressful experience, and it's important to acknowledge and cope with that stress. Fully understanding how your emotional needs can change after you receive a cancer diagnosis can go a long way in helping you and your family heal. The tips here can help you support your mental health as you navigate your diagnosis and treatment.
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Upon hearing your diagnosis, you might experience grief, fear or even a feeling of denial until some time has passed. "These are all normal and emotionally healthy responses, but it's all too easy to spiral out of control with fear in the beginning," says Barr. Fortunately, these tips can help you manage the anxiety and fear that come along with learning about a cancer diagnosis.
Lessen the Impact of Anxious Thoughts
Start by writing your thoughts down on note cards or in a journal. Identify the first one that's leading you to feel uneasy. For example, you might write down something like "I'm afraid of my hair falling out." Then, move onto the subsequent fear and write it down. That might be something like "People will treat me differently if they see I have cancer."
When you've identified most of your anxious thoughts, go back to the first one and write something new on the card that can help ease your stress. It should be a thought that's confident and empowering. For example, suppose you're worried about your hair falling out. In that case, a positive view could be: "I've been looking forward to getting a new hairstyle anyway." When you're feeling nervous, read the more positive strategies, says Barr.
Work On Your Internal Dialogue
It can also help to defuse all those "What if?" questions you might ask yourself, such as "What if my cancer has spread?" or "What if the treatment doesn't work?" One scary question tends to lead to another and often turns into full-fledged anxiety. Try to focus on those things you have the power to improve on your own. The next time you start asking yourself the what-ifs, substitute the upsetting ideas with this one: "Is this thought helping me or hurting me?" You can also ask, "Is this thought moving me forward or backward?" Your answers might surprise you, and they can help you move away from the thoughts that are holding you back.
Get Grounded
Interrupting periods of anxiety by focusing on small details around you can help you shift your perspective away from negativity and towards the present moment. "Look at the beautiful color of the walls in the room you're in; look at the person you're talking to, the clothes [they're] wearing," Barr suggests. Becoming very present and focused on physical details nearby helps soothe sudden anxious thoughts. Turn your focus towards absorbing the colors, smells, people and each new sound around you. Build those sensations up very clearly in your mind. You can use this technique as a distraction tool the next time you're waiting for a medical procedure or want a diversion from your thoughts.
Meditate to Music
Research shows that 15 to 30 minutes of both guided imagery and soothing tunes can alleviate deep feelings of stress about a cancer diagnosis. The Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA) reviewed 30 clinical cancer trials that analyzed more than 1,890 cancer patients. They found that music therapy can have a beneficial effect on anxiety, pain, mood, quality of life, heart rate, respiratory rate and blood pressure.
The CTCA also offers many classes and therapies to help people relax, reduce stress and improve their quality of life as part of an extensive mind-body medicine program. Many centers provide calming background music during healing therapies.
What Are Your Next Steps?
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You have a cancer diagnosis: Now what? Learning how to clear your mind and focus on positive thoughts is a helpful step in the right direction. Here are other soul-soothing strategies you can try.
Start Journaling and Reflecting
Research published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology has shown that expressing your innermost feelings can reduce stress and have a range of other emotional and social benefits. Researchers aren't sure why putting thoughts down on paper is effective. Still, it allows you to process complex emotions and help you chart a way forward, whether you've been diagnosed with cancer or are taking care of someone who has.
Exercise When Possible
Exercising for 2.5 hours per week can help you beat symptoms of depression and fatigue. Among the nation's millions of cancer survivors, there are hints — but not proof yet — that active exercisers may lower their risk of their cancer coming back.
The American College of Sports Medicine hosted a medical panel of cancer specialists to evaluate this exercise evidence. It issued guidelines suggesting that cancer patients and survivors should exercise for about 30 minutes most days of the week. This exercise should be enjoyable to you but also build up a sweat. When patients and their family caregivers exercised together, research found, everyone was more likely to stick with the fitness regimen, boost their physical stamina and experience less emotional strain.
Strengthen Your Social Support System
Connecting with others who've been through this kind of emotional diagnosis already can be a source of comfort and support. Learn more about online communities and your local chapters and support groups that meet up. The American Cancer Society also suggests attending one-on-one professional therapy or its "I Can Cope" online support groups to learn more.
Resource Links:
Find Local Cancer Support Programs | Cancer Support Groups
Strategies Used in Coping With a Cancer Diagnosis Predict Meaning in Life for Survivors
Coping Well with Advanced Cancer: A Serial Qualitative Interview Study with Patients and Family Carers
Coping with cancer
Coping Attitudes of Cancer Patients and Their Caregivers and Quality of Life of Caregivers
Megadosis de Vitamina Chttps://institutoeuropeo.es/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Megadosis-de-vitamina-C.jpg736368Instituto Europeo de Salud y Bienestar Social//institutoeuropeo.es/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/favicon.png
"Solo vive el que sabe" así de claro lo afirmaba Baltasar Gracián. Nos encontramos que lamentablemente el hombre no produce vitamina C. Sin embargo, todos los animales producen diariamente entre 3 y 11 gramos de la misma, es decir una cantidad 80 veces mayor que la dosis diaria establecida para los seres humanos. Lástima que no la "fabrique" el ser humano, ya que carece de la enzima l-gulonolactona oxidasa que es capaz de catalizar la conversión de la glucosa en vitamina C. Y esto es debido a que el gen para esta enzima es defectuoso. Por el contrario, el verdadero paradigma es el cerdo que sintetiza 10 gramos diarios y por ello puede meter el hocico en todo, sin infectarse, ya que la vitamina C mejora el sistema inmunológico. Parafraseando a Cicerón, "no basta con alcanzar la sabiduría, es necesario saber utilizarla".
Aumentar las defensas: la armada invencible
La vitamina C aumenta la resistencia a la infección mediante una serie de efectos cuyo mecanismo de acción no está del todo dilucidado: aumenta la actividad inmunológica de los linfocitos, aumenta la producción de interferón y aumenta la integridad de las membranas mucosas. De hecho, los animales que viven en contacto con las basuras, tomando aguas contaminadas y alimentos en descomposición, tienen una menor tasa de enfermedades que el ser humano porque tienen la protección que necesitan, ya que sus organismos producen vitamina C frente a condiciones de estrés como medio de detoxificación. Sin embargo, como diría Isaac Newton, "lo que sabes es una gota de agua; lo que ignoramos es el océano."
Funciones y propiedades
A John Lenon siempre lo tengo presente y recuerdo que decía que"la vida es aquello que te va sucediendo mientras te empeñas en seguir haciendo otros planes".A pesar de todo es necesario saber que es una vitamina hidrosoluble, y su exceso es fácilmente eliminado en la orina. Las dos principales funciones de la vitamina C son actuar como antioxidante y como cofactor de enzimas. También llamado ácido ascórbico, tiene propiedades de oxidación-reducción. De hecho, actúa como cofactor esencial en al menos 8 reacciones enzimáticas, como por ejemplo en la biosíntesis del colágeno, carnitina y catecolaminas. Tres de ellas están implicadas en las hidroxilaciones de la lisina/prolina, dos en la biosíntesis de la carnitina, dos en la síntesis de hormonas y una en el metabolismo de la tirosina. De todas estas, la mejor estudiada es la hidroxilación de la prolina para formar la hidroxiprolina necesaria para la síntesis de colágeno, la proteína más importante en los tejidos de sostén (cartílagos, matriz ósea, ligamentos, piel, tendones, etc.). La alteración de esta función, en la que la vitamina C mantiene el hierro en un estado reducido (Fe++) se manifiesta por una serie de síntomas que van desde la dificultad para cicatrizar o reparar fracturas, hasta hemorragias en la piel y lesiones en las encías. En definitiva, como diría Jorge de Santayana, "la vida no se ha hecho para comprenderla, sino para vivirla".
Asimismo, el ácido ascórbico participa en la síntesis de dos de las hormonas producidas por las glándulas suprarrenales. Por otra parte, el ácido ascórbico puede reaccionar fácilmente con radicales libres actuando como antioxidante y pasando el mismo a ser un radical ascorbilo que rápidamente se descompone para producir ácido ascórbico y ácido dehidroascórbido. Mediante estas reacciones, la vitamina C captura radicales libres potencialmente tóxicos como los radicales superóxido o hidroxilos y regenera el tocoferol a partir de los radicales tocoferilo, pero como diría Voltaire "la dicha no es más que un sueño, y el dolor, la realidad".
En 1941, el cardiólogo canadiense J. C. Patterson constató que más del 80% de sus pacientes con enfermedad coronaria tenía bajos niveles sanguíneos de vitamina C. Asimismo, el Dr. G. C. Willis, en 1955, demostró que la suplementación con vitamina C reduce los depósitos arteriales de placa. También Cameron y Douglas, demostraron que el incremento de Vitamina C estimula las células normales a producir cantidades aumentadas de un "inhibidor de la hialuronidasa", que impide la destrucción de la matriz extracelular. Además Huges demostró que la Vitamina C es un cofactor esencial para la formación de carnitina. Por este motivo, siempre que tengo delante a un paciente recuerdo lo que decía Alejandro Dumas "los peligros desconocidos son los que inspiran más temor".
Beneficios
Parafraseando a Jules de Gaultier "en el punto donde se detiene la ciencia empieza la imaginación". Pero sí hay evidencias de sus beneficios:
Acelera el proceso de curación de heridas, lesiones y quemaduras.
Tiene un papel esencial en la formación de colágeno.
Refuerza el sistema inmune.
Evita el envejecimiento prematuro.
Contribuye a prevenir la arterioesclerosis.
Ayuda en los movimientos articulares.
Mejora el estado de la piel y protege el tejido conectivo.
Efectos adversos minimizables.
Como decía Tito Livio "el miedo siempre está dispuesto a ver las cosas peor de lo que son", pero los únicos efectos adversos que se pueden producir después de dosis altas de vitamina C son diarrea y molestias gastrointestinales, que se pueden evitar subiendo progresivamente las dosis. Por otro lado, y aunque teóricamente las dosis masivas de vitamina C podrían ocasionar cálculos renales, los estudios clínicos realizados solo han demostrado una ligera oxaluria en los pacientes tratados con dosis elevadas de ácido ascórbico. Sin embargo, se recomienda prudencia en los casos en que haya historia de cálculos renales, y también está contraindicada en embarazadas. Asimismo, el exceso de ácido ascórbico eliminado en la orina puede falsear los resultados de la glucosa, dando falsos positivos. El arte de la medicina se basa en seleccionar bien al paciente. Y como diría Nietzsche "lo que no te mata te hace más fuerte".
Influencia del stress
La producción de esta vitamina en los organismos está relacionada con el nivel de estrés. Desde el punto de vista bioquímico uno de los componentes fundamentales del estrés es el estado de oxidoreducción alterado en los tejidos. Casi toda enfermedad cursa con esta alteración. Mientras en situaciones de calma el hombre no produce nada, un ratón fabrica de 2 – 4 gramos diarios de ácido ascórbico y en condiciones de stress llega a producir hasta 15 gramos diarios, y esto es una de las grandes diferencias entre nosotros y los ratones, y como diría Sócrates, "el grado sumo del saber es el contemplar el por qué". La excreción urinaria de ascorbato disminuye en gran medida bajo estrés a menos que la vitamina C se provea en grandes cantidades, y como diría Einstein "es de gran alivio conocer las propias limitaciones".
El premio Nobel entusiasta de las dosis masivas: Linus Pauling
En este sentido me fascinan todos los estudios realizados por Linus Pauling, premio Nobel de Química (1954) y premio Nobel de la Paz (1962), que ha constatado los siguientes hechos:
Más del 80 % de los pacientes con enfermedad coronaria tienen deficiencia de vitamina C.
La suplementación de vitamina C reduce los depósitos de placa en las arterias.
Los animales que producen vitamina C no sufren enfermedad coronaria.
El cerdo de Guinea que no produce vitamina C, sufre el mismo tipo de lesiones vasculares que causa el infarto en los humanos.
Una deficiencia severa de vitamina C ha sido conocida durante siglos como escorbuto, una enfermedad con graves consecuencias.
En 1970 Linus Pauling publicó su primer libro sobre la vitamina C, y esto motivó, en esos años, que el consumo de esta vitamina en los Estados Unidos se incrementará en un 300%. La mortalidad por enfermedad cardíaca disminuyó un 30% solamente en este país. No se ha documentado otro cambio sustancial en la dieta de los norteamericanos que justifique este hecho.
En 1989, Linus Pauling y Mathias Rath descubrieron que las megadosis de vitamina C previenen el depósito de lipoproteína A en las paredes arteriales.
En este sentido, Linus Pauling revisó la literatura sobre la vitamina C y emprendió la cruzada para divulgar sus beneficios en la práctica clínica. Pero la idea que promovió Linus Pauling de elevar la dosis de vitamina C de forma prolongada para prevenir varias enfermedades, así como su posible papel en la prevención de la arteriosclerosis, siempre fueron causa de controversia. Sin embargo, científicos de Linus Pauling Institute, dependiente de la Universidad Estatal de Oregón, siguen realizando numerosas investigaciones para encontrar evidencias científicas, y como decía Louis Pasteur, "Si no conozco una cosa, la investigaré".
Alimentos ricos en Vitamina C: dosis mínimas esenciales
Lo recomendable es ingerir al menos 60 mg de vitamina C. Para ello, la podemos encontrar en gran cantidad de frutas como fresas, grosellas, frambuesas, moras, arándanos, cítricos (naranja, limón, pomelo), kiwi, papaya o tomate. También está presente en verduras y hortalizas como pimiento, col, col de Bruselas, nabo, rábano, patatas o perejil crudo. Y como decía Leonardo Da Vinci, "la sabiduría es hija de la experiencia".
Si en tus desayunos sustituyes las grasas trans de la bollería industrial por frutas, verduras y hortalizas con alto contenido en vitamina C, observarás como cambia tu energía, mejora tu vitalidad y se refuerza tu memoria.
Por estas razones cuando se usa en las dosis adecuadas esta vitamina altera notablemente el curso de muchas enfermedades, y si lo que pretendes es vivir más y mejor aplica el pensamiento de Marilyn Monroe: "la vida es corta… sonríele a quien llora, ignora a quien te critica y sé feliz con quien te importa".
Uso oral
Lo ideal es consumir la vitamina C liposomal. La protección de los liposomas que envuelven la molécula de vitamina C ayuda a atravesar la barrera intestinal y, de esta manera, el cuerpo puede absorber dosis más altas. En una palabra, la vitamina C liposomal es un 241% más asimilada y, por lo tanto, más potente que la vitamina C clásica. Se puede aumentar progresivamente la dosis para evitar posibles efectos adversos, pero recuerda siempre a Marcel Proust que decía que "nuestro corazón tiene la edad de aquellos que ama".
Uso endovenoso
Muchos grandes investigadores han señalado el beneficio del uso endovenoso en altas dosis, y el doctor Fred Klenner ha sido el pionero. De hecho, descubrió que las infecciones virales agudas podrían curarse con ácido ascórbico intravenoso en dosis masivas; se puede oscilar entre 50-100 gramos. Irwin Stone destacó el potencial de la vitamina C en el tratamiento de muchas enfermedades crónicas, la incapacidad de humanos para sintetizar el ascorbato y el estado resultante de la hipoascorbemia. Personalmente, las he experimentado y son una verdadera explosión de vitalidad. Llegados a este punto, me viene a la memoria la genialidad de Jean-Jacques Rousseau que decía"el hombre que más ha vivido no es aquel que más años ha cumplido, sino aquel que más ha experimentado la vida".
Uso vía tópica
La vitamina C es considerada un antioxidante poderoso, protector de la fase acuosa de la piel. Su absorción sistémica asegura niveles muy bajos en la piel, por lo que su uso por vía tópica representa una vía de llegada más directa y eficaz para ejercer su acción. La vitamina C tópica tiene los siguientes efectos a nivel de la piel: estimulación de la síntesis de colágeno, prevención de inmunosupresión por radiación ultravioleta, prevención del fotodaño y del fotoenvejecimiento, actuando como coadyuvante de los filtros solares. Ejerce su acción principalmente como captador de especies reactivas de oxígenos producidas por la luz ultravioleta y contaminantes ambientales, pero como decía Leon Tolstoi "envejecer es lo más inesperado de todo lo que le sucede al hombre".
El arte de vivir
Todavía recuerdo a un buen amigo, Pipe Bayó, que falleció con 83 años, que tomaba 10 gramos diarios y todos los miércoles del año iba a una escuela de Rock&Roll, era un entusiasta de la vida y vivió pletórico de energía, hasta su último día. Precisamente nos unía una vieja amistad y una gran admiración por el Nobel Linus Pauling, que fue el que le prescribió la dosis de Vitamina C. Pero como diría Kant "la felicidad no brota de la razón sino de la imaginación".
Beneficios 
