You must read and accept the disclaimer to use this site. Updated for monthly, 2011

There is a stream of articles regularly about harm that might be caused by vitamin C. Those articles in the popular press cause people to buy newspapers, listen to the news, and suffer stress. Below are ongoing examples of this harassment by the media.

Does vitamin C cause harm? NO! December, 2004

C&E News 12/20/04 - More fears about vitamin C proven wrong!
Some research 3 years ago suggested a mechanism by which vitamin C might cause harm. New research in PNAS shows that mechanism actually can prevent genetic damage by removing peroxidized lipids, and "may explain in part how the vitamin helps prevent diseases like cancer and heart disease."

Does vitamin C cause harm? NO! June, 2004

Does vitamin C cause arthritis? -article sent thanks to Dean Aguiar, Ph.D.

HEADLINE CAUSING CONTROVERSY: Prolonged vitamin C exacerbates osteoarthritis in animal model Reuters Health Professional Medical News, 4 June 2004 NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Prolonged exposure to high doses of ascorbic acid increased the severity of osteoarthritis in a guinea pig model of spontaneous knee osteoarthritis, according to a report in the June issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism. To the full story

Previous short-term studies have suggested that ascorbic acid might be protective against osteoarthritis, the authors explain, but long-term treatment with ascorbic acid has not been studied. Dr. Virginia B. Kraus from Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina and colleagues investigated the effects of 8 months' exposure to low, medium, and high doses of ascorbic acid on the development of histologic knee osteoarthritis in male Hartley guinea pigs. The low dose was chosen to prevent scurvy, the medium dose to reflect those received by a person consuming five fruits and vegetables daily, and the high dose to match that shown in a previous study to slow the progression of surgically induced osteoarthritis in guinea pigs. Plasma levels of ascorbic acid and ascorbic acid levels in cartilage tissue differed significantly among the three dose levels...

"In conclusion," the investigators write, "this study highlights the potential drawbacks of long-term, high-dose ascorbic acid intake on joint health, suggesting that dietary intake should not be supplemented above the currently recommended dietary allowance (90 mg/day for men and 75 mg/day for women)."

CONCERNS:

1. This is a single study done only in guinea pigs.

2. In the millions of people taking high dose vitamin C for decades, no one has ever reported arthritis concerns.

3. There are many physiologic reasons why vitamin C is likely to help prevent arthritis, particularly through its role in collagen formation necessary for healthy cartilage.

4. The media often report anything that will get your attention and thus cause you stress.