Vitamin C – The Most Important Vitamin To Lower Cholesterol?

Vitamin C – The Most Important Vitamin To Lower Cholesterol?

Recent research has shown that taking plenty of vitamin C provides more protection against heart disease and cholesterol than almost any other substance. Various studies have shown that…

1. Vitamin C plays a role in the conversion of cholesterol into bile acids. If vitamin C is lacking, less cholesterol is converted leaving it instead to build up in the arteries, blood and liver.
2. Vitamin C is needed for metabolising blood fats.
3. Vitamin C is an antioxidant that helps to control free radicals and other oxidants that can convert cholesterol into its more dangerous, artery-clogging form.
4. Vitamin C supplementation drives down cholesterol in people with high cholesterol and low levels of vitamin C in the blood. Adding pectin (which we mentioned earlier) or other agents that bind cholesterol, increases its effectiveness.

The late Dr. Linus Pauling (the only scientist ever to win two Nobel prizes) and his associates were convinced that atherosclerosis is caused by a deficiency of vitamin C and in 1994 he announced that atherosclerosis could be cured by taking a mixture of lysine and vitamin C. His researchers showed that 95% of patients with advanced arteriosclerosis took either no vitamin C or less than 500 mg. daily and they claim that they have never seen anyone with any evidence of atherosclerosis who took 10 grams of vitamin C daily!

The Pauling researchers state that patients with end stage atherosclerosis have been completely cured by high dosage vitamin C and lysine often within weeks (both substances need to be taken in doses of 6 grams daily). These individuals lose their angina pain, their blood pressure drops to normal, any arterial blockages disappear, their lipid profiles become normal and their energy increases.

Human beings (and guinea pigs!) are unable to manufacture vitamin C and studies show that depriving guinea pigs of vitamin C leads to the production of atherosclerotic lesions similar to those found in humans. Further studies have also shown that guinea pigs depleted of vitamin C get high blood levels of homocysteine whereas control guinea pigs getting sufficient amounts of vitamin C have normal homocysteine values and have no atherosclerotic plaques.

(Homocysteine is a compound that is produced naturally in the body and although necessary for several metabolic functions excess amounts are toxic and may increase the level of bad cholesterol in the blood as well as damaging the lining of blood vessels and promote blood clots. Unfortunately it is estimated that over 75% of the population do not have a diet with adequate nutrients to prevent this homocysteine overload.)

All of this shows that lack of vitamin C can play a major role in causing arteriosclerosis and that taking large quantities of vitamin C (along with lysine) may help narrowed arteries open back up.

Large dosages of vitamin C are safe but may cause diarrhoea or irritate the stomach. If this happens simply reduce the amount you are taking and space the remainder equally throughout the day before increasing the dose again – if you take 500 - 750mg a day you should have no problems and you can then build up again from there.

People with genetic iron disorders (and these are rare) should consult their physicians before using vitamin C supplements, since it increases the rate of iron absorption.