Hello Owen Fonorow,
upon calling the Vitamin C Foundation I was told by one of the staff members that I should direct any queries or concerns to you.
Let me start by giving you some background information about myself before I list areas of interest. For a number of years I have been battling with high blood pressure and high blood cholesterol among other problems. A few years after discovery of both conditions I went on a quest to find natural alternatives to the medications that I am currently taking which are mild dosages of hydrochlorothiazide and enalapril for blood pressure. And though I've been prescribed medication to get my blood cholesterol under control which is pretty high (about 230ish as of 6 or 7 months ago), I refuse to take it. As a product of that definance,I am taking red yeast rice, garlic extract and occasional niacin as an alternative.
Red yeast rice is a "poor man's statin" - still a statin. Total cholesterol around 230 should be reduced over time on an optimal vitamin C program (5 to 10 g of vitamin C daily will lower total cholesterol to around 180 mg/dl References in Pauling's book HOW TO LIVE LONGER AND FEEL BETTER (1986)).
There is a maze of conflicting information out there, most of which has left me confused and apprehensive about alternative methods in which to care for my medical issues. In hitting what seems like one dead end after another I stumbled upon research that pertains to vitamin c ascorbic acid which lead me to your corner. I am interested in purchasing some of the finest products distributed by The Vitamin C Foundation, however before I do, there are a bit more than a few questions that I am hoping that you can answer for me.
You can get started on Linus Pauling's answer - vitamin C and lysine - without resorting to our products by taking pills - and you should. Here is a protocol to get you started:
http://www.vitamincfoundation.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=8026
Once we know your bowel tolerance to vitamin C we can better recommend products which work better and offer more convenience than pills.
1. In addition to taking baking soda with ascorbic acid is there anything else that I can do or take to prevent stomach irritation? I've done no study so I'm not sure, but I am concerned about the possible sodium or salt content in baking soda.
A mild acid should not irritate the stomach which for best health is strongly acidic. However, it sometimes irritates the bottom of the esophagus. According to our living expert Dr. Thomas Levy, you should worry about table salt - sodium chloride - but not sodium, per se.
Owen,
The term "sodium-dependent" hypertension needs to be changed to "sodium chloride-dependent" hypertension.
See: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=kurtz%20222%201139
and: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=kurtz%20317%201043
On very rare occasions, I have seen what appears to be minimal excess volume expansion with sodium ascorbate infusions. It is readily addressed with a minimal oral or IV administration of a low-dose (20 mg) of furosemide.
Dr. Levy
2. Are there any plans in the immediate future to sell these formulas in the form of gel capsule as a way in which to combat the possible problems inherent in the long term use of ascorbic acid on the esophagus?
One can easily make their own capsules using "kits" available at most health food stores.
It is a good idea, as is adding some alkaline sodium ascorbate. Alas no - someone else may try it. In my case, adding sodium ascorbate plus a product called NOGERD from LETSTALKHEALTH.COM has worked for me healing the esophagus.
3. Is there a brand of l-lysine and l-proline you can recommend if I should only purchase your finest vitamin c instead of the cardio c formula?
These days, with the GMP requirements, if a product says it has something it most likely has it! So any brand should be good.
4. I have read that l-lysine and l-proline, if taken over a long period of time can affect the kidneys (kidney stones and such) and can also contribute to higher levels of blood cholesterol. Is there any truth to these claims? If so, does the Vitamin C Foundation have ways in which to off set these conditions?
The maze of confusion! This is news to us, and sounds like misinformation. Remember, a) no one is studying Pauling's therapy these days and b) lysine is required in gram amounts to live! It is essential. (Our bodies do make their own proline.) Pauling was diligent in reporting a single study from Loma Linda in lab rats that showed the cholesterol became elevated taking high lysine. However, my own personal TOTAL cholesterol is 160 mg/dl, probably too low! Not everyone, but almost every person's cholesterol drops over time on the optimal amount of vitamin C - an optimal which is quite large by government standards.
Vitamin C, (ascorbic acid) by the way, prevents most (at least half of the common kidney stones) and the other half can be prevented by taking vitamin C as sodium ascorbate. This info is in Pauling's HTLLAFB book. Magnesium seems to generally be good for preventing all kinds of stones.
5. Is there an ascorbic acid powder that I can buy locally that the foundation recommends if for some reason I should exhaust my supply before I've had an opportunity to place another order with your foundation?
Trader Joes I have been told. Again, with GMP I believe that you will get what you read on the label. In our case, we are a non-profit. A company really makes our sales and donates a portion of each sale to the Foundation. We are not inexpensive, but we hope the extra $$ is worth it. So far, it is are only way to fund our activities.
6. I took up to 8 grams of the Country Life buffered vitamin c as ascorbic acid for almost 2 months before I read up on your foundation and your formula recommendations. What is the consensus on the Country Life brand and or the buffered version of vitamin c? I have been using the Country Life brand of l-lysine in conjunction. Any thoughts on that as well?
We are not going to comment on a specific brand, but again, due to the new GMP requirements, you can rely on the label. 8 grams is a good dosage! But buffered with what? If a mineral, that would be our only concern because unlike vitamins, which are generally nontoxic at any dose, you can over ingest trace minerals.
A. At this point I am experiencing some lower back pain. Could this be related?
Is this what caused you to look for another solution? Yes, it could be kidney pain caused by whatever is "buffering" your vitamin C (unless it is sodium, which would be fine.) Or it could be kidney pain caused by your drugs. I would switch to another brand of vitamin C (either ascorbic acid or sodium ascorbate) and see if the pain diminishes.
7. What is generally the length of time one should feel the positive affects of the Linus Pauling regimen after starting, should I decide to proceed with purchasing your product? I do understand that physically each of us are different and our time reaction to an regimen will be different as well so I'm just looking for a ball park guesstimate.
10 days. We have been surprised by how often people like you have given us this number, and coincidentally, frank scurvy itself is cured in about 10 days after vitamin C is resumed.
8. If one has gastric issues such IBS or colitis should more or less ascorbic acid be taken?
In our view, vitamin C should be taken to bowel tolerance (per cathcart's http://www.orthomed.com/titrate.htm). This seems to benefit "everything" including all organs, bones, blood vessels, immune system, etc. There are exceptions, but when you are talking digestive issues, it is a complicated subject. If you really want to understand your gut, there is a book that explains it pretty well, along with a diet that cured the author's autistic child - as most autistic's have digestive issues.
See: http://www.amazon.com/Psychology-Syndrome-D-D-D-H-D-Schizophrenia/dp/0954852028/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1323871223&sr=8-1
9. Does the Pauling regimen help improve the appearance of ones skin?
Vitamin C, probably thru enhanced collagen production, will most certainly improve the appearance of ones skin. Yes.
10. Though I plan to obtain the Foundations recommended readings by Linus Pauling I feel compelled to ask, does the Pauling regimen actually help improve the quality of health and life? Guess at this point I am desperate about my situation.
I am not sure I fully understand the question. Restoring the "lost" ascorbate to the body (that would otherwise be there if the GULO genetic defect did not exist, and human beings, like most species, produced their own vitamin C) makes a huge difference in health. Ascorbate is a more general term for vitamin C. To fully appreciate this, I would start with Pauling's HOW TO LIVE LONGER AND FEEL BETTER, but recognize that the heart disease work/discoveries were made AFTER that book was published. In a word, Yes.
Nothing would give me greater pleasure than to find out there are alternative methods available that can significantly affect the body in very positive ways. The Vitamin C Foundation may be my last hope at resolving my problems holistically. Any information that you can provide regarding these matters would be greatly appreciated.
There is another piece of the puzzle that was discovered (or rather all the pieces put together) by the late dentist William Kelly. It is the idea that there are 3 major groups of people with respect to proper diet, and that for "meat eaters", they can only feel well by eating red meat, and that for "vegetarians" they can only feel well by not eating meat. Dr. Nick Gonzales, MD, in this AMAZING lecture, clearly explains how and why Dr. Kelley came up with his "metabolic types" program which details specific diet and supplements based on the "type".
http://www.amazon.com/Enzymes-Cancer-Nicholas-J-Gonzalez/dp/B001OI36GW/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1323871705&sr=8-2
You can sometimes guess your "metabolic type" from your ancestry. If they lived in Northern latitudes, they probably did not eat vegetables in winter, etc. But if you digestive system seems "fast" - then you are probably more of a meat eater, and visa versa. (In Kelley's case, he discovered the diet that reduced his own tumors, but that diet almost killed his 3rd wife! Finally, he tried red meat, and she thrived, getting better in about 3 days.)
Thank you for your time, look forward to your response and hopefully your products.
Oscar