Treating Coronavirus With Vitamin C
Immune-boosting capsules, liquids, and powders are flying off the shelves as customers come to equip themselves with supplements to prevent COVID-19 (or at least give their bodies the ammunition to handle the viral attack and its crushing side effects).
The COVID-19 outbreak has caught modern medicine off guard and left us with no vaccines, not enough ventilators, and a shortage of face masks. In these trying times, many are stocking up preventative herbs and vitamins to fortify their health and immune system.
One vitamin which has made a well-known impact in therapy for COVID-19 is vitamin C. While worldwide clinical trials are taking place in hope of finding a cure, Chinese and Korean doctors are already treating coronavirus with Vitamin C.
Does Vitamin C Help With COVID?
On March 3rd, the Shanghai government officially announced that they recommend treating COVID-19 patients with vitamin C. Intravenous vitamin C is a safe broad-spectrum antiviral used to effectively treat, cure, or prevent contraction of coronavirus according to many Chinese doctors.
They also recommend taking ascorbic acid orally in the form of water-soluble tablets or vitamin C infusions as a preventative. Significantly increased oxidative stress with the rapid release of free radicals and cytokines in COVID-19 leads to cellular injury and organ damage, specifically pulmonary failure. Early use of large dose antioxidants, especially vitamin C, plays a key role in the management of these oxidative stress and cytokine “storms”.
High dose intravenous vitamin C was not associated with any negative side effects or deaths. In many studies, it rapidly improved the patients’ symptoms and shortened the duration of hospital stay. Vitamin C was noted to lower fever and reduce pain in pneumonia patients.
A mere 200 mg of vitamin C/day resulted in an 80% decrease in deaths among severely ill, hospitalized respiratory disease patients in one study. Most of the IV dosing is between 4,000 to 16,000 mg for an adult and some even up to 50,000 mg.
High-dose vitamin C can not only improve antiviral levels but can also prevent and treat acute lung injury (ALI) and acute respiratory distress (ARDS) related to COVID-19. In simple terms, it will help prevent organ failure, tissue damage, and death due to coronavirus.
Using Liposomal Vitamin C To Fight Off COVID-19
We totally rely upon dietary or supplemental sources of vitamin C due to the fact that humans do not internally synthesize it like most mammals. Unless you have easy access to daily intravenous vitamin C, supplements will be the way to go!
One of the liposomal vitamin C benefits is that the body quite easily absorbs it. Liposomes are similar to the cells in your body. The same phospholipids that make up your cell walls also make up the liquid containing your vitamin C.
Liposomal vitamin C can “fuse” with certain cells in your body upon contact and essentially release the vitamin C straight into your cells. One of our favorite products is Liposomal Vitamin C by NuMedica.
Come visit us at Dripping Springs Pharmacy and speak with our highly educated wellness staff about which vitamin C supplement may be right for you.
NuMedica - Liposomal Vitamin C
Stay healthy!
Lauren Meyer CNS, MS