Food containing vitamin C. Healthy eating. Top view
Did you know that most animals and plants synthesize their own vitamin C from food they eat? This is accomplished via a biochemical pathway that employs 4 enzymes which convert glucose to vitamin C. In mammals (like humans), the glucose is extracted from glycogen, which is stored sugar, and transformed into vitamin C in the liver. We are not able to produce our own vitamin C and therefore we must consume it from from and supplements.
Adequate vitamin C is critical for overall health, collagen production and immune function among many other important functions. I wanted to share some other very fascinating facts about this critical nutrient.
We humans lack the L-gulonolactone oxidase enzyme which is critical for the last step of vitamin C synthesis.
In the late 1960’s, Linus Pauling discovered that white blood cells need very high doses of vitamin C in order to function effectively. His research demonstrated how high dose vitamin C could combat the common cold.
In the 1970’s, Dr. John Ely discovered the Glucose-Ascorbate-Antagonism (GAA) theory. Glucose and vitamin C have a very similar chemical makeup. Elevated glucose levels compete with and effectively restrict vitamin C from entering cells because glucose has a greater affinity for the insulin receptor. Both glucose and vitamin C depend upon the pancreatic hormone insulin and its signaling effects in order to get into cells.
What this means is that when there is too much sugar circulating in your blood it will prevent vitamin C from entering the cell. This is why we are told that eating too much sugary food will depress the immune system!
White blood cells may contain 20 times the amount of vitamin C as other cells and also have more insulin receptors than other cells. They also need 50 times more vitamin C inside the cell in order to deal with the oxidative stress that occurs when they encounter viruses, bacteria and cancer cells because when they encounter them they ingest (phagocytize) them. This is how they neutralize them. Elevated blood sugar damages and hinders this critical process. A blood sugar reading of 120 reduces this process by 75%!
I hope you learned something new about the importance of vitamin C and why reducing or eliminating excess sugar is so important for immune function.
Did any of these facts surprise you?
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3-D Vitality 
Have been taking 1,000mg and 375mg of D3 each day since this pandemic broke out. Lower doses of Vitamin C each day before that for years. My hopes is that I have strengthened my immune system enough to withstand the onslaught of these new viruses, etc. Thank you for confirming my convictions.
Wonderful J.D. Should you feel a cold or flu coming on don’t hesitate to increase the vitamin C. I do 1-2,000 mg every hour or until bowel tolerance. It is a water soluble vitamin so will not build up and cause toxicity. Too much will just produce loose stool and you just back off a bit, but it always helps my husband and me if we feel something coming on. Thank you for sharing, my friend.
Reblogged this on The DailyeDentistry.
Very interesting. I had no idea how it worked. You got my brain pondering. Thanks, Ann!
Thank you, Holly! A lot of things made more sense once I understood this.