WHEN WILL THEY EVER LEARN: Ascorbate (“Vitamin C”) and Health

On March 24 (2020, of course) the New York Post printed¹ the article which follows. Written by Lorena Mongelli and Bruce Golding, it told us:

"Seriously sick coronavirus patients in New York state's largest hospital system are being given massive doses of vitamin C — based on promising reports that it's helped people in hard-hit China, The Post has learned.

Dr. Andrew G. Weber, a pulmonologist and critical-care specialist affiliated with two Northwell Health facilities on Long Island, said his intensive-care patients with the coronavirus immediately receive 1,500 milligrams of intravenous vitamin C. Identical amounts of the powerful antioxidant are then re-administered three or four times a day, he said. Each dose is more than 16 times the National Institutes of Health's daily recommended dietary allowance of vitamin C, which is just 90 milligrams for adult men and 75 milligrams for adult women. The regimen is based on experimental treatments administered to people with the coronavirus in Shanghai, China, Weber said.

"The patients who received vitamin C did significantly better than those who did not get vitamin C," he said. "It helps a tremendous amount, but it is not highlighted because it's not a sexy drug."

A spokesman for Northwell — which 1 operates 23 hospitals, including Lenox Hill Hospital on Manhattan's Upper East Side — said vitamin C was being "widely used" as a coronavirus treatment throughout the system, but noted that medication protocols varied from patient to patient. "As the clinician decides," spokesman Jason Molinet said. About 700 patients are being treated for coronavirus across the hospital network, Molinet said, but it's unclear how many are getting the vitamin C treatment.

The vitamin C is administered in addition to such medicines as the anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine, the antibiotic azithromycin, various biologics and blood thinners, Weber said. As of Tuesday, New York hospitals have federal permission to give a "cocktail" of hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin to desperately ill patients on a "compassionate care" basis.

President Trump has tweeted that the unproven combination therapy has "a real chance to be one of the biggest game changers in the history of medicine."

Weber, 34, said vitamin C levels in coronavirus patients drop dramatically when they suffer sepsis, an inflammatory response that occurs when their bodies overreact to the infection. "It makes all the sense in the world to try and maintain this level of vitamin C," he said.

A clinical trial on the effectiveness of intravenous vitamin C on coronavirus patients began Feb. 14 at Zhongnan Hospital in Wuhan, China, the epicenter of the pandemic."

An Observation About the Above Case of "Coronavirus"

1,500 milligrams (1½ grams) of intravenous "vitamin C" three or times a day times is a total of 6,000 milligrams daily. The article doesn't tell us how long the patient described above was in the hospital being treated, so let's just guess: if one week, the total would be 42,000 milligrams in an entire week. Compare that to the amounts reported to be given safely daily (30,000 to 36,000 milligrams in the first 24-hour period) in one of Dr. Frederick Klenner's viral eliminating treatments reported below.

It's Very Sad...

...that a potentially deadly viral epidemic such as "Coronavirus" (also known as "COVID-19") is "necessary" for "mainstream" physicians to revive (even in a very minor way) a most often effective treatment for nearly any viral illness pioneered in the 1940s by Dr. Frederick Klenner. Here are three examples² taken from Dr. Klenner's publications:

Poliomyelitis (Polio Virus)

"Although we were able to cure many cases of polio with massive doses of ascorbic acid, one single instance demonstrates the value of vitamin C. Two brothers were sick with poliomyelitis. These two boys were given 10 and 12 grams of ascorbic acid, according to weight, intravenously with a 50 c.c. syringe, every eight hours for 4 times and then every 12 hours for 4 times. They also were given one gram every two hours by mouth around the clock. They made complete recovery and both were athletic stars in high school and college. A third child, a neighbor, under the care of another physician received no ascorbic acid. This child also lived. The young lady is still wearing braces."

Observations About These Two Cases of Polio Cured by Dr. Klenner with "Vitamin C"

10 or 12 grams given every eight hours is 30 to 36 grams in 24 hours, which in milligrams is 30,000 to 36,000 milligrams in the first 24-hour period, very substantially more than was reported to be used in the New York City case or cases. There were no reported adverse effects, and both patients given these amounts were completely cured, while another patient who did not receive this treatment was not cured.

Acute Viral Infection Causing Paralysis

"Cases with paralysis are extremely interesting in as much as they challenge diagnostic prowess. One of our cases, a female age 58, demonstrated three different types. She entered the hospital because of a convulsive seizure. She had had a lingering cold for ten days. She experienced three additional convulsive seizures after hospital admission. The temperature was 100.8°F. pulse 140, respirations 32. She was extremely restless. Twenty-four grams ascorbic acid in 360 c.c. 5D water was given intravenously for three times at 8 hour intervals. One gram calcium gluconate was added to the first and third bottle. Twenty four hours following admission and 72 grams ascorbic acid in the blood stream, patient was awake and rational but completely paralyzed, right arm and leg. Five grams ascorbic acid was given in fruit juice every 6 hours by mouth and 6 grams ascorbic acid along with a B- complex preparation was given intravenously, daily for eight additional days. The right arm and leg returned to normal 48 hours after admission."

Observations About This Case of Virally-Induced Convulsions and Paralysis Cured by Dr. Klenner with "Vitamin C"

As Dr. Klenner wrote in the above case summary, this 58-year-old woman with virally-induced convulsions followed by paralysis received intravenously 72 grams (that's 72,000 milligrams) of "vitamin C" in the first 24 hours of treatment. She swallowed another 20 grams (20,000 milligrams) of vitamin "C" in fruit juice every day for the next eight days, a total of 160 grams (160,000 milligrams) "by mouth." Intravenous treatment was continued for another eight days at 6 grams daily (along with B-complex), another 48 grams (48,000 milligrams) She not only "survived" a grand total of 280 grams (280,000 milligrams) of "vitamin C," but also completely recovered from the virally induced convulsions and paralysis.

Recurrent Virus Infection in a Child

"This case proved that adequate ascorbic acid therapy must be continued long enough to destroy all virus bodies, otherwise the infection will recur. In 1960, I treated a seven year old boy, off and on, over a period of six weeks, for influenza like symptoms. Therapy included one of the mold derived drugs, sulfadiazine and 5 to 10 grams ascorbic acid by mouth. On three different occasions this treatment schedule was dramatically effective. When the child became ill for the fourth time, the administration of the above antibiotics and oral vitamin C had no reversing effect. On the third day of this illness the child suddenly became lethargic and just as suddenly to frank stupor. The temperature which had been running low grade was now 102.6°F. At this point all oral medication was discontinued. I immediately gave six grams of ascorbic acid intravenously with a 30 c.c. syringe. He was awake and asking, "what happened" in 5 minutes. Six grams ascorbic acid was given in 4 hours and then at 6 hour intervals for two additional doses. The recovery was complete in 24 hours and remained so. Ascorbic acid was again started by mouth giving 5 grams in juice every 8 hours. After one week, this was reduced to the usual daily "take" of seven grams. I had ample opportunity to observe this case – the child was our son."

It's Very Sad...

...that these cases were reported in a "mainstream" medical journal in 1971—almost 50 years ago—and this treatment was not used and reported in "mainstream" medicine until 2017, forty-six years later, when Dr. Paul Marik of Eastern Virginia Medical School and other researchers reported³ a dramatic decrease in deaths from sepsis (infection throughout the body) with the use of intravenous "vitamin C" 6,000 milligrams (6 grams) daily total for 4 days or more), accompanied by thiamine (Vitamin B1, which Dr. Klenner also used in many cases) and "hydrocortisone" (also termed "cortisol") which, very fortunately, is bio-identical. 3 Dr. Marik's research was criticized by "mainstream" medicine. So-called "follow-up" research was done using less "vitamin C," which didn't work as well, and this "follow-up" research was used to "prove" that "vitamin C" is not effective against infection. We all know that this would not be that case if "vitamin C" were patentable.

Much, Much More Information About "VitaminC" Therapy Versus Infection, Radiation Damage to Cells, and Many Other Uses...

...is to be found in the book Curing the Incurable by Dr. Thomas E. Levy, a #1 expert in the uses and applications of "vitamin C" therapies by intravenous and other means. This book is supported by over 1,200 scientific references so we can read the original research if we don't believe Dr. Levy!

In Chapter 2, he writes about intravenous "vitamin C" curing many viral infections, including polio, hepatitis, measles, mumps, encephalitis, tetanus chickenpox, viral pneumonia, influenza, and diphtheria, along with bacterial infections such as "strep"⁴, "staph" (staphylococcus), and pseudomonas, and others.

For us "Older Folks": Successful Treatment of "Shingles" Infection

Also in this chapter, Dr. Levy writes that Dr. Klenner reported (in 1949, 1953, and 1974) "excellent results in the treatment of chickenpox, shingles, and herpes simplex.... Klenner treated a series of eight adults who had shingles. A 2,000 to 3,000 milligram dose of "vitamin C" was given by injection every 12 hours, and 1,000 milligrams...orally every two hours. The severe pain associated with the skin lesions, which can often persist for weeks before completely resolving, was completely gone in seven of eight patients within two hours of the first "vitamin C" injection. Although no pain-killing medications were administered, the pain relief was permanent. The skin lesions, which can persist for weeks, had completely resolved in seven of eight patients within 72 hours. Each patient received from five to seven total injections of vitamin C." In addition, Dr. Levy writes in boldface print: "published results show complete resolution of 327 of 327 shingles cases within 72 hours of administering vitamin C injections."

"Vitamin C" Cures "Distemper" in Dogs and Cats

Those of us who are not veterinarians (including me) may not realize that "distemper" in dogs and cats is not at all a psychological problem, but is caused by a virus described by Dr. Levy as "somewhat akin to the influenza virus." He writes "distemper is an infectious disease of the respiratory tract and sometimes that gastrointestinal tract, with associated fever, dullness, loss of appetite, and discharge from the eyes and nose. When dogs and cats get sick enough with distem- per and do not recover spontaneously, they are often put to sleep. He tells us about a veterinarian who reported "excellent results" of treatment of 12 dogs and cats. The veterinarian gave dogs 2,000 milligrams of intravenous "vitamin C" each day for three days. All 12 animals recovered completely⁵. Two years later, another veterinarian⁶ also reported "excellent results" in 67 cases of "canine distemper complex."

"Vitamin C" Treatment of Chemical Toxins, Drug and Alcohol Overdose, Toxic Metals, Venom Poisoning, Radiation Damage

In chapter 3, Dr. Levy tells us (with multiple citations to the research) that "vitamin C" reduces toxicity from alcohol, overdoses of barbiturates, carbon monoxide poisoning, "fifty-one miscellaneous toxins" (including, but not at all limited to) benzene, carbon tetrachloride, chloroform, cyanide, methanol, morphine, mushroom poisoning, various pesticides, strychnine, tetanus toxin, toxic metals including lead, mercury, cadmium, arsenic, and many other toxins. He tells us of Dr. Klenner's prevention of death of a child three and a half years old from a black widow spider bite⁷, as well as other "vitamin C" reversing likely death from other venoms. He writes (again in boldface): "in acute toxic states with death becoming clinically imminent, Klenner would use as much as 100,000 milligram [100 grams] "vitamin C" doses for a 200-pound man by intravenous application."

Also in Chapter 3, Dr. Levy writes, "... the evidence shows clearly that Vitamin C can help to prevent the damage induced by radiation and repair the damage that had already occurred from a previous radiation exposure. The specific type of 5 6 radiation being addressed here is ionizing radiation...[which] produces destructive effects, usually measurable by a flood of free radicals including other indicators of oxidative stress and immediate cellular damage...radiation injury can cause mutations, cancer, and lead to increased birth defects...bone marrow is readily suppressed. A potent antioxidant like vitamin C is ideally suited for coping with the onslaught of oxidant stress unleashed by a significant radiation exposure." Dr. Levy then briefly describes the results of multiple scientific studies that support what he wrote.

He also tells us—with many, many more scientific references—about how "vitamin C" works against the toxic effects of mercury, lead, arsenic and its derivatives, chromium, and vanadium (industrial-strength, not the same as nutritional chromium and vanadium present in foods and in supplements) and also cadmium, nickel, aluminum, and fluoride. (Yes, that's fluoride, the toxin that most of us tolerate in many, many public water supplies despite research from the Harvard School of Public Health⁸, York University (Canada)⁹ (and many others) which reported that fluoride in drinking water significantly reduces children's IQ.)

Another Reason for Every Person of Every Age To Be Given or To Take "Vitamin C"

Every human born on planet Earth since the 19 century (the 1800s and thereafter) has been exposed to an ever-increasing (in number and quantity) burden of toxic metals and chemicals. Even though there's no agriculture or industry anywhere in Antarctica ("South Pole"), toxic metals have been found in the penguins! That's why breastfeeding mothers—and all the rest of us, starting when we're very small children—should be taking "vitamin C" to keep the levels of these toxins in our bodies as low as possible, and to offset the effects of those toxins which our bodies can't eliminate.

The Safety of High Doses of "Vitamin C"

...is the title of Chapter 4 of Dr. Levy's book. He quotes Dr. Kalakerinos of Australia: "in Australia alone, some 100 physicians have administered as much as 300,000 milligrams of vitamin C to their patients...in most cases the results have been spectacular, the only side effect is ‘"chronic good health"'. Dr. Levy also writes (with multiple citations, as usual), "...a host of therapeutic trials with "vitamin C" have also reported no adverse effects with dosages of "Vitamin C" considered by most researchers to be in the "mega dose" range."

Some physicians worry about "vitamin C" causing kidney stones. As well as referring to studies demonstrating that "vitamin C" does not do this, Dr. Levy writes in boldface: "a study followed 85,557 women for 14 years and found no statistical association with vitamin C and increased kidney stone development—a similar study with 45,251 men reached the same conclusion."

Chapter 4 also tells us that the only proven hazards to high dose "vitamin C" treatments are malaria infection and "G6PD" deficiency, a very rare genetic defect. In these United States malaria is extremely unlikely, and we can ask our physicians to test us for the rare "G6PD" genetic defect, especially if we're considering a series of high dose intravenous "vitamin C" treatments.

Why Write "Vitamin C" Not Vitamin C?

Most readers of Green Medicine Newsletter and listeners to Green Medicine Radio know that "Vitamin C" isn't a vitamin for the very, very large majority of animal species on planet Earth. This very large majority of species on planet Earth internally synthesize "ascorbate," which has been re-named "vitamin C" for humans, monkeys and apes, guinea pigs, and a very few fish, birds, and bats which have all "lost" the tiny DNA segment which completes the synthesis of ascorbate.

What happens in all those species which synthesize ascorbate internally when their health is challenged by infection, chemical toxins, venom poisoning radiation damage, or even psychological stress? Their bodies go into "overdrive" synthesizing larger and larger quantities of ascorbate until the challenge to their health has been overcome. Increasing internal ascorbate synthesis is a major way— and probably the major way—which Nature uses to protect the bodies of all these species! And no harm is done by all of that ascorbate! So if we believe that "copying Nature" is the best way to stay healthy, and we can't synthesize ascorbate internally, then swallowing ascorbate for more minor health problems and using it intravenously for major health problems is very, very likely to be helpful and not be harmful!

Referring to "ascorbate" as "vitamin C" allows "mainstream medicine" and other critics of the natural approach to health care to say repeatedly that the use of more than small amounts of any vitamin or mineral—including "vitamin C"—could possibly be dangerous.

But if we point to what Nature does every day with ascorbate, with quantities from small to truly enormous without doing any harm at all, and we also point to the proven fact that human bodies would do the same if we all didn't have the genetic defect preventing ascorbate synthesis, we can much more easily "make the case" that "ascorbate is good for us and safe and effective too," just as it is for all of the rest of Nature.

In the future, let's all consider referring to this substance as "ascorbate," not "Vitamin C"! If we do that, we'll likely have many more opportunities to explain to all who aren't familiar with the name "ascorbate" why we should all be using ascorbate every day, and much more of it when our health is challenged by anything at all!

An enormous and repeated THANK YOU to Dr. Thomas E. Levy, M.D., J.D, for taking all the time and trouble to write (in plain English) a 461-page book with over 1,200 scientific references that clearly explains nearly every way that ascorbate ("Vitamin C") can be used to support our health and to fight so many types of challenges to our health! This book can be purchased relatively inexpensively at www.usedbooksearch.co.uk as well as other online sources.

THANK YOU, DR LEVY!

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