There is an ironic side to the ad woman who wrote the poem “Diamonds Are Forever” in 1948. The poem symbolizes the everlasting love between two people. Her name was Frances Gerety and she had been alone most of her life. Diamonds do sparkle, but there are better “forever” companions out there.
Longtime readers know that I would choose vitamin C over diamonds or any other fancy trend, and I would definitely choose it over cholesterol-lowering drugs. Vitamin C isn’t expensive or shiny like diamonds, and it won’t make you rich, but a daily megadoses of vitamin C helped me survive another 25 years with my wife and family after a heart attack nearly took my life at age 74.
For me, Vitamin C is the forever vitamin.
To understand its true value, let’s first dispel a common misconception: Vitamin C is more than just a nutrient. It’s also an antibiotic, an antifungal, and a component of the immune system that fights a variety of infections. Another trap is thinking that a little is enough; you need a lot to get the cardiovascular benefits. Two-time Nobel Prize winner Linus Pauling once said he was tired of repeating, “It’s the dose that matters.” In the case of vitamin C, more can’t hurt.
Humans do not produce Vitamin C like animals. In an unfortunate accident of nature, humans lost this ability ages ago. Nearly all animals, except humans and guinea pigs, produce large amounts of their own Vitamin C every day. The important thing to understand about Dr. Pauling’s work is that he was not studying the optimal amount of Vitamin C for healthy people. He was trying to figure out how much unhealthy people, especially those with heart disease, needed to fight disease, and this is where more research is needed.
Here’s what we know: Vitamin C reduces the risk of atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) associated with type 2 diabetes, a problem of worldwide epidemic proportions. When arteries harden, blood flow to all organs in the body is reduced. The results are heart attacks, kidney failure, blindness, and amputations. Atherosclerosis is overwhelmed by our health care system. It’s a terrible personal tragedy that undermines quality of life. And it’s a societal nightmare that we too easily ignore, costing billions of dollars.
Constipation can be easily cured by taking 2,000 mg of Vitamin C at bedtime. If this amount does not work, take 4,000 mg the next night or the night after. This will always work. In elderly people, constipation can become so severe that it becomes constipated, requiring an emergency trip to the hospital for an enema and elimination of stool. You will regret not taking Vitamin C.
Painful swollen joints may be caused by weakened blood vessels due to a lack of vitamin C. Weakened arteries may burst and let small amounts of blood into the joint, causing inflammation and pain.
Are you getting colds more often or for longer than usual? This could be due to a chronic vitamin C deficiency and stressful events. For example, an emotional event or upcoming surgery can cause blood vitamin C levels to drop by as much as 90%. If your vitamin C levels are low, ask your doctor to give you time to recover before surgery.
When you add up all these benefits and others associated with Vitamin C, you can see why it is my go-to vitamin forever. It’s inexpensive, natural, and hassle-free like prescription drugs. I’m convinced that Vitamin C helped me live to be 101 years old. Could there be a more simple, more effective remedy?
Dr. W. Gifford Jones (aka Ken Walker) is a graduate of the University of Toronto and Harvard Medical School. He can be contacted through his website at docgiff.com or by email at contact-us@docgiff.com. He and his daughter are on Instagram at @docgiff and @diana_gifford_jones.
