Here’s our weekly recap on the news of vitamin C. Today we bring you more on the benefits of abscorbic acid and its ability to decrease blood pressure, its relationship with cataracts and how vitamin C plays into the vaccination controversy.

More on Vitamin C and blood pressure.

Last week, we brought you a preliminary report on a study that is getting widespread coverage on how vitamin C supplementation can decrease both systolic and diastolic blood pressure by as much as three points. While the study was short-term, the results showed promise, especially in light of this quote from researcher Edgar “Pete” R. Miller III, MD, PhD:

“Although our review found only a moderate impact on blood pressure, if the entire U.S. population lowered blood pressure by 3 [points], there would be a lot fewer strokes.”

This is good news for the nearly one in three Americans dealing with hypertension. Miller’s research did not call for vitamin C as an alternative to blood pressure medication and lifestyle changes, but the research supports the use of vitamin C as a supplement to battle HBP.

Vitamin C and cataracts – the facts.

A report from WWLP.com rehashed some research that we found rather interesting related to vitamin C and eye health. Registered dietician Nancy Dell reports that if you take vitamin C supplements (low-dosage) for 10 years, your risk of cataracts is lowered by about 80%. The key is the 10 years and lower dosage (enough to “saturate” the eye – 150 to 250 mg).

Now, this information came from a couple of studies, so we did a search and found a 2009 study that says the higher dosages (1,000 mg or more per day) can actually increase the risk of cataracts.

While the study reported some correlations, the researchers did not give reason for the increased occurrence of cataracts, other than it appeared in women who took ascorbic acid and in some cases hormone-replacement therapy.

The Linus Pauling Institute on Micronutrients Research for Optimum Health reports that there’s not really enough research to decide one way or another whether vitamin C can increase or decrease cataract risk. The LPI reports that: “Decreased vitamin C levels in the lens of the eye have been associated with increased severity of cataracts in humans. Some, but not all, studies have observed increased dietary vitamin C intake and increased blood levels of vitamin C to be associated with decreased risk of cataracts.

The bottom line: More research is needed in this area before a clear declaration can be made.

Vitamin C and the vaccination controversy. 

There’s an article circulating on social networks about a teen mom’s baby who died from whooping cough. The teen mom and dad are now speaking out on the importance of vaccination (the mother was not up-to-date on the shots).

Pertussis or whooping cough is extremely dangerous to newborns and Chelsea Charles’ baby died from this illness in August.

In our regular news search, we came across a mommy board that pointed to an article from Dr. Suzanne Humphries, a conventionally trained doctor who specializes in non-toxic treatment of illness and disease. She writes in an article at the Vaccination Council (an association of doctors, nurses and other qualified medical professionals whose purpose is to counter the messages asserted by pharmaceutical companies, the government and medical agencies that vaccines are safe, effective and harmless) that vitamin C is the most effective treatment of pertussis in children and adults.

Humphries gives a compelling argument for the treatment of whooping cough with vitamin C in her paper and says this of the vaccination:

“The reason we doctors were never taught about therapeutic doses of vitamin C in medical school, is that if they had taught us about it, then not only would a raft of other drugs have been unnecessary, but they wouldn’t be able to use meningococcal complications and deaths as emotional blackmail to get people to vaccinate, because people wouldn’t be scared of gram-negative infections [N. meningitides and H. influenza (Hib)] any more.”

Humphries continues to outline her argument against the vaccination and the proper treatment and care with vitamin C for 14 pages. It’s well worth the read.

While we can’t endorse any specific treatments as sellers of liposomal vitamin C, we found this alternative to vaccination worth the read and encourage our readers to get both sides of the story before starting a treatment regimen for any illness.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.