Can You Overdose On Vitamin C

It is one of the most common vitamins that is talked about and definitely the most popular. But what is this vitamin and what does it do? In the scientific terminology, vitamin c is known as l-ascorbic acid. This acid is one of the more necessary nutrients that us humans need in our bodies. Without it, you could end up with a very bad case of the disease scurvy, something that was quite common in the olden days.

This vitamin consists of ascorbate, or an ion of the ascorbic acid. It is key to the functioning of the metabolism in both animals and plants. This ascorbate is necessary in the bodies of living organisms, since it is an anti-oxidant. Without it, the process of oxidation would cause far too much stress on our cells and tissue, which can be damaging in nature. There are a number of reactions and processes that are enzymatic in nature (related to enzymes) that need the ascorbate to function. In order to study them further, the year 1933 saw the isolation of ascorbic acid and its synthesis in 1934.

This of course begs the question – is it possible to have too much of a good thing?

Can you overdose on vitamin c?

Research has suggested that you can in fact overdose on vitamin C. In fact Vitamin C has an upper limit of 2000mg and over-consuming vitamin C to this amount can bring about certain symptoms.

The two most common symptoms of a Vitamin C overdose are nausea and Diarrhea as a result of an overdose on vitamin c. Although these are not symptoms that can be seen with some overdoses of serious medications and pharmaceutical products these can still be concerning. If a person becomes very sick and is constantly vomiting or unable to gain any nutrients from their food they could become dehydrated and have their immune systems functions lowered putting them at risk to further sickness.

The best way to be certain you will not overdose on vitamin C is to track your consumption of vitamin c daily. Vitamin C can be found in many common foods such as apples and blackberries but actually getting to the upper limit level for safe consumption cannot usually be done without some form of vitamin supplement. An apple maybe contains about 8-9 mg of vitamin C so reaching the upper limit would require eating hundreds of apples in a day. A vitamin C supplement however can contain a few hundred mg up to even 1000mg of vitamin C all in one tablet.

Should a child get a hold of a bottle or you accidentally take more than one supplement in a day there is a small chance that you could feel the symptoms of an overdose on vitamin c. Unfortunately many vitamin C tablets are flavored and have quite a sweet taste similar to candy. For kids these can be irresistible and it is important that they do not take more than one a day. A child’s body will have an even lower tolerance for vitamin C and they may begin to feel the symptoms of a vitamin C overdose with only half the amount of an adult upper limit for consumption.

Even though there are risks involved with vitamin C consumption there is no reason why a person should abstain from taking a supplement or trying to get their daily dose of vitamin C. Vitamin C deficiency in fact will leave a person more worse off than the symptoms of an overdose on vitamin C. Not getting enough vitamin C can result in muscle loss, joint pain and health problems in general.

The safe consumption for vitamin C intake has been determined as somewhere between 500 and 1000mg of vitamin C a day. It has been critically proven that by taking vitamin C you can reduce your risk for heart disease and improve maintain your health which will allow you to live longer.

Although there is a danger of potentially having an overdose on vitamin C, by tracking your intake and making sure to only take the recommended amount, you can ensure that your body will maintain its current level of health and never be deficient of vitamin C. The benefits greatly outweigh the risks and taking vitamin C is still recommended by physicians everywhere.

Minor Symptoms of  a vitamin c overdose

Vitamin c overdose can manifest in a number of ways. If you’re currently taking vitamin c, and discover any with the following signs and symptoms, lower your dosage instantly, as these are all minor signs of a light vitamin c overdose:

Nausea
Sturdy smelling Urine
Mouth ulcers
Gas
Bloating
Upset stomach

Diarrhea can also be a sign that you simply are taking an excessive amount of vitamin c and many doctors recommend utilizing this sign to gauge your tolerance to vitamin c. Diarrhea resulting from excessive amounts of vitamin c is viewed as just below potentially risky levels, and strangely enough can impart certain benefits to your well being and health, for example a lowered risk of colon cancer.

Serious signs and symptoms of vitamin c overdose

The risk of overdosing and serious side effects is very relevant for people who take over 6000mg each day, or those that take extra supplements along with high doses of vitamin c. Significant signs and symptoms of a hazardous vitamin c overdose involve:

Kidney stones
Vitamin B-12 deficiencies
Copper deficiencies
Increased want for oxygen

If you are experiencing any of the above then it is prudent to go and see a medical professional. Significantly altered levels of vitamin c in the body can result in numerous health hazards.

Mega dosing vitamin c.

Even with the continuing research and data stating the hazards of excessive vitamin c, there are many professionals who do not comply with the findings. There are a  number of researchers and medical personnel who recommend mega doses of the vitamin. Under such a circumstance, a person can see an intake of up to 20 grams or more of vitamin c each day. The use of this practice is to work towards a healthier body and curing various illnesses and disorders.

There are many ways in which these doses can be taken. The common form is to divide the dosage throughout the day and portions are to be consumed at specific intervals of time. One of the methods used is to inject the vitamin c straight into the body, in the measure of hundreds of grams. This has been advocated as a form of  healing for bodily trauma, poisoning of the system and certain body disorders. Others find it easier to depend on pill use through the day. One can also use a pure form of vitamin c, which is crystallized. This can be dissolved in water or juice to make a drink that lasts through the day

There are a number of research works on Vitamin C at the moment and the effects have been widely studied. Some of these are:

Effects on the Common Cold

One of the more common old wives tales includes the use of citrus fruits as a way to prevent or cure common cold. The high levels of vitamin C are supposedly effective on the condition and helps to dispel it faster. Studies have been conducted to verify this theory. A 3 meta-analyses has suggested that a dosages of the order 200 mg to 2 grams are seen to decrease the duration of the cold. This is effective when taken prophylaxis (before infection) rather than post infection. The actual rates of infection showed no changes. The appearance of the cold was shown to have fallen by 50% in certain demographics of adults under duress such as athletes, soldiers and those in cold environments. There was no reduction of symptoms to be seen or diminished duration when taken during the first few stages of infection.
By the conclusion of a 2010 Cochrane Review, it is shown that intake of Vitamin C in varied dosages does little to reduce the incidence of the common cold. However, it is seen that for the population exposed to severe strain during physical exercise and brief but considerable exertion, Vitamin C is a helpful supplement. Dosages of the vitamin prior to the onset of cold and similar symptoms has shown to be effective – mostly in alleviation of the symptoms. However, such results have not been again in therapeutic trails. This demands further therapeutic RCTs.

Effects on Heart Illness

There are currently a number of clinical trials being conducted to test the correlation between vitamin C use and the affect on coronary diseases. The relation between vitamin C usage and prevention of strokes or coronary heart problems has seen results showing neutral, negative and some positive outcome. There is no clear answer as of now, seeing how challenges of selection of test subjects, methodology and direction of study are hard to keep similar and further difficult to interpret.

Effects on Cancer

One of the first studies concerning cancer and the use of vitamin C was published by Pauling and Cameron in 1976. Using data from a hundred cancer patients, the trial was conducted to check whether intravenous dosage could affect the life expectancy and increase it. The results were positive. However, the results were not replicated in independent studies conducted in 1979, 1983 and 1985. These trials were conducted with oral vitamin C, as compared to the earlier one with ascorbic acid delivered through intravenous methods and were placebo-controlled. There are flaws found in the earlier study, with the patients not being picked in a randomized or controlled manner.
Most current trials have been limited in their scope to simply finding appropriate dosages. However, these Phase 1 clinical trials and researches have been able to determine that patients who have cancer will not suffer toxicity caused by vitamin C. For a dosage of less that 1.5 grams of ascorbic acid per each kg of the body weight, there is little scope that vitamin C has as therapy. At the same time, there are certain in-vitro cell lines testing that are indicative of problems. Mainly, the possible problems that may occur during chemotherapy due to dehydroascrobic acid (DHA) which is an ascorbic acid in an oxidized form.
There is little evidence to support that vitamin C has any sustained impact on the treatment of cancer. 33 long years of research and trials culminated in a 2010 consultation, which revealed that the evaluation of vitamin C and other antioxidants revealed no major difference in effects during chemotherapy for cancer. Vitamin C has not been shown to cause a major decrease in the tumor activity nor does it act against specific kind of cancers. At the same time, the appropriate dosage is still not known and how any specific quantities of vitamin C can help in engaging the body systems in an anti-tumor response.

Effects on Phencyclidine Psychosis Treatment

One of the proven areas of effectiveness is the treatment of phencyclidine psychosis. A dosage of some 1000-2000 mg that is supplied intravenously has been seen to complement the use of an antipsychotic drug. It can also be provided along with a DA-2 antagonist in a mixed form. Common antagonists used are haloperidol and risperidone, which can be administered through the muscular tissue. Cases of PCP (acute phencyclidine psychosis) are seen to recover thanks to the supplement of vitamin C as it is seen to be interacting synergistically with the occurrence of phencyclidine and metabolites of the same.

Effects on Gout

Whether in the form of supplements or taken through natural form, Vitamin C consumption in large quantities has been linked to lower rates of incidence in Gout. A research study conducted in the year 2008 showed that serum uric acid levels went down and so the possibility to developing symptoms of gout by 45%. The intake amount was chalked up to more than 1500 mg for this study.

Effects on Burns

The role of Vitamin C is seen to be important during the treatment of serious burns. It is considered to be an adjuvant treatment to dose patients with intravenous vitamin C for small periods of time. This is done since certain metabolic changes related to the conditions of burns. As of now, the American Burn Association has been considered the administration of ascorbic acid to be an adjacent form of therapy rather than an actual treatment method. The quantity of the dose has been settled upon 110 grams (66 mg per kilogram per hour for a day) by one study conducted. However, these results remain isolated and have not seen further enquires and studies to prove the same. A number of trials and studies will have to be conducted with positive results before vitamin C becomes a form of treatment. This is because the ABA finds no substantial benefit from the dosage.

There are however, also numerous studies that support the consumption of higher doses of vitamin c.

The blood plasma vitamin c concentration among vitamin c supplement users is about 60 to 70 percent larger than adults who do not take supplements (75-80 vs. 45-50 micromole). [J Am College Nutrition 13: 22-32, 1994] A daily intake of 1000 mg is needed to maintain plasma vitamin c concentration in the range of 75-80 micromole. Only 4.2 percent of the US population 3 to 74 years of age is probably to have plasma vitamin c levels above the 80 micromole point. [National Wellness Survey, Series 11, No. 232, DHHS Publication No 83-1682, 1982]

One particular broadly acclaimed study published in 1992 indicated that vitamin c, in oral doses exceeding 750 milligrams per day, increased the lifespan of males by about 6 years. [Epidemiology three: 194-202, 1992]

A study published inside the March 2004 issue with the American Journal of Epidemiology indicates males taking high-dose vitamin c exhibit a 2.68 less chance of calcification in their arteries compared to males who consume low doses of vitamin c. The risk for angina among adults who consume considerable amounts of alcohol could be cut in half with high doses of vitamin c. [Ann Epidemiology. 9: 358-65, 1999] One study concluded that 3000 mg of oral vitamin c everyday even increases the frequency of sexual intercourse. [Biological Psychiatry. 2002 52:371-4, 2002]

Safety will not be an issue in terms of mega-dose vitamin c supplements. Eight placebo-controlled, double-blind scientific studies and six non-placebo controlled clinical trials in with up to 10 000 milligrams of vitamin c was consumed every day for up to three years, confirm the safety profile of vitamin c pills in excess in the RDA. [J Am College Nutrition 14: 124-36, 1995] Frequent allegations are produced that vitamin c supplements might encourage the formation of kidney stones, but are poorly founded. Moreover, the false notion that withdrawal from high-dose vitamin C may well result in “rebound scurvy” has also been dispelled. Whilst vitamin c increases the absorption of iron, it has not been shown to induce iron overload in humans. [Nutrition Reviews 57: 71-77, 1999]

Anecdotal and unverified uses of vitamin c

Mega doses of intravenous vitamin c have been used successfully in some cases for coma recovery.
Linus Pauling and Dr Hugh Riordan advocated and claimed to have successfully treated cancer with high doses of vitamin c.
Anecdotal reports suggest that vitamin c may help in reducing scar tissue in the body (scarring from accidents, acne etc).
Anecdotal reports of vitamin c reducing angina pains and clearing plaque deposits in the arteries.