Vitamin C Campaign Raises Questions Around Support for Supplements

Doctors, nutritionists, scientists and frontline workers from over 50 countries have pledged their support to the now international ‘vitaminC4Covid’ campaign that aims to get vitamin C taken seriously both for the prevention and treatment of Covid-19.

Despite over 100 studies and 45 in the pipeline for the treatment and prevention of Covid-19, governments and Covid advisors appear united in ignoring the ‘elephant in the room’, i.e. why is it that 98% of people infected with Covid-19 have only a mild infection and only 2% are critically ill? What is the difference?

There is already more than enough evidence that vitamin C status, perhaps even more than vitamin D, makes a big difference. Vitamin C, unlike vitamin D, is rapidly depleted during viral infection and both vitamin C and the anti-inflammatory hormone cortisol are released by the adrenal glands when under attack.

Intensive Care experts, both in the UK, US, Italy and China, advocate high dose vitamin C together with steroid drugs that mimic cortisol to maximise recovery.

Professor Paul Marik, in the US, gives 12 grams of vitamin C. Dr Marcela Vizcaychipi, in charge of research at the Chelsea and Westminster ICU, gives up to 6 grams to her critical Covid patients. You’d have to eat 18 oranges to achieve 6 grams of vitamin C, so supplementation is essential for anyone with cold symptoms that could be Covid.

Both Marik and Vizcaychipi advocate immediate high dose supplementation for anyone with symptoms, as well as vitamin D.

“Both vitamin C, D and zinc can shorten infection, which means substantially fewer people will tip into the inflammatory phase, with shortness of breath, which requires hospitalisation.” says nutritionist Patrick Holford, one of the co-authors of a review of all the evidence on vitamin C that has been presented to government agencies and their advisors, worldwide.

“Prevention, as with all diseases, means less stress on hospitals and healthcare services. Both vitamin C and vaccination share the same goal – to improve the immune system’s response upon infection.”

Find out more about Vitamin C and its role in helping to prevent and reduce Covid symptoms online