Give me a C

Pookie has long been a fan of Vitamin C. He starts most days with a glass of OJ and he credits this (along with his obnoxious love of water) with a his irritating ability to only get sick once every two years. I myself am not a fan of the orange (unless used to garnish or supplement a summer cocktail). Several years ago a vitamin c mega dose made it's way into our home. It's one of those citrus flavored drink mixes that gives you a shot of vitamins including a 1667% of the Daily Recommendation Value of Vitamin C (DRV is 75-95 mg).


Obviously, I was not sold on this item. It's pervasive availability wormed it's way in to my life. Eventually I found uses for it. I would mix up a packet when I got a cold (which happens EVERY TIME I visit the desert) or when I had over imbibed and needed a shot of energy in the morning (B vitamins are included in the mix too). It creeped into my habits little by little although I would not really have said I subscribed to the treatment.


We all know Vitamin c is crucial to the function of the human body. Did you know that most animals create their own vitamin c instead of depending on food to supply it? As a matter of fact humans and higher primates carry a mutated and ineffective form of the enzyme L-gulonolactone oxidase, which is the last step in producing vitamin c in the body.


I've always been a little leery of overdosing on anything, including vitamin C. Recently I had a little adventure which meant that I was traveling through the desert every two weeks. One cold would end about the time I had to gear up for the next one. I did some reading and bought my own mega dose packets.


There is no conclusive evidence on the benefit of mega dosing vitamin C although it has seen an amazing number of tests and trials. The thing that finally swayed me is that even the most innocuous of side effects (indigestion when taken on an empty stomach) isn't seen with less than 6 grams daily. That is 8000% of Recommended Daily Allowance. I now mega dose daily, I've even found a supplement that includes Glucosamine to aid with my aching joints, but that is another blog altogether.


You know, I think I could easily persuade my folks to take up this mega dosing thing, so maybe it's not a crazy California thing at all...