It may not be a coincidence that its name begins with the same letter as calcium. A study on this crucial vitamin, typically recognized as an immune system builder and scurvy’s worst foe, has confirmed that it plays a pivotal role in bone health.
The study was published in The Journal of Biological Chemistry. It clearly demonstrates that when Vitamin C or ascorbic acid is present in greater concentrations than just the minimum dosage to prevent scurvy, it promotes higher bone mass and lowers fracture rates.1
This happens because Vitamin C suppresses osteoclasts (bone-destroying cells) while it also stimulates the production of osteoblasts (bone-building cells). Thanks to this balanced process, Vitamin C promotes healthy and constant bone renewal, critical to preventing fractures.
Let’s keep in mind that most osteoporosis drugs, including the widely prescribed bisphosphonates, only manage to suppress osteoclasts. They don’t stimulate osteoblasts which means that they don’t promote new bone growth. Clearly, osteoporosis drugs cannot compete with Vitamin C’s dual action on bone renewal!
Good Findings, No Big Surprise
Vitamin C’s direct role in bone health has unfortunately not yet stirred up the mainstream medical community, which still continues to ignore it as a crucial micronutrient for bone health. Chances are that your doctor never mentioned to you the importance of getting enough Vitamin C for your bones.
The same cannot be said about the Save Our Bones community. From the get-go, the Osteoporosis Reversal Program includes Vitamin C as one of the Foundation Supplements. Plus I write in the Program that the current Recommended Daily Allowance of 60 mg is much too low to support bone health.
I‘ll discuss dosage in more detail a little later, because first, I’d like to give you a quick snapshot of Vitamin C’s function as…
Your Powerful Bone-Building Ally
While most mammals and practically all animals synthesize their own Vitamin C, humans don’t. We can only get it from foods and supplements.
In the Osteoporosis Reversal Program I explain the mechanism by which Vitamin C helps build bones and prevent fractures as follows:
“Without Vitamin C, collagen is insufficiently hydroxylated and therefore, it can’t be formed properly. Since osteoblasts manufacture collagen to bind the bone matrix cells together by forming hydroxyapatite, Vitamin C plays an important role in bone health.”
How Much Should I Take?
In the Osteoporosis Reversal Program I recommend taking a minimum of 500 mg a day of Vitamin C, either ascorbic acid, sodium ascorbate, or the ascorbate bound to other minerals. I also encourage you to eat plenty of foods that contain it. They are all listed under the Foundation Foods, and include common staples such as oranges, tangerines, pineapple, cantaloupe, broccoli, cauliflower and many more.
What is important to understand here is that 500 mg is the minimum amount. Vitamin C is water-soluble, which means that the body gets rid of it quickly and efficiently. Therefore, in the Osteoporosis Reversal Program I assert that, “…it is better to err on the high side.”
And the study researchers agree on this – albeit a few years later – and write that,
“While current recommendations may be valid for the prevention of scurvy, they are not necessarily appropriate for the prevention of osteoporosis.”1
The maximum? It can be as high as 2,000 mg, the Tolerable Upper Limit recommendation, which was set as the level where a supplement is typically free of side-effects for almost everyone. Just make sure you don’t take it all at once.
Special Occasions
In addition to your regular daily Vitamin C intake, there are times when you should consider taking extra to boost your immune system and to reduce inflammation and speed up healing . Here’s a short list to keep in mind:
- When you need to spend time in a hospital, either for a procedure or to visit a friend or loved one.
- Before major dental work, such as an extraction, root canal, etc.
- If you’ll be spending many hours on an airplane.
- If someone in your household has the flu or other contagious condition.
And remember, “C’s” the day!
Till next time,
References
1 Gabbay K. H. et al. “The Ascorbate Synthesis Pathway: Dual Role of Ascorbate in Bone Homeostasis.” The Journal of Biological Chemistry. April 21, 2010.
In regards to the opening comments made which began this blog, no one, not even I, has addressed the 2 ton gorilla doing handsprings in the bathtub in the middle of the room. Of course, that is the misuse and misunderstood use of the term Vit C, and it’s very real physiologic dosages. This molecule is a ‘complex’, just as the B group is, and so many others, which are naively and ignorantly (i.g. – lack of knowledge) spoken about. The outermost molecular ring of the C complex, ascorbic acid (or…the anti-scorbutic factor) is a powerful anti-oxidant and has anti-histiminic effects to be sure – is NOT Vit C as the human mammalian animal is screaming for – as we no longer make our own. Ascorbic acid will NOT stop nor reverse scurvy, but whole food C-Complex WILL, as so deftly demonstrated by Szent-Gyorgi and his repeated successful trials with paprika &! failures trying to replicate with asc acid), who was roundly misquoted by the press so many decades ago – and received the Nobel prove for (sorry for poor grammar ).
Suppressing o.clastic activity is nothing to be proud of. That’s the equivalent to using termite infested timber to frame a house. It looks normal on the outside, but has no substance, no joi-de-vie, no mass, no holding power, no STRENGTH, on the inside. Are we not forced to wonder if whole C Complex would demonstrate the same ‘property biologique’?
Anyone can own a blog and have the Constitutional right )as they should) to write or say most anything. But caveat emptor – sometimes the Emperor has no clothes, and someone needs to step up and state this so clearly.
Thank you very much for your feedback, Dr Scott. This is a good illustration of why getting as many nutrients as possible from food is optimal. 🙂
Linus Pauling did work with Vitamin C. He said 3 major things. But 2 of those things turned out to be not entirely true, those being that VitC is great for common colds and VitC helps fight cancer, since then, no one seems to take him seriously. However the 3rd item, his ground breaking research where he showed (very logically) that VitC is used for cardiovascular and arterial health went un-noticed. It is the best thing for heart disease and rebuilding your vascular system. Based on his research, you are supposed to take 6 – 12 grams a day, as he did, and lived to be 93. I have started this regiment and take 3 x 3 (3 grams 3 times a day) and the results are astonishing. I am going to do like him and take this level till I reach 93.
Linus was a dual noble prize recipient and an expert in multiple scientific fields, and I take him seriously.
To save bones, stop dairy, reduce meat intake, stop fructose (the sweet stuff), start a strength training program, get magnesium, zinc and D3 supplement. Try not to supplement D3 since your body can create it from the sun. Get sunlight. 🙂
Colin, thank you for that feedback, and for your insights about Linus Pauling. 🙂 It always impresses me how community members do their own research and share the results!
Hi Vivian, thanks so much for all your great information.
Yesterday I had an appoinment with my Endocrinologist, to inform him that I decided no to take the Reclast infusion, he was not happy. My Osteoposisis is very bad, and I had 6 fractures so far.
I mentioned the Vit C and he lokeed at me like I was from another planet.
He said, “I never hear of that in my life”
Thank U, 4 the information. I’m a 59 yrs. old Vegan who has a condition call”COLD URTICARIA”. It was diagnose on 11/26/1991 but, this year I’ve decided 2 work @ being healthy,tone,strong & as flexible as I caan. Yet, I do not digest protein well so, Dr. Oz & some of the information I’ve read talked about V-C but, my inner Spirit, that Chatter mind kept saying 2,”take 1000 mg. daily of V-C & I started today after workout! U b safe & bless,peace!
I am a diabetic with” heart and potassium level a little high in the kidneys” would vitamine C cause problems for me.I have osteoporosis.
Thank you so much for this information. It really helps my family and me