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PROMOTING VITAMIN C FOR COVID-19

prevention and treatment

Leading nutritional specialist Patrick Holford explains why he’s campaigning to bring the immunity benefits of vitamin C to a wider audience…

DURING these times of COVID-19, you are undoubtedly talking at length to your clients about how to support their immunity. The most critical advice we therapists can give is to ensure adequate vitamin C intake, the need for which increases in cases of infection. While eating a well-balanced diet might prevent any risk of overt deficiency, it is certainly not enough when under viral attack. There are also good grounds for an increased intake for everyone, but especially those at increased risk of infection, during this pandemic.

In a feature in the Lancet, which will shortly be published, World-leading vitamin C expert, Harri Hemila, Professor of Public Health at the University of Helsinki, notes, “Because the disease caused by the new coronavirus is much more severe than the ordinary virus infections, [this] may justify a regular increased daily intake of vitamin C for the period when the prevalence of the virus is high. Furthermore, the major cause for concern about COVID-19 is the high frequency of ICU treatment that is needed. A meta-analysis of 12 trials with 1766 patients found that vitamin C had shortened ICU stay by 8% (2). Another meta-analysis of eight trials found that vitamin C shortened the duration of mechanical ventilation in patients who needed longest ventilation (3). Based on dose vs. plasma level analyses, it is unlikely that a healthy person would benefit from daily vitamin C doses over 0.5 g/ day (4). However, when a patient suffers from a virus infection there may be a vitamin C dose response for up to 6-8 g/day (5). Vitamin C is a safe and inexpensive essential nutrient and therefore even small to moderate benefits may be worthwhile.”

Since then, as ICUs measuring vitamin C levels have published their results, this has shown that the vast majority of patients entering ICU have deficiency of vitamin C, and that the vitamin C level predicts survival. This can be thought of as a disease-induced ‘scurvy’. That is why it is wise to keep blood vitamin C levels optimal at all times, and to increase the daily dose up to 8 grams during active infection, in other words when symptoms of a cold first appear.

This is why a major new international campaign is being launched to promote the widespread use of vitamin C wherever there is a raised risk of COVID-19 infection, as well as an additional treatment for those seriously infected.

The launch of vitaminC4covid.com follows the publication of a major review of over 100 trials of the vitamin and the virus, which found that vitamin C could save the lives of those badly infected with COVID-19 and make the symptoms of milder infections less severe. The authors include several senior experts in intensive care. By mid-December, over 20 medical and nutritional organisations from 49 countries worldwide supported the campaign. Over 5000 doctors, nutritionists, health scientists and members of the public have also signed up in support.

Despite the extensive evidence, all detailed in the scientific review published in ‘Nutrients’, supporting the use of vitamin C in relation to COVID, details about its benefits are still being classified as ‘false information’. It is not yet recommended by governments and rarely prescribed by doctors.

In my opinion, this is a terrible thing – even medically negligent. Not only can vitamin C can reduce the number of people getting severely infected and dramatically reduce the risk of death in those critically ill in hospitals, it is safer than water, inexpensive and widely available. The appropriate use of vitamin C as early as possible in infection, and in high intravenous doses in ICUs would potentially be a game-changer.

According to the UK government’s National Diet and Nutrition Survey, 4% of the population - that is 480,000 people – have blood levels of vitamin C that are so low they are defined as deficient. This rises to almost half the people living in care homes. Too often, they don’t get enough vitamin C (and other nutrients) from their food. Those with a chronic disease, such as diabetes or heart disease, use up their vitamin C supplies much faster. On top of that, viral infections rapidly deplete vitamin C stores.

VitaminC4covid.com will be raising funds to investigate the vitamin C status in care homes and to establish how much older, more vulnerable people need to reduce their risk. The campaign is also seeking funds to run the definitive trial on vitamin C and colds, including COVID, for reducing severity and duration of symptoms.

Vitamin C is a safe and inexpensive essential nutrient and therefore even small to moderate benefits may be worthwhile.

China is already giving high dose vitamin C to hospitalised patients and intravenous vitamin C to the critically ill. They shipped in 50 million 1 gram doses into Wuhan on February 2nd and effectively wiped-out critical cases within a couple of months. The first randomised controlled trial from Wuhan’s Zhongnan hospital has reported 68% less mortality in those critical ill patients given vitamin C in their intravenous drip versus sterile water. Here, the Chelsea & Westminster ICU gives 6 grams to their patients testing deficient. This ICU has the lowest COVID mortality rate.

There are currently 45 trials registered using vitamin C around the world. The evidence is already considerably more substantial than that for vitamin D, another key COVID-19 defence nutrient which the government is already planning to supply for free.

The aim of the campaign is to get vitamin C taken seriously, both by governments, healthcare systems and individuals around the world. vitaminC4covid. com is calling for the following changes: n The government and its public health and nutrition agencies to thoroughly assess the evidence and fund studies of this inexpensive and safe nutrient.

n The government, NHS, health care and medical associations to recommend to all citizens to supplement vitamin C during this viral epidemic, based on the available evidence.

n Content on ‘vitamin C for COVID-19 or corona’ no longer being classified as false information in both digital, broadcast and print media.

n GPs, doctors and nutrition practitioners to be allowed and actively encouraged to recommend vitamin C supplementation for anyone with cold symptoms or coronavirus infection to reduce duration and severity of symptoms as an allowable health claim.

n All COVID-19 patients to be tested for vitamin C status and treated accordingly.

n Vitamin C to be given to all COVID-19 patients as early as possible on hospital admission.

n Intravenous vitamin C to be trialled as a standard adjunctive treatment for all critical

COVID patients in Intensive Care Units.

There is no doubt vitamin C can play an important role in tackling this pandemic, and we are calling on the government and healthcare practitioners to use all the available tools to help people survive COVID-19. The petition can be found at www.vitaminC4covid.com. n

iPATRICK HOLFORD, BSc, DipION, FBANT, NTCRP, is a leading spokesman on nutrition and mental health and founder of both the Food for the Brain Foundation and the Institute for Optimum Nutrition, an educational charity that offers degree accredited training in nutritional therapy. He is author of 45 books translated into over 30 languages. He is founder of www.vitaminCforcovid.com 2021