Best known for supporting the immune system, vitamin C is also one of body’s primary antioxidants and anti-inflammatories. Large amounts are found in the adrenals, eyes, and brain, where it is protective and has special functions, including helping us deal with stress. Vitamin C supports detoxification, including ridding the body of heavy metals like lead and mercury. Vitamin C helps prevent gallstones and kidney stones, and eradicate the ulcer-causing bacteria H. pylori. It supports fertility and helps alleviate diabetic complications, and
supports heart and bone health. Vitamin C deficiency is probably the single largest cause of heart disease and contributes greatly to cancer.

But why do we need supplements? Don’t we get enough from fruits and vegetables?

Well, no. The average American gets about 50 mg of vitamin C from their diet (the Recommended Daily Allowance is 90 mg per day). While these amounts may prevent scurvy, a total breakdown of body tissue leading to death, they are far from ensuring optimal health.

As vitamin C expert and editor of the Orthmolecular Medicine News Service Andrew W. Saul, PhD and his colleague Alan Spencer have pointed out, most mammals, but not humans, make their own vitamin C out of glucose. Imagine that! Whatever you eat—whether it’s carbohydrates, fats or proteins—gets turned into glucose in our bodies, which is carried around in our blood to fuel our body cells. So all that most animals have to do to make vitamin C is eat—anything!

According to Saul and Spencer, adjusted for body weight, most mammals make about 5,400 mg (equals 5.4 grams) of vitamin C per day, and considerably more when they’re stressed or ill.

But humans, apes, guinea pigs, fruit bats and some birds lack the proper enzyme to accomplish this magical feat. In the past, our ancestors got considerably more vitamin C in their diets than we get today, while stress and pollution have greatly increased our need for vitamin C. Our need is up and our intake is down.