Guest guest Posted September 19, 1999 Report Share Posted September 19, 1999 InteliHealth - Home to s Hopkins Health Information: Health News InteliHealth - Home to s Hopkins Health Information Health News Search InteliHealth: Home Drug Search Condition Center Healthy Living Women's Health Men's Health News by Topic FREE SHIPPING in the InteliHealth Healthy Home Store FREE Health E-mail FREE Newsletter What's Hot? Ask the Doc Medical Dictionary Advanced Search Vitamin C Increase In Humans Urged August 23, 1999 NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Megadoses of vitamin C reduced the effects of stress in rats and apparently can help boost the production of an illness-fighting antibody, a researcher says. In light of the findings, health agencies should consider increasing the recommended dose of the vitamin in humans, now based on the amount needed to prevent scurvy and anemia, said P. , chairman of the biological sciences department at the University of Alabama at Huntsville. His speech Sunday to the American Chemical Society came almost five years after the death of Linus ing, the Nobel-winning chemist who suggested in the 1970s that large doses of vitamin C might prevent colds and other ailments. and his colleagues immobilized a group of rats for an hour a day to stress them. A control group was not immobilized. In both animals and people, the adrenal glands react to stress by releasing hormones that trigger the ``fight or flight'' reaction. The researchers found that 200 milligrams of vitamin C a day reduced the levels of stress hormones in the rats' blood. The dose is the equivalent of several thousand milligrams a day in people - far beyond the current recommended level of 60 milligrams. More than a thousand milligrams (one gram) a day can cause nausea, stomach cramps, diarrhea and, occasionally, kidney stones, according to The American Medical Association Encyclopedia of Medicine. Stress also suppresses the immune system, and found that megadoses of vitamin C increased the levels of an antibody - which fights against germs and viruses - in both stressed and unstressed rats. However, the increase in antibody level was greater in the unstressed rats, suggesting that stressed animals may need larger vitamin doses to keep the immune system going, said. Vitamin C also reduced other indicators of stress, such as loss in body weight, enlargement of the adrenal glands and reduction in the size of the spleen and thymus gland, he said. Copyright 1999 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. More News Top News General Health Children's Health Senior Health Women's Health Weight Management News Men's Health Mental Health Nutrition Fitness Heart Health Drugs Diabetes News Cancer Allergy Arthritis AIDS s Hopkins Expert Q & As Today in Health History This Week in Health Special Reports Tips for effective searching -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Help | About Us | Register | Change Profile | Contact Us | Press Room | Advertising | About Hopkins | Professional Network ©1996-1999 InteliHealth Inc. All rights reserved. All information is intended for your general knowledge only and is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment for specific medical conditions. You should seek prompt medical care for any specific health issues and consult your physician before starting a new fitness regimen. Use of this online service is subject to the disclaimer and the terms and conditions . " InteliHealth " and " The Trusted Source " are trademarks of InteliHealth Inc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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