(hla) WHILE it is commonly accepted that the Ebola disease has no proven cure, some doctors propose that Vitamin C may be effective in fighting against the Ebola virus.

Ebola continues to be a serious global concern as the Ebola death toll rises. There are no official trials yet testing Vitamin C against the Ebola virus but so far, there has been no virus that a sustained high dose of Vitamin C, administered either orally or intravenously, has not killed off.

Leading expert on intravenous Vitamin C therapy Dr. Robert Cathcard said that the key to the possible effectiveness of Vitamin C against the Ebola virus lies in the fact that "the Ebola virus kills by way of free radicals which can be neutralised by massive doses of sodium ascorbate intravenously". Following Dr. Cathcard's reasoning, the answer to the question if Vitamin C can help one overcome or protect one from the Ebola virus seems to point to a YES.

High sodium ascorbate has been administered on Ebola patients intravenously beginning with at least 180 grams per day. Dosage and rate of administration are increased when the symptoms are not reduced. An epidemic of viral haemorrhagic fevers are usually prominent in populations that have low body stores of Vitamin C, which according to Mark Sircus, famous author of medical and health-related books, is found in many of the severely malnourished Africans.

Debates have been rampant over the years about the limit of Vitamin C that one should ingest per day. The general misconception most people have about Vitamin C is that one should only limit oneself to only consuming 1,000 mg of Vitamin C per day. Most believe that if this amount is exceeded, one is vulnerable to developing kidney stones. A few research conducted claimed that results showed that there is a link between Vitamin C and incidences of kidney stones. However, according to Goodwin in 'Battling quackery: attitudes about micronutrient supplements in American academic medicine', the evidence linking Vitamin C supplements with an increased rate of kidney stones remains inconclusive. More people are beginning to realise that any extra vitamin C will simply be flushed out of your body in your urine.

Linus Pauling, one of the most influential chemists of all times, was a strong proponent of consuming high doses of Vitamin C for health reasons. The recommended amount of Vitamin C to avoid a mere common cold is 8-10 grams (8,000-10,000mg) per day. Considering the fact that most people believe that the limit of Vitamin C to be consumed is only 1,000 mg per day in our society today, which people are accustomed to a hectic lifestyle and undisciplined diet, is it any wonder that human health is deteriorating?

Just as Dr. Cathcard has said, the Ebola virus kills by way of free radicals. Vitamin C has long been known to protect the body against the destructive effects of free radicals. Although no formal research has been conducted to prove these theories, one is compelled to recognise that the intake of Vitamin C in high doses could very well be the answer to overcoming this deadly virus.

Nonetheless, a sudden intake of excessive Vitamin C can cause the body to react adversely (e.g. diarrhoea, cramping, headache etc.). This is why Pauling suggests for one to start with low doses and gradually increase the intake as the body begins to tolerate the high level of Vitamin C.

More than 1,400 people in Sierra Leone, Guinea, Nigeria and Liberia have lost their lives due to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa.



By Genevieve Tan Shu Thung

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Holistic Living Annex (AUGUST 2014)