National Institutes of Health Sent Letter Pleading For Removal of Misinformation Concerning Vitamin C

Misinformation concerning vitamin C intake is costing millions of Americans

February 16, 2005 -- A letter sent to Elias A. Zerhouni, M.D., Director of the embattled National Institutes of Health (NIH), calls for the NIH to review misinformation posted on its websites and printed literature regarding vitamin C.

The letter, also sent to more than sixty advisors to the NIH, claims that efforts to get the NIH to retract misinformation about vitamin C, based upon research conducted by NIH researchers themselves, have been unsuccessful and thus requires oversight by the Director of the NIH.

In the early 1990s NIH researchers claimed that consumption of more than 200 milligrams of vitamin C produces nothing more than ?expensive urine? and that the public should obtain their vitamin C from foods rather than supplements. The NIH recommendation was based upon studies that claimed the peak concentration of vitamin C in the blood circulation could not reach beyond a certain point (~70-85 micromole per liter), about what is achieved by consumption of 200 milligrams of oral vitamin C, and that additional amounts were of little value.

Early in 2004 NIH researchers then authored a research study showing that oral vitamin C could reach three times greater concentration in blood plasma than previously thought possible (greater than 200 micromole per liter). Increased blood plasma levels of vitamin C could significantly reduce mortality rates for millions of Americans whose dietary consumption of vitamin C is low. As evidence, a recent analysis of nine combined vitamin C studies indicates Americans who ignored the NIH advice to consume no more than 200 milligrams of oral vitamin C per day from plant foods, and instead took 700 milligrams or more of vitamin C from pills, experienced a 25 percent reduction in their risk for coronary heart disease. The average consumption of vitamin C from the diet is only about 110 milligrams with 4 in 10 Americans not consuming more than 60 milligrams per day.

The letter, written by Bill Sardi, President of Knowledge of Health, Inc., of San Dimas, California, also calls for the NIH to clarify to the public their need for vitamin C. The current recommendation to consume 200 milligrams of vitamin C from plant foods only applies to healthy adults and not growing children, pregnant females, individuals taking vitamin C-depleting drugs (steroids, aspirin), diabetics, smokers, athletes, hospitalized individuals or people with aneurysms, diabetes or early cataracts. This fact is not made clear in reports posted on NIH websites.

Furthermore, the National Cancer Institute, an institute of the NIH, now suggests Americans consume 9-13 servings of fruits and vegetables per day which would provide 450-650 milligrams of vitamin C. So information suggesting a 200 milligram limit on vitamin C appears to be outdated and not consistent between NIH institutes.

The entire letter can be viewed at www.askbillsardi.com

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