Review of Nutrition Collective webinar: Flu Fighters Vitamin C Demystified

  Published to Latest News on May 30, 2020

Flu Fighters – Vitamin C Demystified: An Expert Deep Dive with Patrick Holford and Dr Richard Chen 28 April 2020

Patrick Holford well known author, nutritional therapist and founder of the Institute Optimum Nutrition.

Dr Richard Chen, Senior Advisor to ShenZhen Medical Association,was speaking from Shanghai.

In the opening slides to the webinar Holford introduced Linus Pauling and his work on vitamin C with this apt quote, from his book ‘Vitamin C the Common Cold and the Flu’:  “In 1976-1977, when another swine-flu epidemic is expected, it is especially important that everyone know that he can protect himself to a considerable extent against the disease and its consequences by the use of this important nutrient, vitamin C.”

Holford continued to take us through in detail the role of vitamin C and the immune system. For example:

• Vitamin C has been shown to increase interferon levels, which have anti-viral activity.
• Vitamin C enhances the production of T-lymphocytes, essential for cell-mediated immune responses.
• Vitamin C enhances macrophage activity and clearing spent neutrophils from site of infection
• Vitamin C helps to Inhibit haemagglutinin and neuramidase spikes on viruses

He went on to note that at the point of the webinar, it had been observed that many Covid-19 patients had no detectable levels of vitamin C in their bodies, meeting the diagnostic criteria for scurvy.

Looking more closely at vitamin C and Covid-19, Holford explains that the cytokine storm, where the immune cells over-react, can be reversed by Ascorbic Acid.

In China it was observed that their protocol did include Vitamin C, alongside Heparin (anticoagulant) and Steroids, which may account for some of their successes in treating infected patients.

So, what is the best form to take: Holford showed a chart of oral ascorbic acid vs oral sodium ascorbate. Whilst ascorbic acid did raise blood levels quickly, sodium ascorbate did appear to give more steady blood concentrations. IV vitamin C is effective at quickly increasing higher blood concentrations than oral products. Whilst for oral supplementation liposomal vitamin C did appear to absorb more quickly than unencapsulated vitamin C, and was useful for achieving higher doses without any GI upset.

It was interesting at this point to go to Dr Richard Chen, in Shanghai, who shared the latest results from Dr. Mao’s (Shanghai) and Dr Peng ’s (Wuhan) trials. Results are demonstrating that the early use of vitamin C to treat patients with Covid-19, were resulting in lower mortality rates.

He explained that China did take delivery of tonnes of vitamin C and have been using this throughout the pandemic. Administered mostly via IV, they used Vitamin C levels of around 10,000mg to 24,000mg, sometimes more. 

He concluded by saying they are largely getting back to normal now in China.

Holford completed the webinar by introducing his new book ‘Flu Fighters– How to win the cold war by boosting your natural immunity with non-toxic nutrients’. Key points alongside the use of
Vitamin C, were:

• Increase antioxidant intake and reduce oxidative stress
• Up your foods high on the ORAC scale 
• Use Vitamin D for immunity (as research shows vitamin D can potentially reduce the risk of covid-19 infections and death)
• Zinc has many immune benefits
• Quercetin for inflammation and immunity, plus quercetin can also increase the body’s uptake of zinc

‘Flu Fighters’ has much more useful and practical information, as well as indepth technical info on the subject. See www.flufighters.net