Scientists Discover New Role for Vitamin C in the Eye and the Brain

Nerve cells in the eye require vitamin C in order to function properly -- a surprising discovery that may mean vitamin C is required elsewhere in the brain for its proper functioning, according to a study by scientists at Oregon Health & Science University recently published in the Journal of Neuroscience.

"We found that cells in the retina need to be 'bathed' in relatively high doses of vitamin C, inside and out, to function properly," said Henrique von Gersdorff, Ph.D., a senior scientist at OHSU's Vollum Institute and a co-author of the study. "Because the retina is part of the central nervous system, this suggests there's likely an important role for vitamin C throughout our brains, to a degree we had not realized before."

The brain has special receptors, called GABA-type receptors, that help modulate the rapid communication between cells in the brain. GABA receptors in the brain act as an inhibitory "brake" on excitatory neurons in the brain. The OHSU researchers found that these GABA-type receptors in the retinal cells stopped functioning properly when vitamin C was removed.

Because retinal cells are a kind of very accessible brain cell, it's likely that GABA receptors elsewhere in the brain also require vitamin C to function properly, von Gersdorff said. And because vitamin C is a major natural antioxidant, it may be that it essentially 'preserves' the receptors and cells from premature breakdown, von Gersdorff said.

The findings could have implications for other diseases, like glaucoma and epilepsy. Both conditions are caused by the dysfunction of nerve cells in the retina and brain that become over excited in part because GABA receptors may not be functioning properly.

It's a relatively long article, so I don't really want to copy and paste a wall of text, but you can read it all here:

Scientists Discover New Role for Vitamin C in the Eye and the Brain

It takes large amounts of C to cross the blood brain barrier, so taking high grade powder form, in say 3 grams a day or more, and up to 8 or more when sick is really good for you. You can't eat that many oranges.

This actually comes from primate roots, or being cousins. In the jungle, primates eat huge massive amounts of fruit, an amount we could not even come close to and flood their bodies with vit C and also, even trace proteins and food, for most are vegan.

We've inherited that but the amount thats officially endorsed is only the amount needed to prevent severe scurvy, in other words, we are chronically depleted in the amounts our body and brains need.

They've even cured, or maintained schizophrenia symptom free in many patients on high doses of Vit C and b3, niacin or niacimide, with some other nutrients such as zinc added.

The receptors in the brain that the psychiatric medications bond too, are Vit C receptors.

They've known this for decades. I've read about this in books and newspapers, in the 80's.

So this isnt new, that they have known those are vitamin C receptors in the brain isn't new. Also, that it takes taking Vit C in 1 gram or more amounts daily to cross the brain blood barrier. So they've been keeping people chronically depleted deliberately for decades.

Originally posted by Unity_99

...3 grams a day or more, and up to 8 or more when sick...

Vitamin C overdose ?

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What are your thoughts ?

Originally posted by UmbraSumus

Originally posted by Unity_99

...3 grams a day or more, and up to 8 or more when sick...

Vitamin C overdose ?

---------

What are your thoughts ?

Try more like 40 grams a day when you are sick. 10 grams for maintenance. Unfortunately I can no longer do this due to the fact I produce kidney stones.

orthomolecular.org...

reply to post by UmbraSumus


any excess will be for the most part pissed away

the worse that could happen from an OD is diarrhea

reply to post by Unity_99


Interesting post. For reasons I can't entirely justify in a few words, I think Vitamin C is rather under-rated and I chew a couple of grams worth a day. The official RDI is grossly understated (every medical professional I've spoken to has admitted that this figure is a MINIMUM requirement) and considering how cheap and tasty Vitamin C tabs are, I'm surprised more people don't do as I do.

I suspect you concur.