Sales of vitamin C supplements are up 76% since this time last year…
But unfortunately, the immune-boosting effect is very little.
Why? Because your body can only absorb 500 mg of this kind of supplement at a time — and that’s nowhere near enough.
At the Sears Institute for Anti-Aging Medicine I deliver high dose IV therapy to my patients. IV therapy can safely deliver 5,000 mg of vitamin C in about an hour.
IV therapy allows the nutrient to bypass your digestive system and go directly into your cells. And bioavailability is 100%.1
Of course, a lot of conventional doctors still dismiss supplementing with any kind of vitamin C supplement as a waste of money. And that’s a tragic mistake because every single person is born with a vitamin C “deficiency.”
You see, humans are one of the only animals on the planet that can’t make their own vitamin C. The others are bats, guinea pigs, apes and fish.
You still have the gene. But because our ancestors got all the vitamin C they needed from their diet, the forces of evolution have turned this gene off.
And that’s bad news considering how little vitamin C we get from our food these days.
Researchers estimate — and I agree — that if our bodies still made vitamin C, we would produce somewhere about 5,000 mg a day. Today, we’re lucky if we get 200 mg to 300 mg.
Increase Your Second Line of Defense at Home
I understand that getting IV therapy isn’t an option for everyone at the moment… So here’s what I suggest you do to get more vitamin C at home:
- Maximize absorption. I recommend you take liposomal-encapsulated vitamin C. Liposomal is a technique that wraps the vitamin C molecule in a thin layer of fat.
These fats are called phospholipids — and that’s the same thing your cell membranes are made up of. That allows for easy delivery and 98% absorption.You can find liposomal vitamin C as a liquid, in capsule form and even as packets of orange-colored gel that you take as a shot.
- Eat these high vitamin C foods. You don’t have to eat citrus fruits every day to get vitamin C. In fact, there are a lot of foods that have more of this life-saving vitamin than the orange. Here are three of my favorites:
- Goji Berry. When you compare goji berries and oranges weight for weight, goji berries provide up to 500 times more vitamin C. They are also a rich source of zinc. Research at Case Western Reserve University has shown that zinc can shorten the length and severity of a cold.2 Zinc deficiencies are more likely to occur as we age.
- Camu. This South American berry is a rich source of vitamin C at 2,700 mg per 100 g. It has 60 times more vitamin C than an orange. Camu is also a potent antiviral. I like adding dried powder to smoothies or yogurt. Start with one teaspoon a day.
- Acerola Cherry. I call this little berry the queen of all fruits. Every 100 grams has 1,678 mg — more than 30 times the vitamin C of strawberries. Here in Florida, we can grow our own organic berries all year long. But if you don’t live in an area where you can grow this shrub, I suggest supplementing with an organic dried powder mixed into a sweeter drink to offset the slightly bitter taste.
If you live locally, the Sears Institute for Anti-Aging Medicine is once again open to safely provide you with the services you need. Patients regularly receive between 3,000 mg and 5,000 mg of vitamin C a day administered by IV drip. But during a pandemic, 7,000 mg to 10,000 mg is recommended. Call 561-784-7852 if you are interested in IV therapy.
To Your Good Health,
Al Sears, MD, CNS
1. Sechi G, et al. “Reduced intravenous glutathione in the treatment of early Parkinson’s disease.” Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry. 1996;20(7):1159-1170.
2. Hulisz D. “Efficacy of zinc against common cold viruses: An overview.” J Am Pharm Assoc (2003). 2004;44(5):594-603.