Vitamin C and HIV+

[Jimrican]

An MD I know suggested me to take as much as 9,000 milligrams of Vitamin, C daily. He claims that it is toxic to cancer and viral cells without harming other cells in our body. He also suggested me to take two pills of Echinacea three times a day with meals. To what extent his suggestion can be effective on HIV? Will it help or harm? 

[Matty the Damned]

Jimmy,

First up I strongly advise against taking Echinacea. It's a no-no for HIV positive people. As far as I know it's "immune stimulating properties" are known to make it easier for the virus to attack our CD4 cells.

As for Vitamin C, well I'm not sure that there's any scientific evidence that large doses of any vitamin have any therapeutic effect regarding HIV. In fact very large doses of anything can be toxic. This is usually more of a problem with things like Vitamin A, but it's probably not a good idea to go mega-dosing on Vitamin C either.

The best way to get the proper amounts of vitamins and minerals is through a healthy balanced diet. You should only take supplements if you have a specific deficiency and following the advice of a doctor who knows what they're doing.

Regards,

MtD

[DanielMark]

First up I strongly advise against taking Echinacea. It's a no-no for HIV positive people.

I concur absolutely with Matty about this.

"According to the results of this study, however, echinacea clearly stimulates the production of cytokines that are known to weaken the immune system's ability to control HIV as well as many of the infections that cause serious illness in PHAs. It would appear therefore that echinacea is not beneficial to the immune systems of people living with HIV.

International Journal of Immunopharmacology 1997;19(7):371-379"

Daniel

[penguin]

hello..

vitamin c is water soluble, meaning yr body can't store it, & will just excrete any excess. >2000mg/day will likely just cause diarrhea/stomach upset

RDA is around 90 mg for men. Smokers need an additional 35 mg per day, because they process  vitamin C more rapidly/ have higher rates of oxidative stress.

kate

[anniebc]

Hi Jimmi

I also agree with Matty regarding the Echinacea.

Remember that almost 90% of vitamin C comes from foods, Vitamin C can be found in fruits, especially citrus fruits, and vegetables,  including green and red peppers, tomatoes, etc, etc, and green leafy vegetables such as cabbage and spinach.

keeping to a healthy diet is not always easy with so many of fast foods outlets around..but if you can have at least 3 veggies and a couple of pieces of fruit a day that will work well for you.

Eat well and stay healthy.

Hugs
Jan

[Carolann]

Though echinacea has some immunity boosting properties, it reverses when taking it for longer than 2 to 3 weeks. So, it is best to follow the advice and get your nutrients and vitamins from your diet. Be very careful with supplements as they can interact with the effectiveness of medications. It is pointless to take so much vitamin C because your body cannot store it.

CA

[Basquo]

Poz or not, that's WAY too much of either one for anyone to take.