From COVID to Cancer, is Vitamin C the Answer?

Abstract

The controversy between pharmaceutical drugs and supplements is ever present in global society, especially now, in the media during the current Covid-19 virus. One of the most important, yet, provocative supplements is vitamin C. While historically, its positive benefits have long been known, during the last decades the push for pharmaceutical drugs, instead of supplements like vitamin C, has created a heated debate against this, and other very affordable supplements. The majority of primates, including humans, guinea pigs, some birds and fish do not make vitamin C, however, most mammals are able to synthesize it in their liver or kidneys. The result of this genetic mutation in humans, therefore, requires vitamin C to be consumed through dietary sources. Clinical studies indicate that vitamin C neither increases nor reduces the occurrence of kidney stones, it also has no mutagenic effect with up to 5000mg per day [1].