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Why Do We Take Vitamin C Intravenously Instead of Orally?
Recently, our patients frequently ask about vitamin C therapy and want to know about IV/intravenous vitamin C.
Vitamin C is one of the best known vitamins. It is a water-soluble vitamin. So it is not one of the vitamins that have a risk of accumulation in the body. Excess vitamin C is excreted from the body with urine.
But the more important question is where, how much and how is oral vitamin C absorbed?
Vitamin C taken by mouth (orally) can be absorbed from the intestine at a rate of 1000 mg per hour. Vitamin C taken orally in excess of the body's limits can irritate the intestines and cause diarrhea (flatulence). For this reason, the daily amount of vitamin C taken orally should be increased gradually and the dose intervals during the day should be adjusted according to the individual.
Higher doses of vitamin C can be administered into the body as an infusion (slowly through the vein) than by mouth. Higher doses of vitamin C administered intravenously do not cause diarrhea or other digestive system disorders.
So Why High Dose Vitamin C?
High-dose intravenous vitamin C administration creates a strong antioxidant effect (free radical scavenger), thus supporting the immune system, strengthening the fight against infections and improving quality of life.
What is IV/Intravenous Vitamin C? What Does It Do? Are There Any Side Effects?
Large amounts of vitamin C that cannot be taken by mouth can be administered intravenously.
High doses of vitamin C taken intravenously (IV) have different benefits than low doses of vitamin C taken orally. These include anti-viral and anti-carcinogenic effects.
High doses of vitamin C strengthen the immune system; it neutralizes many viruses by denaturing them (i.e. by destroying the DNA structure)
Vitamin C, which is present at a certain level in serum, shows a pro-oxidant effect against cancer cells. In other words, cancer cells exposed to high doses of vitamin C mutate and die by undergoing a hydrogen peroxide reaction.
Again intravenously, but this time according to the needs of the person and the test results; starting from 25 grams (25,000 mg) up to 100 grams (100,000 mg) high dose Vitamin C application is also possible.
At these high doses, the concentration of vitamin C in the body reaches its highest level (what we call the peak plasma level). Vitamin C at this level interacts with iron and copper to form hydrogen peroxide, which kills pathogenic bacteria and cancer cells.
In intravenous vitamin C infusion therapy, although the dose varies according to the individual, it is usually done with vitamin C infusion at a dose of less than 15-25 grams (15,000-25,000 mg).
The biggest side effect of vitamin C is diarrhea and other digestive disorders. This side effect is only observed when large doses are taken orally, is temporary and never life-threatening.
A single administration of 755,000 mg (755 grams) of vitamin C is life-threatening, and this amount of vitamin C cannot be administered at once, even intravenously.
Is IV/Intravenous Vitamin C Suitable for Everyone?
Some people are genetically deficient in the enzyme Glucose 6 Phosphate Dehydrogenase / G-6-PD. High doses of vitamin C cause hemolytic anemia in these people. The adequacy level of this enzyme in the body should be checked before intravenous vitamin C administration.
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