From: Bonnie MacEvoy <bonmom@humboldt1.com>

Subject: Re: Vitamin C: Mega dose

> But it certainly has a lot of practical support based on how well it works.

> Tho, I always found Dr Paulings books filled with all sorts of reasons

> Vitamin C did such wondrous things.

I don't think anyone can argue Vitamin C is a wondrous substance with a

very essential role in metabolism. The doses and adament claims are the

issue here.

I tend to think the reason the medical

> community is so down on Vitamins in general

I do not know a member of the medical community who could be down on

vitamins as we are taught of their many values, essential role, and

serious effects of deficiencies.

>and Vitamins C and A in particular

I have not noticed a bias toward these vitamins. Hypervitaminosis, as

can happen with the fat soluble vitamins, can be a very serious problem.

I think you may mean beta-carotene? Vitamin A, stored in the liver, can

be a bad agent in large doses.

> is that they know how well they work and are scared to death at the

> catatrophic drop that would occur in their fee income

I am scared to death of lawyers who threaten medical practitioners for

advocating unproven tactics and taking one small step outside of what is

considered standard of practice as described by current medical

literature. I am also scared to death that I might someday hurt someone

with misinformation. I am often curious when I hear people slander what

doctors make as to what that person thinks would be a reasonable salary.

Usually they turn out to be misinformed about what most people earn after

what it costs them to practice. Getting personal and taking jabs at

professionals does not add any more credibility to unproven claims about

vitamins.

>if a large percentage

> of the population took reasonable doses of Vitamin C: 10 grams a day or more.

Describe reasonable. Could it be what you define as a necessary dose,

and anything else is unreasonable? Reminds me of the word people use

when describing their diet: "I eat moderate amounts".

> I have been taking that much or more for 30 years and in the last 40 years

> have had less than 600 dollars worth of medical bills. I would appreciate

> it if some of these medical scoffers of Vitamin C could produce a smaller

> life time total of medical bills by NOT using vitamin C.

True, true, and unrelated. I do not watch TV, and I have never been in

the hospital. This does not give me the right to prescribe it to

everyone with the promise to keep them well!

> Of course I also take lots of Vitamin A and in my 60's still read very

> easily with out glasses. I also eat lots and lots of eggs as well as

> several quarts of nice rich raw milk a week. Along with the milk I also

> take lots of yoghurt and sometimes wonder if either the milk or yoghurt

> makes it possible to take almost infinite amounts of vitamin C without

> upsetting ones intestines.

I had a patient in his 80's who smoked 3 packs a day. But if you play

the numbers and role the dice, I will side with the non-smokers. I am

very happy for your good vision, but I cannot advocate these things

based on your story. I know people who used to eat that way and are very

sorry.

> Why I do not know but Vitamin C also seems to be a marvelous pain killer

> in that the last time I even took an Aspirin was when I was nine or so.

Because you believe in it so absolutely. You need to let someone give

you an exact replica and not tell you if it is Vitamin C or a placebo, and

see how you feel.

> At any rate I do wish that all these medical scoffers would match your life

> time medical expenses by NOT USING VITAMINS against the same for those that

> do and then just be quiet

Jack, medical scoffers are not attacking those who take vitamins. I

encourage it and take them myself. What I am attacking is the way that

opinion is being funnelled into dogma. I would invite anyone to look at

each thing they do for their health - measure the costs and evaluate the

benefits. Make choices and see what works for you. Talk to many

kinds of practitioners. If you want a medical opinion, which will be

based on science and highly regulated by every agency known to man, seek

one. But do not pass along your personal experience

as scientific knowledge. And please stop doctor bashing. We are

pulling 80 hour weeks out here, many of us doing the best we can do try

to help people get better based on the methods and information we have

been taught. To vary from that violates our personal and professional

oaths, can result in loss of licensure, hospital privileges, and even

can be against the law.

All the best,

Bonnie