Ascorbic Acid and Multivitamin

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.

owlegrad

Uncontrollable Sarcasm Machine
Staff member
Administrator
Volunteer Staff
Lifetime Donor
15+ Year Member
Joined
Mar 19, 2009
Messages
25,308
Reaction score
11,918
Quick question:

Is having both Ascorbic Acid tablets and a Multivitamin overkill? I noticed that several of our patients are on both. I asked the director of pharmacy about it and she was like, "Oh yeah, a lot of Dr. Soandso's patients have both." The multi has 500 mg of vitamin c and the vitamin c tabs are another 500 mg so without considering diet the patients are getting 1 gram vit. c per day. I mean I know it's not gonna hurt the patients (being water soluble/readily excreted and all), but I just wanted to get some thoughts. Is it actually helpful to get both? Is this pretty common?

Thanks in advance!

Members don't see this ad.
 
Why are they getting it anyways? Who cares about vit C? Maybe pirates with scurvy but that's about it...
 
128864001573719038.jpg



I see that you can use up to 2 g a day for severe burns or severe deficiency.
 
Last edited:
Members don't see this ad :)
The more the better. Vitamin C is an anti oxidant and protects the body. Too much doesn't hurt as much as too little. Some people even believe you should even get 1g a day to prevent cancer/colds.
 
The more the better. Vitamin C is an anti oxidant and protects the body. Too much doesn't hurt as much as too little. Some people even believe you should even get 1g a day to prevent cancer/colds.

Yeah, most of them are on my acute leukemia service right now, still thinking that vitamin C is the answer to something. It makes me want to put my head through a wall....
 
Probably no better than placebo, plus MDs are more likely to keep on vitamins than take them off. Blame Linus Pauling.
 
The body will only absorb if it is deficient. IMO MVI are mostly a waste of money as well unless they have horrible diets and don't eat fruits/veggies. For vitamins for elderly it goes calcium/vit D and then magnesium - those are what people are most deficient in
 
I don't know if you know this but the absorption of vitamin C is limited to about 1 g at a time, taking more then that is worthless. But whatever makes you sleep at night.
 
The more the better. Vitamin C is an anti oxidant and protects the body. Too much doesn't hurt as much as too little. Some people even believe you should even get 1g a day to prevent cancer/colds.

That's a pretty broad spectrum of prevention, jumping from colds all the way to cancer...and what quicksilver said, the body can only absorb 500-1000mg a day anyway at most
 
I don't know if you know this but the absorption of vitamin C is limited to about 1 g at a time, taking more then that is worthless. But whatever makes you sleep at night.

When the attending is a nutrition expert, everybody gets multivites. We had one at the VA that sent every patient admitted to the ward home on MVs - and everyone of them complained about it during discharge counseling.
 
The more the better. Vitamin C is an anti oxidant and protects the body. Too much doesn't hurt as much as too little. Some people even believe you should even get 1g a day to prevent cancer/colds.

Vitamin C has never been proven to do a thing for a cold. Zinc on the other hand..........
 
Remember folks, placebo effect is still an effect. If 20% of people gets better just because its all in their head, then so be it. Since its not doing any harm and decrease health care cost, I say more power to this panacea! :D
 
MVI's are dirt cheap and it's definitely the placebo effect going on. I know everyone in our detox clinic gets it, especially if they're not getting anything else. Some of these patients seek it out, kind of interesting.
 
I'd be afraid that: Multi with/metallic minerals + Vit C --> kidney stones. It's still inconclusive, but if oxalic acid can cause kidney stones, then perhaps ascorbic acid can cause kidney stones, too.
 
Vitamin C has never been proven to do a thing for a cold. Zinc on the other hand..........


Zinc as well what?

I mentioned to my DO that I had used zinc when I had a cold after seeing a TV commercial saying a scientific study showed zinc reduced the duration of a cold. My DO said, yes, there was ONE study that showed zinc would reduce duration of symptoms but further studies showed zinc no more effective than placebo.
 
Top