What dose of Vitamin C?

[Edit 13 March 2020. Vitamin D & A compliment Vitamin C in strengthening the immune system.]

Vitamin C offers excellent protection and treatment for babies and children against common infections. Knowing this information helps parents make wise choices regarding commonly recommended preventative measures, such as vaccines. There are many known side effects from vaccines and many medical professionals who question the effectiveness of vaccines. Knowing which infections your child may be exposed to, and how you can treat them naturally and effectively at home using vitamin C will help you make a fully informed choice regarding vaccines. We all want safe healthy children. We need to thoroughly understand the risk of any and all treatments recommended for our children.

Vitamin C taken in a daily dose for health, three times a day, protects from illness and provides many benefits. A much higher dose is needed upon first noticing any symptoms of illness in order to resolve the infection quickly.

There are several doctors who recommend high dose vitamin C, but have slightly differing target amounts. You can decide what you want to do for yourself and your family.

Important notes:

  • Vitamin C is the best broad-spectrum antibiotic, antihistamine, antitoxic, and antiviral substance there is. It is safe, effective, and inexpensive.
  • Quantity (enough) and frequency of dose are the keys to successfully using vitamin C therapy. The goal is to maintain high levels in the blood. When treating illness, the more frequently you can give the doses the better.
  • 1 gram = 1000 mg.
  • Sodium ascorbate powder (SAP) is a good form of vitamin C because it is non acidic to the stomach. Ascorbic acid powder can also be used. Powdered forms are the most economical and can easily be mixed with a small amount of water or juice and swallowed. Many prefer to buy brands that are not made in China and do not use GMOs. Nutribiotic Sodium Ascorbate powder is inexpensive and recommended by Dr Suzanne Humphries. You can get it in 8 oz or 16 oz sizes from iHerb.
  • Sufficient-C brand ascorbic acid. Recently added to the recommendations of Dr Suzanne Humphries: “The benefit of this brand is that it tastes amazing. It is a bit more expensive than Nutribiotic SA and it is Ascorbic Acid not Sodium Ascorbate.” It is especially helpful for babies and children who refuse other forms of SAP. There is a high level of tolerance because it tastes good. You can mix 50:50 Sufficient-C and SAP or add Sufficient-C powder to the SAP to hide the taste. It is sweetened with stevia and nothing harmful. It also contains caffeine free green tea extract, L-lysine and bromelain.
  • You cannot ‘overdose’ on vitamin C or get dependent on it. When the body has reached saturation, it simply excretes the extra in urine and bowel.

Pediatrician Lendon H. Smith, MD recommends 3 g per day for pregnant women for benefits to the woman, the birth, and the baby. For baby he recommends 100 mg per day per month of age (6 mo 600 mg, one year old 1 g, two-year old 2 g, etc). Dr Smith recommends a daily dose of 2 – 5 g for everyone.

Dr Klenner recommended daily doses of 10-15 g from the age of ten through adult for preventative maintenance. Children should have their age in grams up the age of 10 (i.e. a one year old 1 g per day, a five-year old, 5 g per day).

If any symptoms of illness occur, increase the dose. Illness and stress depletes vitamin C in our bodies causing a need to ingest more.

Dr Andrew Saul: “Take enough vitamin C to be symptom free, whatever that amount may be. In order for vitamin C to act as an antiviral, antibiotic, antitoxin, or antihistamine, you need a huge amount. Expect to use as much a 1 g of vitamin C per pound of baby. You may very well get a cure with less, but not a lot less. What works is what works.” Bowel tolerance indicates saturation of vitamin C. When bowel tolerance occurs, the bowel will empty quickly. Continue to give vitamin C, but decrease the quantity slightly.

How do I get a baby or child to take so much vitamin C?

Add powdered sodium ascorbate to a small amount of water or juice so they will drink it all. During illness, set a timer and offer every hour or every half hour. Dr Saul recommends that If you are desperate and the child is refusing, add sugar to the water. Rather give baby the vitamin C with a little sugar, then not get them to take the vitamin C at all. Babies older than one year can have honey mixed in the water instead of sugar. Some babies will tolerate a little vitamin C powder directly on their tongue, followed by water or breast.

“You can either use enough, or have a sick child.” Dr Andrew Saul

“Does the cost of daily doses of vitamin C bother you? The average baby uses around 6,000 diapers before toilet training. You might just as well have a healthy baby as a dry baby!” Dr Andrew Saul

“’My baby is still sick.’ The dose needs to be higher. Shooting beans at a charging rhinoceros is not likely to influence the outcome!” Dr Andrew Saul

Dr Klenner’s therapeutic dose is 350 mg of vitamin C per kilogram of body weight per day in divided doses. Roughly represented in this chart (18 doses per day is approximately every 1 and 1/2 hours):

For serious viral illness Dr Klenner actually used as much as four times these amounts, administered by injection. For more severe symptoms, you can give more orally, up to bowel tolerance.

If you are facing a serious infection in a child, here is an idea of how you might proceed in order to get rid of it quickly:

Give 1g (1/4 tsp) vitamin C in the form of sodium ascorbate per year of age in a little juice all at once. A little more is better than a little less in this instance. Wait for 2 hours.

At 2 hours you should get a bowel tolerance response consisting of a very explosive bowel movement – complete with wind and very runny poop. If this doesn’t happen by 2 hours, give another 1g per year of age per hour until it does. I am willing to bet this will produce the goods in 2 hours, but if the patient is really sick, vitamin C levels might be low, and it might take a bit more to reach bowel tolerance response point (BTR).[1]

When BTR is reached, symptoms should subside and patient should feel better in a very short time, depending on the severity of the illness. If symptoms continue, continue to give sodium ascorbate frequently but below the bowel tolerance level.

After symptoms subside, continue to give a healing dose, or slightly more. That is, the child’s age in grams (up to 5 – 10 grams per day) spread over 3 times a day.

Vitamin C, given in high enough doses, given frequently enough, is one of the most powerful antidotes to both viral and bacterial infections. When parents understand how to use vitamin C at the first sign of illness for babies, children, and themselves, they will no longer fear the ‘dreaded childhood infections’ and will be able to confidently investigate the risks of any infection versus the known risk of vaccine injury.

Before a baby is two years old, the CDC says they need 36 vaccines against 14 different infections, delivered via 24 needles, and containing 91 different antigens. I encourage all parents to investigate which shots are being offered to you and why.

Further educate and inform yourself on the benefits and effectiveness of Vitamin C therapy by watching and reading:

  1. Vitamin C Basics by Suzanne Humphries, MD, Internist and Nephrologist. https://youtu.be/JFT5rdwrNV0
  2. The Vitamin Cure For Infant and Toddler Health Problems by Ralph Campbell, MD and Andrew W. Saul, Ph.D.
  3. Dr Klenner’s Clinical Gide to the Use of Vitamin C by Lendon H. Smith, MD (1988). Dr Klenner explored using Vitamin C in high doses for a huge variety of illnesses/conditions. His primary mode of delivering the vitamin C was through injection. http://www.whale.to/a/smith_b.html
  4. The Healing Factor, by Irwin Stone, MD, available in an electronic version http://vitamincfoundation.org/stone/
  5. UPDATED version of Dr Suzanne Humphries’ protocol for treating Whooping Cough (pertussis) using vitamin C. http://drsuzanne.net/2017/10/sodium-ascorbate-vitamin-c-treatment-of-whooping-cough-suzanne-humphries-md/

[1] For more info on taking Vitamin C to bowel tolerance point, especially for treating chronic illness, and finding your own ‘saturation point’ http://beyondhealth.com/media/wysiwyg/kadro/articles/VitC-Bowel-Tolerance.pdf

Edited (25 June 2020) to add some links to sodium ascorbate brands available on Amazon. The sodium ascorbate powder is slightly salty. I prefer to dissolve it into a small amount of water and drink it quickly. Some prefer to mix it in juice.

  • Source Naturals. If you want to start with a 16 oz size, this bottle has a secure top, but is slightly more expensive than the NutriBiotic brand (below).
  • NutriBiotic Sodium Ascorbate Powder. Dr Suanne Humphries recommends this brand. The 16 oz size does not have a very secure top. It is important to keep vitamin C powder well sealed for best performance. The larger version is 2.2 pounds and has a more secure top.
  • Sufficient C. Flavored powder. Dr Suzanne Humphries recommends this brand of powder which is more expensive, but can be helpful especially for sick babies/children because it is more tasty and generally well accepted by children. You can combine with another brand of powdered sodium ascorbate powder for a more potent economical dose.

Author: Becky Hastings, wife, mother, grandmother, passionate follower of Jesus and truth. As a breastfeeding counselor for over 23 years Becky is devoted to helping parents make wise decisions for the long-term health and wellbeing of their babies. As a member of a Vaccine Safety Education Coalition, Becky writes and speaks on the topic of vaccine safety.

35 thoughts on “What dose of Vitamin C?

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  4. In May 2018 I found, to my shock, that the short article on Fred R. Klenner had disappeared from Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_R._Klenner?oldid=531538745). After several months of research, I posted a much-expanded article on Wikipedia about Frederick Klenner’s life and clinical work.

    As soon as I posted the Klenner article on Wikipedia in July 2018, it got challenged: The critic claimed it was not neutral, arguing it “gave undue weight to certain ideas.” Responding to that critique, I deepened my research, adding objections voiced against Klenner’s nutritional therapies by mainstream medical doctors — as well as details of Klenner’s extremist politics and racial bigotry, which I had been unaware of when I first posted my article on Wikipedia.

    Even so, in October 2018 I received a notice on my Wikipedia feed: “A discussion is taking place as to whether the article ‘Frederick Klenner’ is suitable for inclusion in Wikipedia according to Wikipedia’s policies and guidelines or whether it should be deleted.” Despite my best efforts to counter the attacks from a clique of prejudiced and arbitrary editors, they wound up deleting the Klenner article the next month — and summarily dismissed my appeal of their decision. Here’s the debate over the issue of deleting the article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Articles_for_deletion/Frederick_Klenner

    Once I realized my Wikipedia article was on the chopping block, I saved it as a PDF file. Here it is: https://www.docdroid.net/T38LM4o/frederickklenner.pdf

  5. Dr. Thomas Levy, in his book “Curing the Incurable: Vitamin C, Infectious Diseases, and Toxins,” skillfully summarizes over a thousand scientific articles on vitamin C therapy and prophylaxis since the 1930s, even delving into scientific journals published in German and Japanese. At the end of his book, Levy recommends liposomal vitamin C capsules as superior even to intravenous sodium ascorbate: “…Given the choice of only one or the other, adequately dosed oral liposome encapsulated vitamin C will prove to be clinically superior to intravenous vitamin C in most instances.” (“Curing the Incurable,” 3rd edition, 2009, page 441). Levy presents not a shred of evidence to support his bold and novel claim in favor of liposomal vitamin C.

    After reading Levy’s book around six years ago, I ordered a batch of liposomal vitamin C caps from the Joseph Mercola web store. I found them clearly inferior to the NOW vitamin C (ascorbic acid) caps I take routinely in daily megadoses: Whenever I sneeze, get a runny nose or scratchy throat, I swallow three 1-gram NOW vita C caps with lots of water…and I almost always feel relief within one minute (even faster with a teaspoon of Nutribiotic sodium ascorbate powder dissolved in water). But I did not get that therapeutic effect with the far more expensive Mercola liposomal C caps.

    A 2014 article by three nutritional researchers discusses the advantages and drawbacks of liposomal vitamin C. The authors conclude: “Liposomal vitamin C is NOT more effective than [intravenous vitamin C] for fighting acute infections. This suggestion is unscientific and unsupported by data. We prefer liposomes for chronic infections and cancer, but this does not extend to acute illness. There is also a lot of hype around the fact that liposomes can be absorbed directly into cells. Many liposomes are absorbed from the gut and pass into the liver, where they are stored and the vitamin C released. Liposomes may also float around in the bloodstream, lymph nodes, and so on, waiting to release their contents or be taken up by cells. But the cells that take up the liposomes are not necessarily those that are most in need of vitamin C. Moreover, cells may suffer side effects; liposomes are basically nanotechnology…”
    http://orthomolecular.org/resources/omns/v10n13.shtml

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  8. So when it says and adult should have 10-15 g a day that is 15,000 mg? I feel like that is a lot. Like I have vitamin c tablets and they are 500 mg per tablet, so I would need to take like 30 of them a day when the bottle says take 1-2 daily.

    Not trying to come off as rude or say this isn’t correct. I really am just curious because if I do need to take a lot more then I would really like to know as I am breastfeeding my 5 month old baby who is not vaccinated. Also would the levels be the same since I am breastfeeding or will I need to take a lot less?

    • Hi Misha
      The experts on vitamin C that I have quoted in this blog recommend much higher doses than will be on your bottle. Many recommend a standard dose for everyone of 1 g a day which is 1000 mg, and higher doses when an immune boost is needed. Using sodium ascorbate powder (as recommended by Dr Suzanne Humphries) makes it a lot easier to take such a high dose, and it is recommended to take it throughout the day, not all at once. You can start with less and gradually increase. When we are under stress we need more vitamin C and can safely take quite high amounts – sometimes as much 50 grams or more per day. Most experts agree that taking very high doses when the body does not need it will result in a quick evacuation of the bowels, but is otherwise not harmful.

      While many people don’t mind the taste of sodium ascorbate in water, if you don’t like the taste of sodium ascorbate powder, you can put it in a small amount of water and swallow quickly, chase it with something that tastes more pleasant to you.

      Hope that helps. Please review some of the links for more detailed information. The RDAs don’t reflect the bodies true need for vitamin C.

      Becky

    • Thank you so much Becky! So that is the same even when breastfeeding? I am ordering the one you recommended today! 😁😁

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  11. Be careful with stevia. It is not safe for everyone. It is a member of the ragweed family and many people are allergic. I have read numerous reports of people having side effects from stevia.

  12. We prefer the L-ascorbic acid in sufficient c
    My whole family tolerates it very well as it is very easy on the stomach , plus this drink mix is very pleasant to drink in high doses .

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  14. Is there any concern for the amount of sodium that comes along with giving such high doses of the sodium ascorbate powder? Especially when giving daily for maintenance?

    • Hey Brittany,

      Great question!

      Dr Suzanne Humphries, an experienced nephrologist (kidney specialist) did a detailed literature review which she reports on in this talk. Starting at 58:52 she addresses kidney stones and vitamin C. I encourage you to watch this section, it is informed, comprehensive, but short! Further, in this detailed revised article on the protocol for treating WC she makes this statement: “If there is concern about kidney stone formation, or kidney failure, do not take vitamin C or ascorbate without consulting your doctor. In older children and adults, hydration with water and fresh lemon will alkalize and dilute the urine, making oxalate stone formation nearly impossible. If there is a known history of a stone forming disorder called hyperoxaluria, then caution should be exercised. However to be safest, keep the urine dilute and alkaline as oxalate stones form in acidic, concentrated urine.”

      So keeping hydrated with clean water is extremely important while taking sodium ascorbate up to bowel tolerance seems to be a good guideline. The dose required will increase to fight infection or stress induced illness.

      Thanks for asking!
      Becky

      Ps. My personal limited experience is that kidney stones occur more in people who are dehydrated and/or drink sodas.

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    • “Sodium ascorbate powder is a good form of vitamin C because it is non acidic to the stomach. Ascorbic acid powder can also be used. Powdered forms are the most economical and can easily be mixed with a small amount of water or juice and swallowed. Many prefer to buy brands that are not made in China and do not use GMOs.”

      You can easily find a variety available on-line or at local health stores. For acute illness with children, lypsomal versions can help deliver the vitamin C more effectively, but it is expensive. It is sometimes more easily accepted by children and babies and this is helpful especially when in an acute illness vitamin C needs to be given frequently. Some parents like to have it on hand for emergency use, but use the powdered forms for regular preventive uses.

  16. I think this is great information but also want to point out that some research indicates vitamin C can chelate copper. Good if you are high in copper- not good if you are low. Like anything that is not in food form (an thus doesn’t contain multiple nutrients in combination), I think it’s wise to use with some caution. I know Klennar uses it long term, but if I use vitamin C longer term with my kids I always use a food based powder and not in high dose. I think higher doses seem safe for limited periods of time, but in cold season that can turn into several months easily if you aren’t intentional with how you use it. Hope this helps! Not intended to scare anyone off, just help framing the use of all things in moderation.

  17. More on Vitamin C dosing in serious acute illness:
    “For acute infectious and toxic states, I still recommend getting intravenous sodium ascorbate, usually at doses of 50 grams or more over several hours for most individuals. However, I would also recommend adding the liposome-encapsulated form of vitamin C orally at the same time. If the intravenous sodium ascorbate is not available, I recommend taking sodium ascorbate to bowel tolerance, and then taking the liposome-encapsulated form of vitamin C, several grams hourly, guided by symptoms and clinical response to determine subsequent dosing.” Dr Thomas Levy
    http://www.peakenergy.com/health_ebytes/issue_9.php

  18. A friend summed it up really well for moms to be able to remember:

    General rule is give 1 gram every hour until bowel tolerance (the runs) is reached, then back off to every 2 hours (or less if still have diarrhea). Continue until symptoms go away. I am trying with myself today and my cold symptoms have decreased throughout the day. Good luck!

    • It’s my pleasure. I’ve been researching this for a long time and hope many will find it very helpful! I wish I had known all of this when my children were small! I’m sure it would have saved me a few doses of antibiotics and some sleepless nights!

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