Vitamin C Dosage for Bacterial Infections Like Strep Throat

by Gayle
(Northport, AL, USA)

I am 61 yrs. old and have had strep throat and have been really sick for about a week. I have been taking 1,000 mg Vitamin C during this period of time to boost my immune system and get to feeling better.

Should I continue to take this dosage, as a safe guard, or go back to my Centrum vitamin, which has only 75 mg? I feel that with allergy season now into play and with stresses in my life, the added 1,000 mg vitamin C would be beneficial for me to take.


ANSWER


Hi Gayle,

You'll need to take a much higher vitamin C dosage to boost your immune system against bacterial infections like strep throat.

The reason why so many studies show that vitamin C doesn't help fight bacterial or viral infections is because they don't use enough.

Humans need about 2-4 grams (that's 2,000-4,000 mg) a day just for good health. Most of us cannot get that kind of dosage from food alone, so we need supplementation.

When we are sick, we need many more times that amount. The earlier you catch an illness, the less vitamin C you'll need to get better. The reverse is also true. If you wait until you are already quite sick, you'll need a very large amount of vitamin C to get better.

The easiest way to tell exactly how much you need is to do the vitamin C flush. This process requires you to take about 2,500 mg of vitamin C every 15 minutes until your tissues reach saturation.

Many people are surprised by just how much their bodies need. It's not uncommon for people who are not showing any signs of illness to need 20,000-30,000 mg (20-30 grams) a day.

This is because we are generally quite deficient in this nutrient and the benefits of vitamin C are widespread.

You shouldn't be worried about vitamin C side effects as very high dosages are quite safe. It's a water-soluble vitamin, so any excess will simply be excreted through the urine and intestines.

Just so you are aware, most vitamin C supplements are made from genetically modified (GMO) corn. If that kind of thing concerns you as much as it does me, check out the supplements I have on my best vitamin C page. There are only a tiny number of supplement companies that are committed to non-GMO ingredients.

Wishing you the best of health,

Melissa
Approach Wellness