By Fred Hui, M.D.

The wild fire of SARS is spreading exponentially, causing tremendous health and economic losses. Scientists are racing to discover a new breakthrough antibiotic or vaccine to stop the spread. However, instead of only looking into the future for such a discovery, maybe we can look backward to what we have already on hand.

As a physician, who has been practicing integrative medicine for the last 24 years, I am proposing that we should start to look for tools that are "outside the box."

Linus Pauling, a two-time Nobel Prize winner, has introduced to the world an extremely effective molecule--Vitamin C. Back in 1970, he proposed that the regular intake of vitamin C in amounts higher than the sanctioned RDA (Recommenced Daily Allowance) could help prevent and shorten the duration of the common cold. His studies, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, concluded that vitamin C significantly lessened cold-related illness.

Unfortunately, vitamin C is underutilized in orthodox medicine. The fact that vitamin C existed in nature before the "discovery" of it’s significance makes it unable to be patented like an artificially created molecule. Being "inexpensive" is also a disadvantage to the scientific research world. Companies that own a patent usually are the only ones able to fund any large scale, scientifically vigorous study. It is reasonable for them, acting with common business sense, to only sponsor or promote a medical treatment that can reasonably recapture their cost of doing such research and promotion.

Vitamin C has many mechanics of action that qualifies it as a possible antidote for the present SARS epidemic:

• Vitamin C is an important ingredient for the synthesis of collagen, a glue like material that holds cells together. Collagen reinforces the physical barrier against germs attacking from the outside.

• Vitamin C is essential for the activity of the white blood cells, the phagocytosis activities of neutrophils, the production of Interferon (an antiviral substance) and antibodies, and the action of the B and T lymphocytes.

• During illness, there is a rapid consumption and therefore depletion of the level of vitamin C in the body. Tissue depletions, followed by general depletion, lead to the rapid breakdown of the body’s defense systems. Complications ensue.

• The replication of the virus and the body fighting it involve the release of free radicals. Free radicals of the potent toxins ultimately cause symptoms and damage to the body. Vitamin C is well known to be a strong antibiotic, capable of neutralizing free radicals.

The fact that most of the current victims that have died of SARS are those that have preexisting chronic illnesses, shows that the reserves in their defense system is an important variable in the outcome.

According to most proponents of vitamin C in its role of fighting infection, a low dosage of it is not useful at all. There is a critical threshold for this supplement to be effective. For the current prevention of SARS, one should maximize their level of vitamin C intake by a method called "titrating to bowel tolerance" to give optimal protection. The maximum protection from oral doses of vitamin C is obtained at a point just short of diarrhea.

One can start with three grams a day (3 x 1 gram), and gradually increase by one gram a day until the point of causing slight diarrhea, then, it can be stepped back one notch. Since the absorption mechanism in the gut and kidney can reach a saturation point, it is better to take multiple doses throughout the day than one large dose.

Some people may even require a dosage of 200 grams a day before exhibiting bowel intolerance. This means the body is actually using it and needs it. It is not in excess, so it is doing its job of protecting your body. When it is accessible, the buffered form of vitamin C can prevent gastric irritation when vitamin C is taken in a high dose.

Since vitamin C is water soluble, there is no accumulated toxicity in the body, for the body can easily excrete any excess. Concerns by critics of some theoretical side effects such as kidney stones have not been substantiated by clinical observations.

The oral approach is suitable for prevention in the general public and for those who have come in contact with someone infected with SARS. Those who have already contracted the illness would benefit from a much higher dosage through intravenous infusion of vitamin C. This can serve as a concurrent treatment to enhance whatever antibiotics or medications that orthodox medication can offer. Any hospital physician who is willing to try this treatment can contact the author of this article, who is familiar with the implementation of this approach.

As a public health measure, this proposal is quite feasible and practical. Vitamin C is cheap, accessible everywhere in the world, easy to administer, and has practically no side effects. If anything, vitamin C has many "side benefits" concerning the areas of the cardiovascular system, anti-aging and cancer prevention.

If the whole population in the area, or at least those who are at risk of coming in contact with infected SARS patients started taking vitamin C, according to the proposed regimen, the virus will have no incubation bed to spread further. If all the infected patients in a hospital are infused with this cheap, non-toxic, and easily accessible adjunct, the present medical modalities will suddenly become more effective and further spread of the virus will be prevented.

DrHui.com