In part one of this series I told you my story and provided you with some resources for discovering the benefits of Vitamin C. In this post I would like to explore a couple of the methods I have used to supplement my intake of Vitamin C.

Being in pretty bad shape, I have been doing a relatively high dose supplementation of Vitamin C. Individual needs will vary, you will need to research and experiment to find the dosage and method that works for you.

Natural supplementation:

If you are healthy and simply want to make sure you are getting enough Vitamin C in your diet, the following foods are high in Vitamin C:

• • • Strawberries
    • Citrus fruits
    • Melons
    • Kiwi
    • Papayas
    • Guava
    • Bell peppers
    • Brussel Sprouts
    • Dark leafy greens (Kale, Spinach, etc.)
    • Broccoli
    • Cauliflower
    • Tomatoes

If you would like a good, natural supplement, I’ve found Wild Force Vitamin C, by Markus Products to be an excellent product.

If you are acutely or chronically ill, however, you might consider the following:

IV Vitamin C infusions:

This was the first treatment I received and I feel that it gave my body the jolt it needed to get it on the road to healing. It can be expensive (though it was much less than the cost of the drug I had been on) and sometimes hard to find access to clinics where they can do it. I went to The West Clinic, in Pocatello, Idaho. You can learn more by visiting their website, just click on their name above.

Liposomal Vitamin C:

Since October of last year I have been supplementing with liposome encapsulated Vitamin C. Liposomes are microscopic spheres that encapsulate whatever liquid they are in, so any water soluble substance can be converted to a liposomal preparation. The liposome encapsulation makes the Vitamin C more bioavailable (your body absorbs it more readily into your blood) and eliminates any stomach or intestinal problems you may have with taking straight Vitamin C. I have had amazing results. My inflammation is nearly gone and I am almost back to the mobility I had achieved with the TNF blocker, only I feel a lot better. All of the symptoms I had while on the drug have gone away and for the first time in years I feel alive.

There are two methods of getting liposomal Vitamin C:

• • • Buy it commercially prepared. Lypo-spheric Vitamin C by LivOn Laboratories is probably the best that is commercially available. If you are really sick, or need a more shelf-stable supplement, this is probably the way to go.
    • The second method is to make it yourself. There is some controversy over whether you can make true liposomes at home. Some say it’s not possible and some say it is. Being a bit of skeptic, myself, I dug a little deeper and studied the methods commercially used to create these preparations. Some are quite complex, but when I broke the process down to it’s basics, I came to the conclusion that it is possible to make an adequate supplement with a simple process at home. It may not be as potent as the commercially prepared supplement, but I have been using it for 5 months now and have found that it is effective for my needs.

Making Liposomal Vitamin C

The process is quite simple and cost effective. I have included Amazon links to the specific products I use, but you may find that another brand or style meets your needs better. You will need:

• • • A powdered form of pharmaceutical grade Vitamin C—I use sodium ascorbate instead of ascorbic acid, but either works.
    • Lecithin—I use sunflower lecithin because I cannot tolerate soy, but you may use soy if you prefer. I did read somewhere that sunflower makes better liposomes, but I am not sure if that is entirely true. LivOn Laboratories uses sunflower in their preparations.
    • A Blender—any kind will do, but the more agitation you can create, the better.
    • An ultrasonic jewelry cleaner—the brand doesn’t matter, but it should be able to hold about 2 cups of liquid. I use a cleaner made by Magnasonic.

      

      

To make liposomal Vitamin C:

• • • Soak 3 Tablespoons of lecithin in 1 cup of water (preferably distilled). This should soak for at least six hours or overnight. Stir occasionally.
    • Dissolve 1 Tablespoon of Vitamin C in ½ cup of water (distilled). It must be completely dissolved; the liquid should be clear.
    • Combine both liquids in a blender and agitate for 4 to 5 minutes (or longer if you feel it works better (this is not an exact science). It is in the agitation that the liposomes are formed.
    • Once the liquid is blended thoroughly it will have a milky appearance. Pour this liquid into the ultrasonic cleaner and run for about 20 minutes (you may have to run your cleaner through several cycles depending on its timer (I have to run mine for 3 cycles to reach 20 minutes). I find that it is best to stir the mixture constantly with a plastic straw or glass stirring stick. You should process the mix in the cleaner until the foam on top has completely disappeared. This ultrasonic process is what breaks the liposomes down into smaller, more stable spheres.
    • Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. This should be good for 1 to 2 weeks, after that, I would make a fresh batch.
    • 1 Tablespoon of this mixture = 1000 mg or 1 gram. You can make the mix more potent by adding more Vitamin C to the ½ cup water (as long as it all dissolves completely it will work just fine). For example if you add 2 Tablespoons of Vitamin C to the ½ cup water you will end up with a mix where 1 Tablespoon = 2000 mg or 2 grams.

Dosage:

There is no set dosage for Vitamin C. It depends largely on individual needs and can vary depending on if you are healthy and simply need a little boost in your intake or if you are ill. I refer you to the video in Part I of this series to learn more about specific Vitamin C needs and possible dosages. The great thing about Vitamin C is that overdosing is difficult so a little experimentation is unlikely to cause harm. A good rule of thumb is that if it causes diarrhea, you should back off your dosage a bit.

While I can’t guarantee that Vitamin C will be the answer to your health problems, I do believe that we can all benefit from being more aware of how it can help our bodies fight off disease. I am convinced that our bodies have a tremendous capacity to heal themselves if we give them the right tools. Vitamin C has been a blessing to me in my struggle with an autoimmune disease that conventional medicine says is incurable. I hope that as you study this and other remarkable tools that nature gives us to be well that you will find your road to health.