Vitamin C – The Immune
Empowerer
Many serious
and debilitating illnesses
arise from malfunctions
in the competence of the
immune system. Such disorders
include AIDS and other immunodeficiency
conditions such as Chronic
Viral Fatigue, as well as
conditions resulting from
the immune system attacking
its own cells (auto-immune
disease), such as arthritis.
The importance of an optimally
functioning immune system
are highlighted by what
happens when the immune
system is deliberately suppressed,
such as when organ transplant
operations (heart, bone
marrow, etc.) are performed.
Although it is necessary
in such instances to suppress
the immune response to prevent
rejection of the transplanted
organ, nevertheless, the
individual is left extremely
vulnerable to infection
even from normally innocuous
agents. The most dramatic
illustration of the importance
of the immune system occurs
when a child is born with
a defective immune system,
and must live in a "plastic
bubble" in order to
protect against opportunistic
infection.
With the
advent of AIDS and the increased
incidence of other immune-related
conditions including allergies
during the last decade,
we have all become fairly
well-informed about the
immune system – that
"defence network"
of specialized and intricately
coordinated array of various
cells which are charged
with the task of maintaining
our bodies free from foreign
invaders. Lymphocytes. Antibodies.
T-cells. Killer cells. Macrophages.
Interferon. Complement.
The study of Immunology
has of late become intertwined
with Neurochemistry and
Psychology, forming a field
called "psycho-neuro-immunology",
which is almost breathtakingly
complex and intricate in
its design and function.
Not only does the body have
several different types
of defences against foreign
attack (cell-mediated, humoral,
complement), but within
each of these different
systems are a considerable
variety of different components
and chemical substances,
each forming a finely tuned
and coordinated cascade
of biochemical events.
The immune
system is comprehensive
– components residing
within each cell, as well
as specially organized centres,
including the lymph nodes,
throughout the body. However,
notwithstanding the voluminous
scientific information which
has accumulated on many
aspects of the immune system,
we are still somewhat in
the dark about how to optimally
empower our immune system
so that we remain in the
best of health. The truth
is that health, and its
opposite side of the coin,
illness, is a complexly-determined
entity, involving many factors
– hereditary genetic
makeup, nutritional history
during pregancy and early
infancy, the geographical
region where we live, environmental
contaminations and pollution,
our psychological and emotional
makeup, our lifestyle, the
amount of stress and how
we handle it, our eating
habits, abusive behaviour,
including smoking, drinking
and overeating foods like
sugar and animal fats.
The equation
for health is a uniquely
determined formula for each
person. However, just as
a universal formula cannot
be devised that will work
for everyone, there is a
considerable body of evidence
which demonstrates that
there are a number of nutritional
compounds, including Vitamin
C, which can help strengthen
the immune system, reduce
free radical formation and
thereby, in combination
with good eating habits,
sensible lifestye and proper
stress management, promote
optimal health.
The Vitamin
C – Immune Connection
_________________________________
1. Leucocytes require Vitamin
C for Effective Function
A landmark discovery, once
again the result of serendipity,
is that Vitamin C is required
for proper leucocyte function(6).
Leucocytes are the body's
white blood cells, a vital
component of the immune
system. Researchers investigating
leucocytes from guinea pigs,
realized that the unusually
fragile leucocytes were
the result of Vitamin C
deficiency(30). The scorbutic
(suffering from scurvy)
guinea pigs' leucocytes
were so depleted of Vitamin
C that they could not reject
tissue transplants. Upon
supplementation with Vitamin
C, the leucocytes functioned
normally, and the guinea
pigs were able to reject
the skin grafts(166).
Lymphocytes,
a phagocytic (cell-devouring)
type of leucocyte, are particularly
important to immune responses
in cancer and only function
effectively as phagocytes
if concentrations of Vitamin
C are high(108). In an experiment
to test the relationship
between Vitamin C and reproduction
of lymphoctyes, Yonemoto
at the National Cancer Institute
demonstrated a direct relationship
between levels of Vitamin
C supplementation and the
budding of new lymphocyte
cells (blastogenesis)(242).
5 grams of Vitamin C doubled
the rate of lymphocyte budding
– 10 g Vitamin C trebled
the rate, and 18 g quadrupled
the rate of lymphocyte blastogenesis!
Who knows? The optimal rate
of Vitamin C for lymphocyte
blastogenesis may exceed
18 g in individuals whose
lymphocytes are severely
depleted of Vitamin C, such
as cancer patients.
Vitamin
C, in addition to modulating
the new production of lymphocytes,
is also crucial to their
rapid mobilization to the
site of infection, and their
effective phagocytic activity.
A multitude of factors,
including colds, cigarette
smoking and stress, severely
deplete the Vitamin C levels
from leucocytes, rendering
the individual more vulnerable
to secondary infection.
A study by Hume and Weyers
(1973)(111) determined that
1 g Vitamin C per day plus
6 g per day at the onset
of a cold, kept the leucocytes
operationally effective
in their phagocytic activity.
2. Vitamin C Modulates Antibody
Levels
Antibodies
are one of the immune system's
most direct lines of defence
against infectious foreign
substances "antigens".
When the body is exposed
to such an organism, or
compound, clones of antibodies
are produced against the
antigen, which attack and
destroy it. There are a
variety of classes of antibody
molecules, with corresponding
different functions within
the complex immune system.
Levels of three of these
classes of antibody molecules
– IgA, IgG and IgM
– have been found
to increase with increased
Vitamin C levels. As can
be seen from Table 2, IgA,
IgG and IgM are involved
with the body's defences
against bacteria and other
microbes, viruses, foreign
particles and pathogenic
substances.
In a study
conducted by Vallance of
British subjects isolated
for a year in Antarctica(217),
it was found that antibodies
IgG and IgM increased with
increased Vitamin C intake.
Similarly, in a placebo-controlled
study conducted by Prinz
and colleagues(171), it
was found that 1 gm Vitamin
C per day resulted in significant
increases in serum levels
of IgA, IgG and IgM. Similar
correlations with Vitamin
C and antibody levels have
also been found in guinea
pigs, which, like man, cannot
synthesize their own Vitamin
C, and must rely upon external
sources for this vital nutrient.
Table 2.
Types of Antibodies
______________________
Antibody Function
_______________
IgA Concentrates
in body fluids (tears, saliva,
respiratory, genitourinary
and gastrointestinal secretions)
guarding body entrances.
First line of defense against
invading pathogens and food
allergens. Major Ig in defense
against viruses.
IgD Major
Ig present on surface of
B cells; may be involved
in differentiation of these
cells.
IgE Involved
in allergic reactions. Attaches
to surface of mast cell
and on encountering its
matching antigen, stimulates
the mast cell to pour out
its contents. Also fights
parasites.
IgG Most
common. Major Ig in defense
against microbes. Coats
micro-organisms, speeding
their destruction by other
immune system cells. Confers
long-standing immunity.
IgM Major
Ig produced in primary antibody
response. Circulates in
the blood stream where it
kills bacteria. Increases
during acute stage of an
infection. Usually forms
in star-shaped clusters.
From "Maximum Immunity",
M.A. Weiner, 1986. Gateway
Books
3. Vitamin C Modulates Synthesis
of Complement
Complement
is a non-cellular immune
component which is composed
of a complex cascade of
20 enzymatic proteins which
can modulate antibody-antigen
reaction, thus affecting
efficiency of phagocytosis,
virus neutralization, chemotaxis
and cytolysis. Vitamin C
is involved in the synthesis
of the C1-esterase component
of complement, and levels
of this compound increase
with increased Vitamin C
intake(166).
4. Vitamin C Modulates Interferon
Synthesis
Interferons
(there are as many as 20
different types) are proteins
with antiviral activity,
produced in cells which
have been infected with
virus, and also possibly
in malignant cells. Interferon
is being experimentally
tested in treatment of different
forms of cancer; however
treatment with externally
synthesized interferon rather
than with the body's own
naturally produced interferon,
may have toxic side effects.
Recent evidence confirms
that increased Vitamin C
intake results in increased
interferon levels(208).
Thus taking Vitamin C is
a "natural" antiviral
treatment (62).
5. Vitamin C Modulates Prostaglandin
Synthesis
The prostaglandins
are a class of small lipid
molecules which, acting
as hormones, play a role
in blood flow, heart beat
regulation, cell damage
by drugs and immune response.
Two prostaglandins in particular,
PGE2 and PGF2, are involved
in tissue inflammation –
swelling, pain, tenderness
and heat. Vitamin C has
been shown to inhibit the
synthesis of PGE2 and PGF2-alpha,
thus exerting an anti-inflammatory
effect. The prostaglandin
PGE1 modulates lymphocyte
formation, thus playing
a key role in immune response.
Vitamin C increases the
synthesis of PGE1(109),
thus, in yet another way,
contributing to the optimal
function of the immune system.
With even
this brief look at Vitamin
C's interactions with the
immune system, it can be
readily appreciated that
Vitamin C levels are intimately
linked with immune function.
The level of Vitamin C in
an individual can make the
difference between a weak,
barely adequate, or a strong
immune response to infection
and illness. Since the very
cells of the immune system
require adequate levels
of Vitamin C to function
effectively in their activities,
it is clear that Vitamin
C can be a most powerful
ally in the quest for optimal
health.
