There has been a lot written about health concerns regarding glyphosate (trade name Round-Up). Many people regard that as the worst environmental toxin of them all. But recently those who are concerned about glyphosate got some good news.
There is hope that it may at least provide a partial solution to the glyphosate problem. It’s not foolproof (nothing ever is, is it?), and it certainly won’t help anyone who has already been harmed or gotten cancer apparently from glyphosate.
But it is good news in many ways.
And it’s from “an old stand-by”, not some newly discovered or created substance to combat the problems created by glyphosate and other toxins.
It’s good old Vitamin C. But I’m getting a little ahead of myself… first, I should explain what the problem is with glyphosate.
What has been alleged is that exposure to glyphosate leads to cell damage that results in a lot of health problems… problems like kidney disease, asthma, and irritable bowel syndrome. Also cancer.
It’s explained that it does this by depleting the body of glutathione. Glutathione has been called the body’s “master antioxidant”. It’s been said the Glutathione “runs the show” when it comes to the body’s antioxidant activity… it attracts and eliminates all kinds of toxins and protects your immune system from them.
By depleting a person’s supply of glutathione, glyphosate causes “lipid peroxidation” which is damage to the fat cells in your skin. Once that damage to the fat cells in your skin gets started it tends to continue unabated and leaving tissue damage that leaves your body open to bacteria, viruses, and toxins that your skin would normally keep out.
Here’s where the old stand-by comes in. Ascorbic acid, or vitamin C, has been a kind of “unsung here” in its abilities to protect the human body from all kinds of different diseases. Not everybody sees it that way… including the established medical community. So keep in mind this is an old-standby that isn’t without some controversy and questions.
Way back in 1753 Vitamin C was found to be the only thing at that time that healed sailors suffering from scurvy. Fast forward to 1971 and the Nobel prize winner Linus Pauling said he proved Vitamin C kills cancer cells… there are others who don’t believe that. But Vitamin C is widely accepted as an essential nutrient for the body.
Since Vitamin C is water-soluble which means our body doesn't store it but eliminates any it hasn’t needed through urination, so it can be taken in mega-doses (small amounts taken over time).
And Vitamin C fans say that’s fortunate because it’s been found they say, when taken in mega– doses (like 10,000 mg or more) to prevent such diverse conditions as Parkinson’s disease, blindness in infants, anxiety, and hardening of the arteries.
The cheerleaders of Vitamin C say it’s not hard to understand then that it can take on glyphosate and reduce or prevent its alleged poisonous effects.
And in high enough doses, it’s been said that Vitamin C has shown an ability to reverse the depletion of glutathione that glyphosate is believed to cause.
Glyphosate is so widely used it’s very hard to avoid it in one’s food supply.
But there are some things you can do to try to avoid it as much as possible. One of the most obvious ways is to eat organic produce.
Also, work on getting regular about taking Vitamin C, and trying to increase the amount of Vitamin C you get.
You can start by taking supplemental Vitamin c which some now say you should only take in 200 milligrams at a time (or get a time-released one), because anything more than that taken at once will be excreted, so you need to spread out your intake of it throughout the day.
You may have heard of getting Vitamin C by IV, but it isn’t always covered by insurance and your own doctor may not be comfortable ordering it either. If you are interested in that, look for an integrative physician.
And obviously, citrus fruits are rich in Vitamin C so try to keep those in your regular diet. Beyond the citrus fruits there are other foods that are rich in Vitamin C including:
¨ Kakadu plums — these are small green fruits native to northern and western Australia. They have the highest known concentration of Vitamin C — 5300 per 100 grams. They’re available frozen and freeze-dried.
¨ Acerola cherries — just half a cup of these cherries have 913% of the recommended daily value for Vitamin C.
¨ Rose hips — These small fruits that are left behind after roses bloom are also said to e great for arthritis, and protecting the heart. Rosehip tea is a popular way to enjoy those benefits, or else taking them in supplement form.
¨ Thyme — to boost your Vitamin C in your cooking, add some thyme to it. An ounce of fresh thyme (not dried) has 45 mg of Vitamin C.
So there you have it… probably more than you knew about this old stand-by Vitamin C.