Monday
Jul202009
Mon, July 20, 2009 | Lisa Barger Ascorbic Acid Flush
“Does flushing your body with vitamin C really detox you?”
No, it doesn’t. As you’ll see, the diarrhea you get from large doses of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) isn’t “detoxing” you at all. It’s simply your body’s way of getting rid of too much of an otherwise vital nutrient.
Ascorbic Acid—The Newest “Miracle” Cure
It’s become the new darling of internet health forums. It’s called an ascorbic acid flush but, really, it comes down to nothing more than poisoning your body with excessive amounts of plain old vitamin C.
How to Do an Ascorbic Acid “Flush”
According to various “articles” we found on the ‘net, an ascorbic acid flush is best done by dissolving 1000 milligrams or so of vitamin C in water and drinking it until watery diarrhea is produced. It may take several tries but once you’ve reached the diarrhea stage, you are supposed to cut the level of vitamin C but continue the regimen for a day or two.
Does a Vitamin C Flush Really Work?
If the idea of overloading your body with vitamin C sounds absurd to you, well, it should. The watery stools produced by this flush aren’t “cleansing” you of anything except the vitamin C. Ever eat too many oranges as a child? The diarrhea you had then is exactly the same thing that happens to you during one of these flushes.
I can’t find any evidence whatsoever that excessive vitamin C “detoxes” you of anything. Nor can I find any legitimate natural health expert who will endorse this kind of regimen.
Could an Ascorbic Acid Flush be Dangerous?
So if flushing with vitamin C doesn’t work, is it at least safe? Despite what the writers of those ridiculous articles claim, this “therapy” isn’t safe at all for certain individuals. Vitamin C is a vital nutrient—your body has to have it. But in high doses, it’s associated with a number of health problems:
And while only your doctor can give you medical advice, I can tell you that the people who write articles claiming otherwise are not health professionals. Today they’re writing on vitamin C; tomorrow they’ll be writing on how to remove stains from the driveway. To get legitimate medical information, talk to your family’s primary physician and skip the miracle cures and magic potions.
References:
Reimund, J., et al. (1998). Vitamin C and Diarrhea. Gastroentérologie Clinique et Biologique.
Deckert, F. (1973). Ascorbic Acid and Warfarin. JAMA.
Rathi, S., et al. (2007). Vitamin C-induced hyperoxaluria causing reversible tubulointerstitial nephritis and chronic renal failure: a case report. Journal of Medical Case Reports.
Nefic, H. (2008). The genotoxicity of vitamin C in vitro. Bosnian Journal of Basic Medical Sciences.
No, it doesn’t. As you’ll see, the diarrhea you get from large doses of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) isn’t “detoxing” you at all. It’s simply your body’s way of getting rid of too much of an otherwise vital nutrient.
Ascorbic Acid—The Newest “Miracle” Cure
It’s become the new darling of internet health forums. It’s called an ascorbic acid flush but, really, it comes down to nothing more than poisoning your body with excessive amounts of plain old vitamin C.
How to Do an Ascorbic Acid “Flush”
According to various “articles” we found on the ‘net, an ascorbic acid flush is best done by dissolving 1000 milligrams or so of vitamin C in water and drinking it until watery diarrhea is produced. It may take several tries but once you’ve reached the diarrhea stage, you are supposed to cut the level of vitamin C but continue the regimen for a day or two.
Does a Vitamin C Flush Really Work?
If the idea of overloading your body with vitamin C sounds absurd to you, well, it should. The watery stools produced by this flush aren’t “cleansing” you of anything except the vitamin C. Ever eat too many oranges as a child? The diarrhea you had then is exactly the same thing that happens to you during one of these flushes.
I can’t find any evidence whatsoever that excessive vitamin C “detoxes” you of anything. Nor can I find any legitimate natural health expert who will endorse this kind of regimen.
Could an Ascorbic Acid Flush be Dangerous?
So if flushing with vitamin C doesn’t work, is it at least safe? Despite what the writers of those ridiculous articles claim, this “therapy” isn’t safe at all for certain individuals. Vitamin C is a vital nutrient—your body has to have it. But in high doses, it’s associated with a number of health problems:
- First, there is the danger of dehydration. Anytime you have diarrhea lasting for hours at a time you run the risk of dehydration, electrolyte imbalance and more. You can also disrupt your body’s balance of “good” and “bad” bacteria, allowing an overgrowth of the “bad” germs in your intestinal tract.
- Second, vitamin C can interfere with medications you may be taking. It can dramatically increase your absorption of iron, for example but can (possibly) interfere with your ability to use blood thinners like warfarin. It can also interfere with your ability to use B12.
- While links to birth defects, cancer and miscarriage are tenuous at best, one thing doctors know for sure about excessive vitamin C intake is that it can cause kidney stones—especially if you have a history of them or are otherwise at risk for some type of kidney disease.
And while only your doctor can give you medical advice, I can tell you that the people who write articles claiming otherwise are not health professionals. Today they’re writing on vitamin C; tomorrow they’ll be writing on how to remove stains from the driveway. To get legitimate medical information, talk to your family’s primary physician and skip the miracle cures and magic potions.
References:
Reimund, J., et al. (1998). Vitamin C and Diarrhea. Gastroentérologie Clinique et Biologique.
Deckert, F. (1973). Ascorbic Acid and Warfarin. JAMA.
Rathi, S., et al. (2007). Vitamin C-induced hyperoxaluria causing reversible tubulointerstitial nephritis and chronic renal failure: a case report. Journal of Medical Case Reports.
Nefic, H. (2008). The genotoxicity of vitamin C in vitro. Bosnian Journal of Basic Medical Sciences.
This is a "retired" article left in place for archival purposes. It may not reflect current information. No new comments will be added.
Reader Comments (10)
The Author of this article doesn't seem to know anything about what cleansing is or detoxing...
I wonder who the author really works for . . .
who are you lisa barger? what are your credentials other than reading stuff on the internet yourself?
p.s. Do you ever try these alternatives or do you just go around trying to find scientific evidence that rarely exists due to the pharmaceutical monopoly on America. Maybe one day when you are ill and no MD can help you, you may find yourself trying "unscientific" modalities and finding some solutions, because believe me, they are out there. (I don't know about this flush per se, but I know that many things scientists try to refute actually work wonders!!) You should Google and read about Dr. Max Gerson.
Rebecca Saxon, RN, BSN, MA
"Rebecca", you came here looking for a fight, read 1 page on this entire site and decided I'm some anti-natural nut. You know absolutely nothing about me, my education or my work because you couldn't even be bothered to look up the site's info pages.
If you really think I'm wrong about ascorbic acid flushes--and judging from the search term you used to get here, you do--then EXPLAIN WHY I'M WRONG instead of resorting to schoolyard taunts.
Hi Lisa, I really seek no fight, I just thought that what was written here lacked much depth. I don't know anything about you. I was only commenting on what I read here.
You mention a few times in your replies that people are "up for a fight"... I wonder if maybe you are projecting? You sound rather defensive.
Here is an alternative viewpoint on Ascorbic Acid Flushes given by one (of many) Medical Doctors, it was written in 2010:
http://docsaleeby4.blogspot.com/2010/07/high-dose-vitamin-c-gains-acceptance-in.html
I will add that I think it is sad that when people are seeking health, they should be shamed by any lack of scientific evidence. Like I mentioned earlier, all of the scientific studies that get ANY funding are studies that support pharmaceutical and AMA interests. They don't have the patient's interest in mind. I am a registered nurse, and I have seen this.
". . . all of the scientific studies that get ANY funding are studies that support pharmaceutical and AMA interests."
Clearly that's not true because an entire section of our site is devoted to covering medical studies published in peer-reviewed, PubMed-indexed journals like BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine, Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine and Nutrition Journal.
Unfortunately, "Rebecca", "Steve" and "Miranda' are typical of the kinds of folks who come here, read 1 page out of thousands, and without making even a single counter-argument, go off a rant, make vague accusations or resort to name-calling. Many cloak their lack of a scientific answer by trying to turn things around and questioning my education, experience or dedication. They never, though, quite get around to actually answering my criticisms of vitamin c flushes or oil pulling or anything else.
I learned a long time ago not to engage these folks because they're not in this to debate or share information. And I thank my readers for understanding that.
I intended to state that the largest sums of money go to big corporation interests, rather than saying "any". My point was that getting good studies for viable holistic practices is an uphill battle since the pharmacies won't pay for that. All the best.