The Ascorbate Effect in Infectious and Autoimmune Diseases: International Conference on Nutritional Medicine 2004

[Guest guest]

Most Recent Talk, The Ascorbate Effect in Infectious

and Autoimmune Diseases, at Fourth International

Conference on Nutritional Medicine, San Francisco,

June 2004

 

http://www.orthomed.com/auto.htm

 

The Ascorbate Effect in Infectious and Autoimmune

Diseases

 

 

 

Robert F. Cathcart, M.D.

 

127 Second Street, #4

 

Los Altos, CA 94022

 

650-949-2822

 

http://www.orthomed.com

 

 

 

 

 

The vitamin C effects are all the usual

effects of the usual small doses of vitamin C and also

the effects of the moderate and usual high doses of

the vitamin C. The ascorbate effect is where massive

doses of vitamin C are used where we are mostly

throwing away the vitamin C for the electrons carried.

With massive amounts of ascorbate it is possible to

neutralize the massive amounts of free radicals

generated mostly by the damage to mitochondria of

infectious diseases, allergies, and injuries. Under

most conditions the electrons carried by free radical

scavengers come from the metabolism of glucose in the

mitochondria. The amount of electrons from this

source, when the mitochondria are not damaged, are

sufficient when we are well to neutralize the free

radicals of living. However, when we are sick and

especially where the mitochondria are damaged, the

free radicals overwhelm the mitochondrial ability to

make electrons available. In these cases vitamin C in

massive amounts can be the source of the necessary

numbers of electrons to eliminate most of the free

radicals of diseases. The ordinary doses of vitamin

C, vitamin E, beta carotene, etc. cannot suffice. Any

inflammation is evidence that the free radicals have

not been adequately eliminated.

 

 

 

In 1969, I discovered that the amount of

ascorbic acid tolerated orally without loosening of

stools (a benign diarrhea) was somewhat proportional

to the free radical toxicity of the condition being

treated. The sicker a person was, the more ascorbic

acid they would tolerate orally without it causing

diarrhea. In a person with an otherwise normal GI

tract when they were well, would tolerate 5 to 15

grams of ascorbic acid orally in divided doses without

diarrhea. With a mild cold 30 to 60 grams; with a bad

cold, 100 grams; with a flu, 150 grams; and with

mononucleosis, viral pneumonia, etc. 200 grams or more

of ascorbic acid would be tolerated orally without

diarrhea. The process of finding what dose will cause

diarrhea and will eliminate the acute symptoms, I call

titrating to bowel tolerance.

 

 

 

When at the peak of the cold it is

possible to take 100 grams of ascorbate in divided

doses in 24 hours, I call it a 100 Gram Cold.

 

 

 

Sodium ascorbate intravenously never

causes diarrhea in any dose. The diarrhea of ascorbic

acid taken orally is caused by a hypertonic situation

in the rectum. Intravenous sodium ascorbate actually

increases bowel tolerance to ascorbic acid orally if

administered at the same time.

 

 

 

The ascorbate effect is a threshold

effect. Symptoms are usually neutralized when a dose

of about 90% or more of bowel tolerance is reached

with oral ascorbic acid. Intravenous sodium ascorbate

is about 2 ½ times more powerful than ascorbic acid by

mouth and since for all practical purposes huge doses

of sodium ascorbate are non toxic, whatever dose

necessary to eliminate free radical driven symptoms

should be given.

 

 

 

The mathematical formulas that describe redox

potential involve logarithms. Logarithms go low,

low, low and then rapidly go high. The ascorbate

effect acts at a threshold dose as would be

anticipated from the logarithms in the formula when a

reducing redox potential is forced into the oxidized

tissues involved in the disease.

 

 

 

Example or the Common Cold

 

 

 

Most people have had the experience of feeling that

they are catching a cold one evening but then wake up

the next morning all well. What has happened here is

that either antibodies from a previous cold wipe out

the virus, or the white cells in the nose and throat

destroy the virus by phagocytosis. These white cells

need a little vitamin

C to perform phagocytosis. If the virus damages

enough mitochondria in the nose and throat to produce

enough free radicals to destroy all the vitamin C then

the white cells shut down and that is when you wake up

knowing you will be sick for a week or so. A condition

of acute induced scurvy exists in the nose and throat.

 

 

 

Small doses of vitamin C taken as a maintenance dose

will prevent a certain percentage of colds because

this acute induced scurvy is harder to induce.; Once

the free radical cascade is induced in the nose and

throat small and moderate doses of vitamin will not

cure the cold. However, moderate doses will prevent

the spread of the acute induced scurvy into the

sinuses, ears, and bronchial tubes so complications

will be prevented. It is interesting to note than

moderate doses by reducing the free radicals

systemically will slow down the production of new

antibodies; therefore, the basic, uncomplicated mild

disease, unsick condition, will last a little longer

than an uncomplicated untreated cold.

 

 

 

However, if massive doses, (usually bowel tolerance

doses of ascorbic acid will suffice, but not always,

sometimes intravenous sodium ascorbate is necessary)

are driven into the nose and throat sufficient to

neutralize the free radicals and eliminate the acute

induced scurvy in the nose and throat, the white cells

come out fighting mad and destroy the virus.

 

 

 

Humeral Immunity Reduced by Massive Amounts of

Ascorbate

 

 

 

Massive doses of ascorbate augment cellular immunity

while reducing humeral immunity. Clinically, the

affinity of antibodies for their antigen is augmented

by free radicals or an oxidative redox potential. I

hypothesize that the single disulfide bond that holds

the light chain of the antibody to the heavy chain is

strengthened in an oxidative redox potential. Single

disulfide bonds similarly hold all the other receptor

sites of the immune system together.

 

 

 

I further hypothesize that the immune system receptor

sites are under some normal stress and that under a

reducing redox potential there is more of a tendency

for the disulfide bond to break into two sulfhydryls

which incapacitates the antigen bonding site. This

would be a simple, neat mechanism whereby the humeral

immune system would be turned off when there was no

injury to the body. Any injury to cells would damage

mitochondria, produce free radicals, induce an

oxidative redox potential and turn on the immune

system. While it appears from all the scientific work

done on the immune system, its turn on is more

complicated than this hypothesis, this hypothesis

would explain many of the clinical effects of massive

doses of ascorbate.

 

 

 

This hypothesis would explain why symptoms of hay

fever, asthma and anaphylaxis are blocked or

ameliorated by massive doses of ascorbate. It is

pointed out that when a person is given penicillin or

other antibiotics, they are sick and have oxidative

redox potential in various parts of the body. This

oxidative redox potential turns on the antibodies and

the penicillin, or etc., can be recognized as a

foreign body. In my experience, massive doses of

ascorbate given along with penicillin prevent the

anaphylactic and other allergic reactions to

penicillin.

 

 

 

Ascorbate Treatment of Viral Hepatitis

 

 

 

In my experience acute viral hepatitis, A, B, C, non

AB, etc., are all cured by massive amounts of

ascorbate given over a few days intravenously.

Chronic viral hepatitis is a different story. It is

such a different story that something other that just

a continuing viral infection must be going on. I

think it is possible that chronic liver damage

releases chemicals from the interior of the liver

cells that cause an autoimmune like situation to be

turned on. Chronic hepatitis, like that diagnosed as

chronic hepatitis C, can be vastly ameliorated by

continuing high doses of ascorbic acid by mouth, alpha

lipoic acid (thank you Bert Berkson), selenium,

vitamin E, silymarin, and strict restriction of sugar.

 

 

 

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

 

 

 

I practiced medicine in Incline Village, Nevada

between 1970 and 1980. There I saw many mononucleosis

and bad flu cases. All responded to massive doses of

ascorbate. I never saw an acute viral disease develop

into chronic fatigue. Shortly after I left Incline,

the chronic fatigue syndrome was identified by Dr Paul

Cheney in 1983. A friend, the dentist in Incline,

told me that none of my old massive vitamin C takers

got chronic fatigue syndrome. I admit that this

observation is not hard science but it is interesting.

 

 

 

Chronic fatigue syndrome is ameliorated by continuing

bowel tolerance doses of ascorbic acid but these

patients must be worked up for candida, parasites,

food and chemical sensitivities, hypothyroidism, T4

resistence, etc., and treated appropriately. The

nutritional program should include no sugar, low

carbohydrates, elimination of all foods they are

allergic to, chemicals, zinc, manganese, chromium,

selenium, cod liver oil, vitamin E, multiple Bs,

sometimes IM B12, folic acid and multiple Bs, along

with the massive doses of C.

 

 

 

Ebola and Other Hemorrhagic Fevers, Nipah Virus and

Etc.

 

 

 

All of these diseases produce massive amounts of free

radicals. These hemorrhagic fevers are examples of

probably 500 gram diseases. These diseases are so

toxic, produce so many free radicals, that they

rapidly produce not only a localized acute induced

scurvy but a systemic induced scurvy. Shortly.

collagen fibers begin to break down and bleeding is

induced throughout the body. These cases must be

treated with massive amount of sodium ascorbate

intravenously immediately at the beginning of the

disease. The rate of administration should be rapidly

increased until the fever and other acute symptoms are

diminished. My guess at a starting dose would be at a

rate of at least 240 grams of sodium ascorbate per 24

hours. Do not be cheap. Give them vitamin E, B

vitamins, zinc, manganese, chromium, selenium, EPA,

DHA, etc. I have never treated a hemorrhagic fever

case.

 

 

 

SARS is just another flu virus, possibly more toxic

than most flues so give them intravenous sodium

ascorbate. Probably 120 grams of sodium ascorbate

intravenously per 24 hours would do it but give more

according to the symptoms. I have treated at lease a

thousand cases of flu and never so much as hospitalize

one case.

 

 

 

Distemper and Kennel Fever

 

 

 

Although dogs are ascorbate producing

animals, it is possible that a very toxic disease will

overcome their ability to produce ascorbate. Wendell

Belfield, DVM, of San Jose, CA has been curing dogs of

distemper and kennel fever for 20 years with massive

doses of sodium ascorbate intravenously. The dog just

needs to be helped out for a few days with the

intravenous and then he takes over himself.

 

 

 

Poliomyelitis

 

 

 

The first physician who used massive

amounts of sodium ascorbate intravenously on serious

viral diseases was Fred Klenner, M.D. of Reidsville,

North Carolina. He published curing 60 cases of polio

out of 60 cases with intravenous C. See Southern

Medicine and Surgery, July 1949, p. 209. The whole

article is on my website

http://www.orthomed.com/polio.htm

 

 

 

Bacterial Infections

 

 

 

Bacterial infections cause symptoms,

suppress the immune system, and cause allergic

reactions to antibiotics by way of free radicals.

While these diseases should be treated with the

appropriate antibiotics, they should also be treated

with massive doses of ascorbate. Massive doses of

ascorbate clinically seem to broaden the spectrum of

activity of antibiotics against resistant bacteria.

 

 

 

Autoimmune Diseases

 

 

 

My experience with some autoimmune

diseases, particularly lupus, is that ascorbate in

massive doses is very helpful. The following is my

theory as to why. This theory involves many

simplifications and probably some ideas that turn out

inaccurate but are a way of thinking about the problem

of autoimmune diseases that explain the role of

massive doses of ascorbate. It also gives the patient

a theory with which to listen to their body to figure

out their biochemical individuality as related to a

treatment of their disease.

 

 

 

Any disease that has symptoms of inflammation, which

are mediated by free radicals, cannot help but be

benefited by eliminating those free radicals as much

as possible with massive doses of ascorbate. When you

use enough ascorbate, throwing away the vitamin C for

the electrons carried, it is a matter of chemistry,

not necessarily medicine, that the free radicals will

be neutralized.

 

 

 

The immune system is very complex but to

use the example of antibody exclusion, antibodies are

made by B cells in utero and after. When a new B cell

develops it takes on a random combination that

determines the shape of the receptor site of the

antibody it makes. These B cells try to match

chemicals on the surface of cells. When an immature B

cell matches something it dies. When a mature B cell

matches something, it multiplies and produces

antibodies of that shape. This is called antibody

exclusion and is one of the reasons why antibodies do

not ordinarily attack a person’s own cells. When the

person is 100% well, their antibodies will not attack

the person’s own cells. However, when a person is

sick, making many free radicals, these free radicals

increase the affinity of the antibodies for their

antigen and may cause the antibodies to fit some shape

which is not a perfect fit but a close fit.

 

 

 

One of the purposes of antibodies is to

mop up dead or diseased cells. Remember that the

antibodies and the B cells making them are

extracellular and only have tried to fit shapes on the

surfaces of cells. Antibodies could fit some of the

chemicals in the interior of cells. Therefore, when a

cell leaks, for whatever reason, certain chemicals

from the interior of cells, certain antibodies may

attack that cell.

 

 

 

The other thing is that certain injuries

like from chemicals, etc., may alter the shape of

chemicals on the surfaces of cells. This, especially

in the oxidative redox potential of the injured area,

may cause the cross reaction of antibodies on these

changed cells.

 

 

 

So, now an infection, allergy, injury,

chemical reaction, etc.;, may cause damage to cells

and cause antibodies to attack. For example, suppose

the person has a condition, like candida, EBV, HHV6,

and various other stresses, that results in the

release of lots of free radicals, These free radical

up regulate the immune system. It is obvious that

massive doses of ascorbate at this point may down

regulate the immune system by eliminating free

radicals in such a way as that the following may be

prevented.

 

 

 

First step

 

 

 

The person may have a hidden or not so hidden allergy

to something like milk. The immune system may then

produce antibodies to milk that are similar in shape

to the chemicals on the surfaces of the synovial

lining of joints. The shape would not be exact

because antibody exclusion would have prevented the

formation of B cells making that shaped antibody.

However, if the shape is close enough, with the

increased affinity of antibodies in this oxidative

redox potential situation, the antibodies will attack

the synovial lining of the joints. Maybe some

previous injury to the joint or some stress increases

the oxidative redox potential in a particular joint

and that joint becomes inflamed first.

 

 

 

At this early point, in this example, an

absolutely milk free diet may stop all this. Massive

doses of ascorbate would obviously help by reducing

the oxidative redox potential. I saw a patient 3

months ago who had a diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis

by a local immunologist 10 years ago. She, on her

own, discovered when she ate no red meat or milk

products that the arthritis went away. She has been

in total remission for 10 years. The immunologists I

know were not interested in discussing the case.

 

 

 

Second step

 

 

 

With this injury to the synovial cells,

they start leaking chemicals from their interior to

the outside where antibodies can match them. In the

possible case being discussed, the autoimmune reaction

may take on a life of its own and perpetuate itself

even though the person stops any milk. Antibodies

build up in numbers and their affinity increases

because of the increasing oxidative redox potential.

Then, if other joints have not been involved before,

they may become involved now because maybe some of the

chemicals from the interior of the cells are on the

surface in minute amounts but never before enough to

cause a noticeable reaction. Now with the increasing

numbers of antibodies and the increased oxidative

redox potential, more joints become involved.

 

 

 

At this point, the case is not so easy to

put into remission but it may be that massive doses of

ascorbate, maybe even intravenously, plus eliminating

the original problem (in this case milk) may throw the

person into remission.

 

 

 

Other Problems

 

 

 

I find that most of the time other

problems such as candida, and other food and chemical

sensitivities, and leaky gut frequently get involved.

All of these have to be treated. Antiyeast programs,

no sugar, low carbohydrate diet, elimination of all

things the patient is sensitive to, support with large

amount of vitamins, minerals, essential fats, and

amino acids are necessary. With Sjögren’s syndrome

use in addition primrose oil. Bio-identical hormones,

especially progesterone, can be helpful in

osteoporosis.

 

 

 

I want to make special mention of

nightshades (tomatoes, potatoes, egg plant, red,

green, and yellow peppers, paprika and tobacco).

Nightshades should be eliminated in everyone who has

osteoarthritis of the fingers but they can be involved

in other arthritis also. There is a relatively common

genetic weakness in the ability to digest a toxin

within the nightshades especially manifesting itself

as one ages. If there is a genetic tendency to get

lupus or rheumatoid arthritis, these diseases can be

triggered by nightshades. I have seen this several

times in lupus patients. The immunologists I know are

not interested in this.

 

 

 

If standard medical treatments are used

such as prednisone, methyltrexate, etc., massive doses

of ascorbate plus other nutrients may augment their

effects and reduce side reactions. It never hurts

with any disease to eliminate as many of the free

radicals as possible and reduce the oxidative redox

potential.

 

 

 

 

 

Nightshades (Solanaceae species) are:

 

 

 

1. potato, the white potato

 

In some baby foods, potato starch or potato

flour in

 

some breads, doughnuts, biscuits, candies,

cookies and

 

in soups. Sweet potatoes are ok. Yams are

risky.

 

 

 

2. tomato

 

husk tomato, or ground cherry tomato,

cherry, yellow,

 

and plum tomatoes, European bitter sweet,

tree tomato,

 

tomatillo, strawberry tomato.

 

 

 

3. green pepper

 

tobasco pepper, garden pepper, cayenne,

cherry, red

 

cluster, hot, bell, sweet, pimiento, Chili,

long and

 

red peppers.

 

(Black or condiment pepper is OK because it

is not a

 

nightshade.)

 

 

 

4. eggplant

 

 

 

5. Misc., garden huckleberry, Morelle,

wonderberry and

 

sunberry, pepino, Cape gooseberry.

 

 

 

6. Tobacco, belladonna, atropine and

scopolamine.

 

 

 

Childers NF, Russo GM. The Nightshades and Health.

Horticultural

 

Publications, Sumerset Press, Somerville, N.J., 1977.

I think this

 

book is out of print but you might find it on an old

book search

 

site on the internet.

 

 

 

 

 

..

 

MEDICAL PAPERS PUBLISHED RELATED TO VITAMIN C

 

 

 

1. Cathcart RF. Clinical trial of vitamin C. Letter

to the Editor, Medical Tribune, June 25, 1975.

 

 

 

2. Cathcart RF. The method of determining proper

doses of vitamin C for the treatment of diseases by

titrating to bowel tolerance. The Australian Nurses

Journal 9(4):9 & #8209;13, Mar 1980.

 

 

 

3. Cathcart RF. The method of determining proper

doses of vitamin C for the treatment of disease by

titrating to bowel tolerance. J Orthomolecular

Psychiatry 10:125 & #8209;132, 1981.

 

 

 

4. Cathcart RF. Vitamin C: titrating to bowel

tolerance, an­ ascorbemia, and acute induced scurvy.

Medical Hypotheses 7:1359 & #8209;1376, 1981.

 

 

 

5. Cathcart RF. C & #8209;vitaminbehandling till

tarmintolerans vid infektioner och allergi. Biologisk

Medicin 3:6 & #8209;8, 1983.

 

 

 

6. Cathcart RF. Vitamin C: titrating to bowel

tolerance, anascorbemia, and acute induced scurvy.

Let's Live (Japan) 16:9, Nov 1983.

 

 

 

7. Cathcart, R.F. Vitamin C: the nontoxic,

nonrate-limited, antioxidant free radical scavenger.

Medical Hypotheses, 18:61-77, 1985.

 

 

 

8. Cathcart, R.F. Vitamin C in the treatment of

acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). Medical

Hypotheses, 14(4):423-433, Aug 1984.

 

 

 

9. Cathcart, R.F. The vitamin C treatment of allergy

and the normally unprimed state of antibodies.

Medical Hypotheses, 21(3):307-321, Nov 1986.

 

 

 

10. Cathcart, R.F. The Three Faces of Vitamin C. J.

Orthomolecular Med. 7:4;197-200, 1993.