Over the past few years, vitamin c has been a topic of controversy. There have been studies stating that vitamin c can help prevent many various health problems including cancer and other life threatening diseases. The major researcher and name associated with this side of the research is Dr. Linus Pauling. However, there have recently been some studies that refute Pauling s findings. These studies state that vitamin c has now been thought to have a negative effect on the body. However, the majority of these cases do not have sufficient enough evidence to back their claims. Therefore, the research world still points to vitamin c as being beneficial to our health.

Vitamin c is a water-soluble vitamin and is also known as ascorbic acid. We as humans are one of the only animals whose bodies do not naturally create ascorbic acid. Therefore, a supplement vitamin c pill was originally created. This is the form of vitamin c that we are used to seeing. This is also the type of vitamin c that researchers are debating these days. Vitamin c is the most supplemented vitamin among Americans today. I believe that this is due to the positive effects associated with vitamin c.

A recent study states that vitamin c has been proven to lower blood pressure. The Boston University School of Medicine and the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University conducted this study. A dose of 500 milligrams a day lowered blood pressure by up to 9 percent, a level comparable to prescription drugs (Hypertension). Despite this drastic change, researchers state that at this point vitamin c should not be viewed as a substitute to prescriptions.

Throughout the majority of research on vitamin c posted on the Internet there is one idea that holds stronger than the rest. That is that vitamin c is a helpful beneficiary to our health. Nonetheless, it should not be viewed as a cure-all or as a substitute to any type of prescription drug. According to the research I have found, vitamin c is an excellent vitamin supplement.

Works Cited

Vitamin C. Healthy.Net. 26 April 2000

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Vitamin C and Hypertension. 26 Dec. 1999. Cforyourself.

28 April 2000

http://www.cforyourself.com/overview/in_the_news.html#clog.

Vitamin C Pills Linked to Artery Clogging. 3 Mar. 2000.

Cforyourself. 28 April 2000 http://www.cforyourself.com/overview/in_the_news.html#clog.