Rhonda Patrick on Vitamin C
13 episodes · 31 references · 2014–2025
- Patrick presents extensive evidence for vitamin C's benefits across immunity, cancer support, cardiovascular health, and fat metabolism, drawing on dozens of clinical studies - Patrick stopped supplementing vitamin C post-workout after studies showed it may blunt exercise adaptations like mitochondrial biogenesis and insulin sensitivity - No evidence of current personal consumption or specific daily regimen; discussion is primarily research-focused rather than personal stack
Benefits
- Supplementing 2g+ daily during colds cut duration; 600+ endurance athletes saw 50% fewer colds; pneumonia incidence dropped 80% in three prophylactic studies - Every 54mg increase in intake linked to 18% lower Alzheimer's risk; 100mg increase reduced men's lung cancer risk 7%; 500mg daily significantly lowered blood pressure - IV vitamin C reduced ICU mortality from ~50% to under 30% in sepsis patients and cut mechanical ventilation time by 18%
Best Practices
- RDA is 90mg/day for men and 75mg/day for women, though some scientists advocate raising it to 200mg/day for chronic disease prevention - Tolerable upper intake limit is 2,000mg/day to minimize GI side effects - Higher doses (2g/day) showed greater benefit during active colds compared to 1g/day
Cautions
- Patrick stopped taking vitamin C post-workout because supplemental vitamin C may blunt beneficial exercise adaptations including mitochondrial biogenesis and improved insulin sensitivity - People with hemochromatosis or high iron levels should exercise caution since vitamin C enhances dietary iron absorption - Those deficient in glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase enzyme risk hemolysis (red blood cell rupture) from high-dose IV vitamin C
“During times of exposure to viral illness I supplement with liposomal vitamin C by pure encapsulations.”
This Is Everything Rhonda Patrick Supplements With
“Supplementation with vitamin c and e actually reduce the incidence of atherosclerotic lesions. This reduction in atherosclerotic lesions corresponded to an increase in plasma levels of vitamin C by 72%.”
Rebuttal to Anti-Vitamin Editorial: "Enough is Enough"
“Fatty acid utilization in the supplemented group was about four times greater than in the vitamin C depleted group. These animal and human studies provide some pretty convincing evidence that vitamin C participates in fat metabolism.”
Vitamin C: Oral vs. Intravenous, Immune Effects, Cancer, Exercise Adaptation & More
“Studies in humans have also shown that vitamin C supplementation can enhance neutrophil function in young men between the ages of 18 and 30 years, as well as in older women.”
COVID-19 Q&A #2 - Antibody-Dependent Enhancement, Cross-Immunity, Immunity Duration & More
“Dr. Pauling was the Nobel Prize winning chemist who found clinical evidence suggesting that high-dose intravenous administration of vitamin C is useful as a supportive treatment for cancer as well as a method for mitigating the side effects of chemotherapy.”
Vitamin C: Oral vs. Intravenous, Immune Effects, Cancer, Exercise Adaptation & More
“Some scientists think there is enough evidence to support increasing the RDA for vitamin C to 200 milligrams per day for adults. This level of intake could elevate tissue levels potentially reducing the risk for chronic diseases such as heart disease, stroke, cancer and metabolic dysfunction.”
Vitamin C: Oral vs. Intravenous, Immune Effects, Cancer, Exercise Adaptation & More
“Practical solution for this: Eat your greens. Magnesium is high in spinach and kale and other green leafy vegetables, as are vitamin K, calcium, and vitamin C.”
Rhonda Patrick at Orthomolecular Medicine Congress in Bussum, Netherlands (Keynote Oct. 3rd, 2015)
“The recommended dietary allowance or RDA for healthy men is 90 milligrams per day. For women it's 75 milligrams per day.”
Vitamin C: Oral vs. Intravenous, Immune Effects, Cancer, Exercise Adaptation & More
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