Many doctors and scientists (chief among them was Linus Pauling, a world renowned scientist) have studied Vitamin C for decades. The following is a summary of their findings and conclusions:
A well known function of Vitamin C is in the production of collagen, a protein essential for connective tissue and artery health. Most everyone knows the story of sailors on explorer ships in the 18th century dying from the ravages of scurvy (a severe depletion of Vitamin C in the body). Half of those sailors died from internal bleeding due to weakened damaged arteries. The other half died from infections due to a severely compromised immune system, another direct result of Vitamin C deficiency.
Heart arteries are especially susceptible to tear damage to the artery wall from continuous high pressure. When the interior wall of the artery is damaged, the body uses cholesterol and other minerals to seal the wound. This collection of cholesterol and other minerals is called plaque. The medical/pharmaceutical industry focus primarily on the cholesterol aspect of the problem with prescriptions of statin drugs like Lipitor to minimize the availability of cholesterol instead of addressing the core issue, which is preventing the wound in the first place. Low Vitamin C makes arteries susceptible to rupture damage.
If a plaque closes about 90% of the artery, the resulting pain is called angina. If the plaque causes 100% blockage, that’s called a heart attack. Half of all heart attack victims die on the spot, the other half will receive major invasive surgery and will be on maintenance drugs for the rest of their lives.
Plant based diet programs with appropriate vitamin supplementation have proven that heart disease can be prevented and reversed without the need of invasive surgeries and drug maintenance.
Vitamin C is the ounce of prevention. Drugs and surgery are the pound of cure.