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Bias against Vitamin C in Mainstream Medicine: Examples from Trials of Vitamin C for Infections

Hemilä et al., Life, doi:10.3390/life12010062

Jan 2022

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Vitamin C for COVID-19

6th treatment shown to reduce risk in September 2020

^*, now known with p = 0.000000087 from 70 studies, recognized in 11 countries.

Lower risk for mortality, ICU admission, hospitalization, and recovery.

No treatment is 100% effective. Protocols combine complementary and synergistic treatments. ^* >10% efficacy in meta analysis with ≥3 clinical studies.

4,100+ studies for 60+ treatments. c19early.org

Analysis of bias against vitamin C for infections in major studies and editorials.

Reviews covering vitamin C for COVID-19 include Arora, Biancatelli, Feyaerts, Foshati, Hemilä, Hemilä (B), Holford, May, Schloss, Yamasaki.

Important missing comments or errors? Let us know.

1. Arora et al., Global Dietary and Herbal Supplement Use during COVID-19—A Scoping Review, Nutrients, doi:10.3390/nu15030771.mdpi.com, doi.org.

2. Biancatelli et al., Quercetin and Vitamin C: An Experimental, Synergistic Therapy for the Prevention and Treatment of SARS-CoV-2 Related Disease (COVID-19), Frontiers in Immunology, doi:10.3389/fimmu.2020.01451.frontiersin.org, doi.org.

3. Feyaerts et al., Vitamin C as prophylaxis and adjunctive medical treatment for COVID-19?, Nutrition, doi:10.1016/j.nut.2020.110948.sciencedirect.com, doi.org.

4. Foshati et al., Antioxidants and clinical outcomes of patients with coronavirus disease 2019: A systematic review of observational and interventional studies, Food Science & Nutrition, doi:10.1002/fsn3.3034.wiley.com, doi.org.

5. Hemilä et al., Bias against Vitamin C in Mainstream Medicine: Examples from Trials of Vitamin C for Infections, Life, doi:10.3390/life12010062.mdpi.com, doi.org.

6. Hemilä (B) et al., Vitamin C and COVID-19, Frontiers in Medicine, doi:10.3389/fmed.2020.559811.frontiersin.org, doi.org.

7. Holford et al., Vitamin C—An Adjunctive Therapy for Respiratory Infection, Sepsis and COVID-19, Nutrients, doi:10.3390/nu12123760.mdpi.com, doi.org.

8. May et al., Therapeutic potential of megadose vitamin C to reverse organ dysfunction in sepsis and COVID-19, British Journal of Pharmacology, doi:10.1111/bph.15579.wiley.com, doi.org.

9. Schloss et al., Nutritional deficiencies that may predispose to long COVID, Inflammopharmacology, doi:10.1007/s10787-023-01183-3.springer.com, doi.org.

10. Yamasaki et al., Pleiotropic Functions of Nitric Oxide Produced by Ascorbate for the Prevention and Mitigation of COVID-19: A Revaluation of Pauling’s Vitamin C Therapy, Microorganisms, doi:10.3390/microorganisms11020397.mdpi.com, doi.org.

Hemilä et al., 3 Jan 2022, peer-reviewed, 2 authors. Contact: harri.hemila@helsinki.fi (corresponding author), elizabeth.chalker@anu.edu.au.

This Paper Vitamin C All

Bias against Vitamin C in Mainstream Medicine: Examples from Trials of Vitamin C for Infections

Harri Hemilä, Elizabeth Chalker

Life, doi:10.3390/life12010062

Evidence has shown unambiguously that, in certain contexts, vitamin C is effective against the common cold. However, in mainstream medicine, the views on vitamin C and infections have been determined by eminence-based medicine rather than evidence-based medicine. The rejection of the demonstrated benefits of vitamin C is largely explained by three papers published in 1975-two published in JAMA and one in the American Journal of Medicine-all of which have been standard citations in textbooks of medicine and nutrition and in nutritional recommendations. Two of the papers were authored by Thomas Chalmers, an influential expert in clinical trials, and the third was authored by Paul Meier, a famous medical statistician. In this paper, we summarize several flaws in the three papers. In addition, we describe problems with two recent randomized trial reports published in JAMA which were presented in a way that misled readers. We also discuss shortcomings in three recent JAMA editorials on vitamin C. While most of our examples are from JAMA, it is not the only journal with apparent bias against vitamin C, but it illustrates the general views in mainstream medicine. We also consider potential explanations for the widespread bias against vitamin C.

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