Sad but True! It has been reported that Vitamin C can be deadly, even if only taken by mouth, if you are genetically deficient in Glucose 6 Phosphate Dehydrogenase.
Hemolysis can occur in patients with a red cell glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency. Make absolute sure that your blood is tested for G6PD levels before taking even a few grams of Vitamin C.
In clinical research using 10 grams of Vitamin C by mouth daily in divided doses about 80% of Cancer patients noted definite benefit, however, 1% of patients bled to death from systemic hemorrhage and extensive tumor necrosis. Be careful!
Although there had been concern expressed in the literature about the possibility of getting Kidney stones from taking Vitamin C, this problem has never been demonstrated to actually occur or actually found to actually be a problem. Vitamin C supplementation even at a few grams a day will increase the blood serum levels and kidney excretion of oxalate, but this has never caused a kidney stone even in patients that are known to be “stone formers”. The fear of developing kidney stones from Vitamin C is probably not based upon real problems.
Bleeding to death, that is a real concern. Get a test for red cell glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency!
