New Benefit of Vitamin C

[For-Life]

The eyes show how vitamin C can help the heart

Oct. 20, 2007

Provided by: Sun Media

Written by: DR. GIFFORD JONES

Why is research that could save countless lives unknown to Canadian and U.S. doctors?

A recent report says that optometrist Dr. Sydney Bush of Hull, England, has made an historic discovery. He claims that atherosclerosis (hardening of arteries) can be reversed. And his research, which could save millions from heart attack, should have made headlines around the world.

In the medical world, it's been said that the eye is the window to the heart. It's the only part of the body through which doctors can see arteries and veins during an eye examination. This allows doctors to see changes in retinal vessels, the result of aging, hypertension, diabetes and atherosclerosis. And it's been believed for years that blockages in arteries due to cholesterol deposits could not be reversed.
Dr. Bush decided to do more than look into the eye. In 1998, he started to use a technique called CardioRetinometry at his eye clinic. This instrument takes pictures of the retina, the back part of the eye, that transmits images to the brain. These photos have enabled Dr. Bush to observe change in retinal vessels over the course of several years.

CardioRetinometry photos could also pinpoint collections of cholesterol deposits in retinal vessels. Bush states that he could see a fine, white line, similar to a silver wire, running down almost every artery of adults who had high cholesterol.
However, a chance encounter occurred that would reshape his thinking about coronary heart disease. While taking photos of the retina, Bush was also prescribing 3,000 mg to 10,000 mg of vitamin C to treat certain eye problems.

To his surprise, he discovered this amount of vitamin C resulted in changes in retinal arteries. Cholesterol deposits decreased in size, arteries became larger and there was increased blood flow to the retina. Proof this was happening was staring him in the face. And what happens to arteries in the retina also happens to arteries in the heart.

What does all this mean? Few people realize that animals manufacture vitamin C, but humans do not. For instance, goats produce 13,000 mg of vitamin C daily. Humans lost this ability during the course of evolution. This is why cats never died of scurvy during voyages to the New World while sailors succumbed to this disease.

Dr. Linus Pauling, two-time Nobel Prize winner, whom I have interviewed, extolled the virtues of vitamin C. He claimed that although humans no longer die from scurvy, they are nevertheless suffering from inadequate amounts of vitamin C.

So why is vitamin C so important in preventing retinal disease and heart attack? Brick walls are held together by strong mortar and we all know what happens if mortar starts to crumble. Cells, on the other hand, are glued together by collagen, and vitamin C is necessary to manufacture and maintain its strength.

Pauling believed that the heart dies from a silent form of scurvy. In effect, inadequate levels of vitamin C weaken collagen, which is not good news for coronary arteries as they face the greatest pressure when the heart beats. The end result is injured arteries and heart attack.

Pauling's theory about coronary attack and now the findings of Bush complement each other. Namely, a lack of vitamin C triggers heart attacks and an excess of C guards against it.
The great irony is that British physicians, rather than looking at Bush's research with an open mind, have criticized his work.
I've not yet had time to visit Dr. Bush's clinic in England. However, he has sent me retinal pictures taken before vitamin C was prescribed and those taken after its use. The results are there for everyone to see.

Each year, millions of North Americans die from coronary attack. Surely it's time for heart specialists and ophthalmologists to take a look at Dr. Bush's research.

They may decide that our heart is not healthy until the eyes say so.

http://chealth.canoe.ca/columns.asp?...lation_id=3224

[OptiCop]

The gentleman mentioned in the article above is now claiming that US Optometrists are all over this 'practice' and it is only in the UK where he has garnered no real support.

Have any of our American colleagues on here heard of CardioRetinometry before and what are your views on it?

[kentmitchell1961]

I know Dr Bush as I have a home in Hull, and saw him a couple of times. Nice guy... The issue in the UK is that the pharma companies have pushed through a law that failed here in the US in the early 90's (DSHEA was the outcome of the fight). It makes it hard for MD's to advocate the use of non-pharma alternatives without loosing their funding...... rah big pharma.... not...

[optilady1]

I have no knowledge of how true this article is, but I do know that Vit C is a powerful antioxident and most people in the US don't get enough of any nutrients due to our crappy diet. If chewing on one or two Vit C's a day might have a valuable benefit to our health, why not do it?

Or eat a couple oranges :)

[OptiCop]

@ optilady1

I too would have no problems in increasing my intake of VitC but Dr Bush is recommending taking levels of VitC that exceed the UK minimum RDA and that is on top of any VitC you may be taking in your normal diet already. I was intrigued in how US optometrists viewed this practice. Thanks for your feedback.

[kentmitchell1961]

The US/UK levels are the minimum needed to prevent scurvy, as is the setting for all of the rda's, to achieve health one needs to take in more than that, usually by a factor of 100.

Kent, Optician, ND, Herbalist, NC and former area sales rep for Higher Nature as well as a practitioner working in London oh so long ago.....

[OptiCop]

@kentmitchell1961

Thanks for that, interesting info.

[fagin]

If this thread gets as convoluted and contaminated as the same one on theoptom.com, I fear for everybody's sanity. The whole issue blew up in the UK due to the fact that ideas and theory is being bandied about as fact, with no credible research data to back it up, and naysayers are dismissed as being ignorant/uninformed or in the pay of the pharmaceutical companies & medical profession in a huge conspiracy theory.

[kentmitchell1961]

Not sure what you mean by ideas and theory, there are decades of studies starting in the late 1800's culminating in some very interesting studies from Holland this year, all showing the efficacy of suppliments. In the early 90's the FDA poured millions into research disproving boht herbal remedies and homeopathic, only to prove both work fine. I personally helped write the Dietary Suppliment Health Education Act to help regulate the US industry, in 2003 when I moved to the UK I was asked to help with the same issue. And the same pharma companies were bankrolling the 'ban the supps' drive.