Vitamin C

Vitamin C, chemically known as ascorbic acid, functions primarily as an oxidant inside the body, not an antioxidant. 2 Peat emphasized that within cells, roughly 80% of the vitamin is in the oxidized form, dehydroascorbate (DHA), which works with oxygen to protect cellular apparatuses by guiding electrons toward elimination and preventing a reduced state of excess electrons. 3 This intracellular role is catalytic, moving electrons to be consumed by oxygen and ultimately supporting carbon dioxide balance over lactic acid production. 9 Standard analytic methods that measure only the reducing power of ascorbic acid are therefore blind to the vitamin's true biological activity in foods, leading to a vast underestimation of its presence in animal tissues. 2

Peat argued that a proper diet rich in fruits, meat, milk, and eggs provides ample vitamin C, making supplementation unnecessary and often harmful. 3 He personally found that after ceasing supplements, his urine contained 1,000 to 2,000 milligrams of ascorbic acid daily, extracted from foods like meat and milk where it is concentrated as DHA. 2 Arctic explorers demonstrated that a meat-only diet prevented scurvy, yet official nutrition charts still show no vitamin C in meat because they fail to measure the oxidized form. 2 Peat stated that all foods except grains, beans, and nuts are very good sources, and a good human diet properly analyzed contains 3,000 to 4,000 milligrams daily. 3

Peat's personal history with synthetic ascorbic acid revealed a stark divergence in effects based on manufacturing era. In 1953, taking 50 mg tablets of "cevitamic acid" permanently cured his chronic poison oak allergy. 2 However, around 1956, new cheap manufacturing processes using sulfuric acid contaminated with heavy metals like lead and iron produced 500 mg tablets that immediately triggered allergy symptoms, a sore throat, and a chronic cough. 3 A free radical chemist later demonstrated that dissolving reagent-grade synthetic ascorbic acid in distilled water generated a concentration of free radicals equivalent to a killing dose of x-rays, catalyzed by trace heavy metal contaminants. +4 Peat found that as little as two to three milligrams of the synthetic substance could provoke an inflammatory reaction, while consuming gallons of orange juice or other high-vitamin C foods caused no such issues. 2

The danger of commercial ascorbic acid lies in its action as a powerful reductant that can donate potentially toxic excess electrons, especially when combined with endotoxin in the intestine, setting up massive inflammation. 3 Peat noted that the oxidized DHA form obtained from food does not carry this risk, as it is already in the state the cell requires. 2 He also observed that many people allergic to synthetic ascorbate reacted similarly to riboflavin and rutin, which were manufactured from cornstarch by oxidation, suggesting a common industrial contaminant, likely heavy metals introduced with sulfuric acid. 2 Linus Pauling dismissed Peat's concerns about contamination and allergenicity, but Peat maintained that the only clean and safe vitamin C is that found in fresh, whole foods. 2