Ascorbic acid abuse: effects on long term ingestion of excessive amounts on blood levels and urinary excretion
Schrauzer, G.N.; Rhead, W.J.
International Journal for Vitamin and Nutrition Research. Internationale Zeitschrift für Vitamin- und Ernahrungsforschung. Journal International de Vitaminologie et de Nutrition 43(2): 201-211
1973
ISSN/ISBN: 0300-9831 PMID: 4716569 Document Number: 61646
Seventeen adults who had been taking 1 to 3 g ascorbic acid daily during 5 to 54 months showed signs of systemic conditioning characterised by lower plasma and erythrocyte ascorbic acid values and higher ascorbic acid excretion in morning urine compared with 17 normal control adults before, during and after a load test in which they took 2 g ascorbic acid for 9 days. Enquiries among the experimental subjects 18 months after the study showed that most had stopped the excessive ascorbic acid intake without the appearance of recognisable deficiency symptoms. Descriptions are given of 2 experiments in which symptoms of scurvy appeared 4 weeks after ingestion of 2 to 15 g ascorbic acid daily for 2 weeks and other symptoms appeared after ingestion of 1 g ascorbic acid and 1000 mu g cyanocobalamin daily for 10 days.