Most people in the medical community know that pneumonia is a disease. But very few medical professionals realize that its also a symptom of a much larger problem. Yes, they know the immune system is compromised in most cases of pneumonia. But theres a bigger problem – a vitamin deficiency.
That is right! If you come down with a case of pneumonia, its simply a sign that you have a vitamin C deficiency. That is what a new literature-review study of pneumonia and vitamin C suggests.
In fact, the researchers discovered that taking as little as 100 mg twice daily can prevent up to 80% of pneumonia cases. And it can reduce hospital stays by some 36%.
Those are incredible numbers!
When I visited India last year, I saw lots of patients with pneumonia. It also looked like the patients had sub-clinical scurvy (a severe vitamin C deficiency). We have little scurvy in this country. But many people still eat mostly processed foods and have terrible lifestyles. Smoking destroys vitamin C. And most people are on the low end of adequate vitamin C levels (minimum levels will prevent scurvy, but maybe not pneumonia).
The research suggests that 200 mg daily is all you need if you are healthy. I say get it from a diet rich in veggies and fruits and you will have to worry much less. But if you smoke, or just wont eat mostly fresh fruit and veggies, I strongly suggest a vitamin C supplement. Regarding its role in infection, vitamin C is crucial in activating your immune cells. Research says that those who get the most vitamin C in their diets are the healthiest!
Ref: Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2007 Jan 24;(1).