When Immunity Needs a Boost, I've Got a Plan

Hello everyone! Let me break down the catchy title: vitamin C is often considered the immune system's best friend. I wanted to share my research on how true that is.

First off, I consulted with a therapist who sticks to evidence-based medicine:

Organize a varied diet, exercise regularly, learn to manage stress, and get plenty of sleep – and then you can consider adding vitamin C.

I completely agree with that, and I've been following those rules as much as possible. The thing is, I'm a tutor and I live with an elderly person, and I haven't been able to get vaccinated yet. Now there's a new, serious flu wave going around, and every time I visit my kid, I get anxious – what if I've already caught it? On top of the basic rules...

don't take kids with cold symptoms,don't touch your face during and after exercise,ventilate the room for 15 minutes after exercise,clean surfaces that come into contact with kids after exercise,rinse your nose with saltwater and wash your hands....I decided to try a previously unused method for boosting my immune system with vitamin C. Before that, I looked up the latest scientific info on how to take this supplement effectively:

Regular vitamin C intake (usually around 1 g/day) doesn't reduce the frequency of colds in the general population, but it does reduce the severity and duration of symptoms (by about 10-15% on average); for people under extreme physical stress (athletes, soldiers), regular intake actually reduces the risk of getting sick. PubMed+1

Starting intake after symptoms appear gives mixed results – some studies show a reduction in duration with very high doses (grams per day), but the evidence is unstable. PubMed+1

Safe limits: the upper tolerable level (UL) for adults is around 2,000 mg/day – long-term intake above this increases the risk of gastrointestinal issues and, in predisposed individuals, kidney stones (oxaluria). For acute therapeutic regimens, much higher doses were used (grams), but this requires medical supervision. Office of Dietary Supplements+1

For people with risks (kidney stones, kidney failure, hemochromatosis)

Don't use high doses. Consider only dietary sources and small doses (<500 mg/day) after consulting with a nephrologist/endocrinologist.I removed the links according to the site's rules, but you can always check the info yourself.

I decided for myself that after contact with someone with cold symptoms, I 'freak out' for 3-5 days. I choose a cheaper vitamin C supplement, around 800-1000 mg.

Info

My first encounter was with Mirolla's vitamin C from a well-known budget brand. I stumbled upon this effervescent tablet at Maxavit pharmacy. As I understood, it's a special series for their network of pharmacies, and Mirolla also has regular effervescent tablets with 900mg of vitamin C. The price is around 300 rubles for 20 tablets (they come in packs of 10 tablets).

Mirolla Vitamin C 900I chose the effervescent form just to 'try something new'. Large doses are mostly released in effervescent tablets, and here, by the way,

1500% of the average daily requirement (RUSP)

is a pretty big deal.As you can see, this effervescent tablet with lemon tea isn't a competitor.What's more, I regularly drink multivitamins with symbolic doses of vitamins (as prescribed by my doctor). My favorite complex still has only 70mg of vitamin C (a bit more than the daily norm!), but that's also important.

Out of the available options, they're all pretty much the same, around 300 rubles, and with a similar dosage. What caught my attention was GLS vitamin C without sugar, and you can even choose the flavor.

Packaging

This is my second pack. The plastic is 5 PP and 4 LDPE, and there's a label, which I appreciate. Effervescent tablets are usually sold in these bottles. The design really appealed to me.

Mirolla Vitamin C 900The bottle opens easily, and the soft ring after opening can be removed. Each time, it's comfortable to open.

What I didn't like was the 'Honest Label' mark, but the encoded information was incorrect - the dosage is 3800mg. I assume that if a customer overloaded their kidneys with high doses, the manufacturer would use this information in court. I've reported it, and next time, I'll choose a different manufacturer.

Usage

The tablets are large, white with orange speckles - the colorant isn't great 😞

Mirrolla Vitamin C 900 A citrus-flavored sweetener that's pretty cheap - the scent doesn't really do it for me, but the taste is nice.

I was a bit worried that they'd be fragile, but they're actually pretty durable - even when I toss them around a bit.

The dissolving process is really smooth, even in cold water. Although, I do wish they'd mention on the packaging if there are any temperature restrictions.

I'm gonna indulge in this fun little moment. It looks great on camera, and it's just as cool in real life - especially when my cat tries to sniff the water while it's dissolving.

Mirrolla Vitamin C 900 Mirrolla Vitamin C 900 Mirrolla Vitamin C 900 Mirrolla Vitamin C 900 Mirrolla Vitamin C 900 Mirrolla Vitamin C 900And that's what the water looks like after it's fully dissolved. No sediment at all.

The flavor is pretty intense - it's got a nice balance of sweet and sour, but it's not overwhelming. I actually really enjoy it, especially when the water is warm.

I'm not just drinking it in one go, like I mentioned earlier. I've got enough packs to last me 4-6 courses. I usually start drinking it in September or October, since that's when the schools start getting hit with the flu season - it's a pretty reliable indicator for me. By September, I'd already gone through two packs of Vitamin C, and I've been trying to space it out a bit since I found out I've got some kidney stones (not related to this supplement, of course).

I'll be honest, it's hard to put a finger on the results, especially considering my own health situation. I have hypermobility syndrome, also known as Ehlers-Danlos, which some scientists link to 'low immunity'. And it's true - every year without vitamin C, I get sick 3 to 5 times from August to March. This year, I didn't skip my August tradition, and from September to the end of December (now), I was only sick once in full - in September, I had trouble with my lifestyle and home prevention. After that, my temperature would rise to 37-37.3 in the evenings and stay for a week, but besides feeling weak, I didn't have any other symptoms, so we still didn't figure out if it was pyelonephritis/cystitis or a cold. I also regularly feel throat pain, and a runny nose from drafts/walking without a hat and so on - but they pass quickly if I take care of myself. To compare, I got complications from them easier last year.

Overall, I've noticed a difference in how my illnesses progress, but it's hard to say for sure if it's my lifestyle, disease control, or vitamin C. I think I've invested my 10-15% in B vitamins, at the very least as a placebo. I drink a glass after classes and feel energized and confident that I won't get sick 😊

There are also some negative points. This is the cheapest and roughest dose of vitamin C in high concentration, and several times it caused me stomach pain. Again, considering my chronic health issues, it's not surprising. So, I'll note another thing:

Pour it after meals to avoid irritating my stomach,If you're taking iron, vitamin C will help it absorb better.I'm already adjusting this: since I'm in 'season' now and taking a lot of pills, I decided to switch to a more modern, gentler, and expensive format of vitamin C - buffered (in a capsule) + calcium ascorbate (not acidic):

Chemically: ascorbic acid (AA) is the acidic form; calcium ascorbate (CA) is the salt/ 'buffered' form (less acidic) and adds extra calcium (~90–110 mg Ca per 1000 mg calcium ascorbate). Linus Pauling Institute

Uptake/levels in blood: in human studies, differences are often small. In a crossover RCT (n=15), plasma vitamin C didn't differ between forms, but after 24 hours leukocyte vitamin C was higher with the formula based on calcium ascorbate and metabolites (PubMed). In a larger double-blind crossover study (n=93) at 250 mg CA vs AA, there was no difference, but at 500 mg CA, they observed changes in kinetics (higher DHA in plasma) and some immune markers compared to AA. MDPI

And finally, why I'm talking about the placebo effect - can't I just get the analysis done? Unfortunately, it doesn't make sense:

They only check for vitamin C in your blood 'just in case' when there's a suspicion of a deficiency, like symptoms of scurvy, a severely restricted diet, malabsorption, alcoholism/eating disorders, dialysis, smoking, and so on.The test is tricky to get right (ascorbic acid is unstable): you need to quickly chill and protect the sample from light, and then freeze it, or you might get a falsely low result.

[link]+1

Takeaways

This is a decent tool for reducing symptom severity,It's a pleasant placebo,It tastes nice and is fun to drink,It lasts a long time and is reasonably priced,But...

It might irritate your gut, especially if you have GERB,It contains sugar (glucose), artificial colors, and flavorings,The manufacturer is irresponsible with their 'Honest Label' marking.I'll try calcium ascorbate next, and if I don't notice a difference (which is likely), I'll switch back to a different brand's effervescent tablets.

I hope my review was helpful. You can find more about supplements, meds, and cosmetics in my profile.