How Ascorbic Acid Boosts Your Immune System

How Ascorbic Acid Boosts Your Immune System

Numerous studies describe the antibacterial phenomena of ascorbic acid. This suggests a role for ascorbic acid in immunity. Other studies have demonstrated that the ascorbic acid content of leukocytes, which are responsible for host defense, was as much as 80 times greater than that in the plasma. Such a large difference between extra- and intracellular concentrations could only be effected by an active transport system. The fact that ascorbic acid is actively transported against the plasma concentration gradient is testimony to the important role ascorbic acid plays in the immune function.

Studies such as these eventually led to the conclusion that ascorbic acid plays an important role in the immune function. The common transport system describes the competition between ascorbic acid and glucose and explains why large doses of pure ascorbic acid are necessary to overcome glucose inhibition. Glucose not only inhibits stimulation of hexose mono phosphate (HMP) shunt by ascorbic acid but it also inhibits the transport of ascorbic acid to all cells of the body.

In light of the current obesity epidemic caused by dietary sugar excesses, clinicians should be reminded of the great importance of the under appreciated but long recognized inhibitory action of glucose against ascorbic acid. In summary, ascorbic acid is essential for effective immune system function and it can be a potent immune system stimulator when high glycemic dietary carbohydrates are restricted.