The purpose of this article is to understand what happens during frequent stress over long time periods and how it can be dealt with.

Instead of vitamin C going into the usual metabolic pathways required for smooth bodily functioning, during stress, the body takes away some of this vitamin in order to cope. So, frequent long-term stress leading to vitamin C deficient supplies to the body’s normal metabolic pathways can eventually result in a range of illnesses.

This long-term stress leading to vitamin C deficiency and illness could be due to physical and mental factors:

Experiencing situations of coldness stress whereby the body is frequently at low temperature due to cold weather or inadequate heating… The body’s internal thermostatic mechanisms (homeostasis) needed to bring the body up to normal temperature requires vitamin C. In this way, an inability to give an adequate supply of vitamin C for the body’s biochemical demands may result in a bad immune system leading to colds and flu.

Also, a stress hernia in the back can be brought on through long-term heavy weight lifting. Back stress pains brought on by constant heavy lifting is caused by the jelly-like spongy matter between disc vertebrae to wear right down. This is exacerbated by a lack of vitamin C required for the making of this material as a replacement is needed.

Mentally stressful situations involve switching on the sympathetic nervous system (a division of the parasympathetic involuntary nervous system) in order to cope. The sympathetic nervous system switches on to deal with situations that require action, hence the term ‘fight or flight’ response. The body engages: a faster heart rate, increased blood circulation to supply vital organs quicker, elevated blood pressure and breathing rates… etc. just like the requirements needed for an animal under the pursuit of its predator… but the individual in this situation is not moving anywhere; This stress, brought on my psychological interpretation, once again requires vitamin C: Long-term deficiency of vitamin C can then lead to strokes and heart disease.

So, whether it’s for treating colds and flu, or backbone, or mental stress, or a whole range of other related illnesses the answer lies in increasing levels of vitamin C as an essential remedy. Don’t be deceived, some poorly set up experiments have been conducted to show that the vitamin C solution doesn’t work. That’s because the levels of vitamin C have not been high enough. As Nobel prise winning scientist Linus Pauling said “Physicians, when treating patients with vitamins don’t always remember how important dosage is for effective cure…”

For suggested dosages I suggest that you look up the excellent websites out there dedicated to the wonders of vitamin C and its role in the prevention of stress,