Can I Take Vitamins If I Am Taking Antibiotics
When you’re taking antibiotics, be mindful of the fact that your supplements may not play well with your antibiotic. Take a close look at your medications and your supplement list to determine whether you should continue taking vitamins and minerals while taking the antibiotic.
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Antibiotics and vitamins do not always work well together. Once you start taking an antibiotic, you may need to stop taking one or more of your supplements or alter the times you take them. Check with your doctor for detailed instructions.
The Use Of Vitamin C As An Antibiotic
From The Journal of Applied Nutrition, Volume 6, 1953, pp. 274-278
On the 11th of December 1621 Edward Winslow, 1 one of the Pilgrim Fathers, writing to a friend in England who was about to make the trip to the new world gave this advice:Bring juice of lemons and take it fasting. It is of good use. Three hundred and eleven years later, 1932, and also in December, Waugh and King 2 found that this important lemon juice contained a six carbon chain acid which is now known as vitamin C. Ascorbic acid is related to the hexuronic acids which in turn are derivatives of the simple sugars . The value of this vitamin as an essential factor for life is universally known and accepted. The importance of vitamin C as an antibiotic and as the pre-cursor of antibody formation lack scientific appreciation because of its simplicity, and because of the reluctance on the part of the medical profession to employ it in massive doses administered like other antibioticsaround the clock. Allergy has become a major problem since the advent of the mold-derived drugs. Hippocrates did declare that the highest duty of medicine to be to get the patient well. He further declared that, of several remedies physicians should choose the least sensational.
To support our findings that massive doses of vitamin C is a potent antibiotic several case histories follow:
SUMMARY
Paper presented at AAN Convention, May 1953, Pasadena, California.
References
The Results Of Ascorbic Acid/antimicrobial Combinations
The results of the combination studies are shown in Table 2. Synergy was detected in the five antimicrobialascorbic acid combinations tested.
Table 2. The results of ascorbic acid/antimicrobial combinations.
Piperacillin and piperacillin/tazobactam MIC showed onefold decrease when combined with ascorbic acid . Ceftazidime MIC showed twofold reductions when combined with ascorbic acid . Ciprofloxacin and gentamicin MIC showed threefold decreases when combined with ascorbic acid .
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Effect Of Ascorbic Acid On Gene Expression
The results showed that the expression levels of all tested antimicrobial resistance genes and biofilm-associated gnes were down-regulated as shown in Figure 3. We observed a 46.1- and 40.5-fold decrease in the expression of the blaSHV and blaTEM genes, respectively, under ascorbic acid-treated condition . Results also confirmed that there was a significant fold change decrease in transcription of biofilm-associated genes, lasR and pelA, respectively, compared to untreated culture, thus confirming the anti-biofilm effect of ascorbic acid.
Figure 3. Effect of ascorbic acid on gene expression .
What About Other Common Vitamins
You already know the benefits of taking antibiotics with vitamin C, but what about other vitamins?
Vitamin B12
For those unfamiliar with it, vitamin B12 helps your body convert food into fuel. It also helps you grow nails and hair that are healthy and maintain the neurological system. While vitamin C reacts well with antibiotics, the opposite is true for B12. The University of Maryland Medical Center cautions against taking vitamin B12 when on a tetracycline-based antibiotic. That is because the vitamin limits the antibiotics ability to kill the infections source. You should also avoid other B-complex vitamins due to similar effects. If you are on B supplements and prescribed a tetracycline-based antibiotic, ask your doctor if you should temporarily stop taking the vitamin.
Vitamin K
Vitamin D
Vitamin D can be found in certain fortified foods, including milk and cereal, and it helps your body maintain the ideal levels of phosphorus and calcium. It also manages the immune system. When used with antibiotics, vitamin D can increase their efficacy. Combining vitamin C and vitamin D with niacin and antibiotics can help treat bacterial infections, but you should consult your doctor before combining these substances.
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Vitamin C Or Cranberry For Uti
While cranberries contain vitamin C, this isnt believed to be the reason why they prevent UTIs. No one knows the exact mechanism of action of cranberry juice in the prevention of UTIs but it is believed to interfere with the adherence of bacteria to the inner lining of the bladder. Early studies didnt standardize the number of protective proanthocyanidins in the cranberry supplements. Its the PACs that appear to exert the greatest effect on UTIs.
Recently, new, more concentrated supplements have been appearing on the market that have achieved better results in preventing UTIs than cranberry juice or your regular cranberry pills.
A review study on cranberry juice in 2008 concluded that cranberry juice did reduce the incidence of recurrent UTIs however, more recent reviews have shown no significant reduction in symptomatic, recurrent UTIs. While the protective effect of cranberry juice is equivocal, it doesnt cause antibiotic resistances like low-dose antibiotics do and may work to prevent UTIs to a limited degree.
Is There A High Dose Of Vitamin C In Ivc
Chris Woollams of CANCERactive speaks with Dr Julian Kenyon of the UK’s Dove Clinic in Winchester, Hampshire, on the practical challenges of high dosage vitamin C via intravenous vitamin C, or IVC. C.W. : Is intravenous vitamin C truly a “alternative” to standard chemotherapy? J.R.K.: It is an alternative therapy for selected patients with cancer. It has been used in clinical trials as part-replacement therapy for some conventional chemotherapies, with promising results. The main advantage of IVC over other replacement therapies is its direct effect on the cancer cells. Other vitamins and minerals can also replace parts of some conventional treatments without requiring a patient to have a transplantation. However many cancers are resistant to such therapies and so they would be used in combination with other treatments.
High-dose vitamin C may cause kidney stones if you’re prone to them. Some studies suggest it could increase the risk of bleeding when used with blood thinners like warfarin . And finally, high doses of vitamin C have been known to cause diarrhea.
The best way to get adequate amounts of vitamin C is through your diet. Although scientists don’t know exactly how much you need, research suggests that adults should get at least 90 mg per day. You can get this amount from eating several servings of vegetables and fruits each day. Also try not to avoid vitamin C because it’s considered a fat-free food.
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Can I Take Vitamin C For Uti
Ascorbic acid is often recommended as a supplement that can prevent recurrent urinary tract infections by acidification of the urine. However, there is no strong clinical evidence to support this claim.
The good news is that vitamin C is a valuable supplement that has all kinds of benefits, per Healthline.com: boosting antioxidant levels, reducing blood pressure, reducing heart disease risk, protecting against gout attacks, improving iron absorption, boosting immunity and reducing dementia risk.
At the same time, only a couple of clinical research studies have been done on the protective effects of vitamin C against recurrent UTIs and have arrived at contradicting conclusions.
For example, one study looked at the ability of vitamin C to acidify urine, which could theoretically protect against UTIs. Patients received 500 mg of ascorbic acid four times daily versus a control group that took placebo pills. However, urine pH didnt decrease with vitamin C supplementation, nor didthe rate of UTIs go down. Therefore, even at such high doses, vitamin C failed to acidify patients urine or prevent recurring UTIs.
Effect Of Ascorbic Acid On Biofilm Production
The effect of ascorbic acid on the biofilm-producing isolates of P. aeruginosa was assessed by the microtiter plate method according to the instructions by Samet et al., 2013. Initially, 190 l of bacterial suspension equivalent to 0.5 McFarland in Luria Bertani broth was inoculated in 96 microtiter plates. Sub-MIC of ascorbic acid was added to each well, excluding the positive and negative control wells. Plates were incubated at 37°C for 24 h. After incubation, the content of the wells were gently removed. The wells were washed with phosphate-buffered saline solution to remove free-unattached bacteria. Biofilms formed by adherent bacteria were air- and heat-fixed at 60°C for 1 h, and then stained with crystal violet . Excess stain was rinsed off and the wells were washed with water. Ethanol 95% was added to the wells, and after 15 min, the optical densities of the stained bacteria were determined with an ELISA reader at 590 nm. These OD values were considered an index of bacteria-forming biofilms. Experiments were performed in triplicate, and the data were then averaged.
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Mixing Vitamin C With Antibiotics Is Surprisingly Effective At Killing Off Cancer Stem Cells
Scientists have developed an unusual new way to fight cancer stem cells – combining antibiotics with vitamin C. Not only could the compound help treat tumours, it could also reduce the chance of the cancer returning.
Therapies mixing doxycycline and vitamin C were up to 100 times more effective at killing off CSCs in the lab when compared with another anti-cancer agent being tested, 2-Deoxy-D-glucose.
The new study actually builds on previous work by the same team from the University of Salford in the UK, which looked at how vitamin C could be used to kill off CSCs by stopping cell mitochondria from producing energy.
First the antibiotic stops the cancerous cells from switching between different types of energy source to stay alive, forcing them to rely solely on glucose. In technical terms, it makes the cells metabolically inflexible, and it’s enough to kill some cancer cells on its own.
It doesn’t take all of them though, and scientists think this is why certain tumours become drug-resistant – they switch to an alternative source of nutrients to keep growing in the body.
With that restriction in place, the vitamin C then comes in and acts as a “second punch”, removing the source of that glucose and effectively starving the CSCs to death.
“In this scenario, vitamin C behaves as an inhibitor of glycolysis, which fuels energy production in mitochondria, the ‘powerhouse’ of the cell,” says one of the team, Federica Sotgia.
New Therapy Almost 100 Times More Effective Than 2
The previous research from the team found that vitamin C alone was up to 10 times more effective for killing CSCs than 2-DG. However, adding Doxycycline to the therapy made it almost 100 times more effective.
What is more, the researchers identified a further eight compounds that could be administered after Doxycycline to deliver the second punch to CSCs.
This is further evidence that vitamin C and other non-toxic compounds may have a role to play in the fight against cancer, says Prof. Lisanti.
Our results indicate it is a promising agent for clinical trials, and as an add-on to more conventional therapies, to prevent tumor recurrence, further disease progression, and metastasis.
Prof. Michael Lisanti
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How Much Vitamin C Should You Take For Uti
If youve read anything in this article, youll already know the more important question is, Should I take vitamin C for UTI at all?
But say you are going to give it a shot maybe youve had testing that has identified nitrate-reducing bacteria, or maybe youve been advised to try it.
What do the studies tell us and what is a safe dosage of vitamin C?
First, lets take a look at how vitamin C the average person needs to stay healthy, then put it in the context of treatment.
What Should Be Noted When Using Vitamin C And Antibiotics
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What Do We Know About Vitamin C For Uti
For a start, we dont know enough. Thats because there is a clear lack of studies into whether vitamin C for UTI treatment or prevention is beneficial.
Those studies that do exist mostly test vitamin C against a microorganism in vitro, that is, on the lab bench, and not in females with symptoms.
The largest study in humans we have found involved 110 pregnant women. Needless to say, many more rigorous studies are required with both pregnant and non-pregnant females, to provide a clearer picture of vitamin Cs place as a potential UTI home remedy.
Antimicrobial Properties Of Vitamin C
As early as the 1930s, vitamin C has been known for its antimicrobial effects directed against Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the infectious agents of human tuberculosis . An in vivo study from 1933 revealed that administration of tuberculosis sputum to vitamin C-deficient guinea pigs led to intestinal tuberculosis, whereas the guinea pigs that had received vitamin C-containing tomato juice did not suffer from the disease . Initially it was hypothesized that the antimicrobial properties of vitamin C were due to its pH lowering effect . Another study, however, could prove potent antimicrobial effects of vitamin C directed against group A hemolytic streptococci, even in a nearly pH-neutral environment .
Notably, the co-administration of vitamin C could sufficiently enhance the antibacterial effects of other agents such as epigallocatechin gallate directed even against multidrug-resistant bacterial species such as MRSA , which also held true for vitamin C in combination with deferoxamine against Gram-positive cocci, such as S. aureus and S. epidermidis, as well as against Gram-negative bacilli, including E. coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Proteus mirabilis . Synergistic antibacterial effects could also be observed upon co-administration of vitamin C and quercetin , whereas the combination of vitamin C with natural extracts such as pomegranate rind extracts and white tea resulted in enhanced anti-S. aureus properties of the latter.
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A Second Punch To Kill Cscs
Earlier this year,Medical News Todayreported on another study from Prof. Lisanti and team, in which they revealed how vitamin C is able to effectively kill CSCs.
The new study builds on those findings, showing that the CSC-killing capabilities of vitamin C can be increased with the help of antibiotics.
To reach their results, the researchers administered Doxycycline an antibiotic used to treat acne, pneumonia, and other infections to CSCs in increasing doses over 3 months.
The team explains that the antibiotic induces metabolic flexibility, meaning that it inhibits the cells ability to switch fuel sources as a means of survival. As a result, the cells are left with just glucose as a source of energy.
However, by following up Doxycycline administration with doses of vitamin C, the researchers were also able to remove glucose from CSCs a second punch that effectively starves the cells to death.
In this scenario, vitamin C behaves as an inhibitor of glycolysis, which fuels energy production in mitochondria, the powerhouse of the cell, explains study co-author Dr. Federica Sotgia, also of the Biomedical Research Center at the University of Salford.
Determination Of Minimal Inhibitory Concentration Of Ascorbic Acid Or Antimicrobials Alone And In Combinations
The minimal inhibitory concentration of ascorbic acid or antibiotics alone and in combinations against all isolates was determined by micro-dilution method, according to the clinical and laboratory standard institute guidelines , 2019]. A stock solution of ascorbic acid was prepared by dissolving commercially purchased ascorbic acid in sterile distilled water . Stock solutions of the following antibiotics: piperacillin, piperacillin/tazobactam, ceftazidime, ciprofloxacin, and gentamicin were prepared by dissolving commercially purchased antibiotics in sterile distilled water . Müeller-Hinton broth was used as a basal medium. Serial dilutions of ascorbic acid or antibiotics alone and in combinations were prepared in 100 l volume of MHB in micro-titer plate wells. A quantity of 10 l of bacterial suspension of each isolate with 0.5 McFarland turbidity was then inoculated in the wells. Wells containing a basal medium with and without bacterial suspension, but free of antibiotic and ascorbic acid, and wells containing the antibiotic or ascorbic acid were included in each assay as growth control. The plates were incubated for 24 h at 37°C. The lowest concentration of antibiotics separately or combined with ascorbic acid, which prevented the growth, was regarded as the MIC. The MIC results were interpreted according to CLSI guidelines , 2019].
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What Does Raw Vitamin C Do
Vitamin C is a potent antioxidant that might help to boost your body’s natural defenses . Antioxidants are chemicals that help the immune system function properly. They accomplish this by shielding cells from potentially damaging chemicals known as free radicals. Vitamin C may also play a role in strengthening blood vessels and preventing platelet aggregation, two processes involved in clot formation.
Raw vitamin C supplements are extracted from fruits such as oranges, grapefruits, and tomatoes. The fruit is crushed or grated and then subjected to heat or acid to release the vitamin C. The vitamin C is purified using electrolysis or other methods and packaged for sale. Raw vitamin C supplements are not standardized so they may contain more or less vitamin C than recommended daily amounts .
Raw vitamin C has no odor or color and it is not absorbed in its native form. It must be converted into its active form by enzymes in the gut before entering the bloodstream. The human body can only use the vitamin C present in raw fruits or vegetables. Therefore, to achieve maximum benefits, people should take a supplement containing both raw and processed forms of the vitamin.
Raw vitamin C has many health benefits but there are some reasons why it may not be appropriate for everyone. If you are allergic to any fruit used to produce vitamin C supplements, then you should avoid them entirely.
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