The Vitamin C Flush: What it is and How to do it
What is a Vitamin C flush?
A Vitamin C flush is a safe and effective method to alleviate constipation and determine your personal daily needs of Vitamin C for optimal health. To perform a Vitamin C flush, you'll need to consume buffered Vitamin C in increments over a few hours and record the total amount. When your body's Vitamin C receptors reach saturation, you'll experience a characteristic flushing of the bowels with watery, loose stools. This flush helps identify your ideal daily Vitamin C dosage and can be used to adjust your dosing requirements over time.
How does a Vitamin C flush work?
A vitamin C flush delivers very high doses of vitamin C in order to achieve tissue saturation – and in the process, supports the immune system and rapid healing. A vitamin C flush can be done at times when you are feeling run down, overly tired, chronically ill, recovering from an illness or surgery, or simply when your immune system needs a boost.
High doses of vitamin C have also demonstrated a natural laxative effect. The process of taking elevated doses of vitamin C over several hours stimulates the gastrointestinal tract, leading to a flushing effect and waterfall-like bowel movements. This method is effective in eliminating accumulated fecal matter, and many clients report feeling “cleaner” the following day. You need to start this on an empty stomach, ideally in the morning and away from medications (wait at least 2 hours after you took medications or take them after you’ve completed the flush if they are not time-dependent).
Why is Vitamin C Important?
Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, is vital for human health. Unlike many animals, humans can't produce Vitamin C internally and must obtain it from their diet, primarily through fruits and vegetables like plums, bell peppers, kale, oranges, and lemons. Vitamin C plays key roles in detoxification, neurotransmitter synthesis, tissue repair, and immune function.
What’s the Right Amount of Vitamin C?
The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for Vitamin C is 75 mg for women and 90 mg for men. While these amounts are sufficient to prevent scurvy or severe Vitamin C deficiency, the recommended allowance does not represent the amount necessary for optimal health. The Vitamin C flush is a useful tool to identify your unique needs and tolerance.
Since Vitamin C is water-soluble and not stored in the body for long (usually up to 4 hours only), it needs to be replenished daily. Various factors, including stress, lifestyle, and health conditions, can compromise Vitamin C levels. The Vitamin C flush helps identify individual tolerances. A reminder that when doing a Vitamin C flush, we go way over the RDA, and that is needed to get the laxative “flush effect”, which is exactly what we want.
Disclaimer: given that the doses of vitamin C required greatly exceed typical recommendations, it is advisable to consult with a healthcare professional before embarking on a vitamin C flush.
HOW TO PERFORM A VITAMIN C BOWEL FLUSH
Choose the right Vitamin C: Use a powdered, buffered Ascorbic Acid Vitamin C product. I recommend either Thorne Buffered C Powder or the Life Extension Buffered Vitamin C Powder.
Pick the right time: Choose a day when you have no commitments and can stay at home, as the flush can lead to sudden releases of loose stool. Start first thing in the morning, before eating.
Start on an empty stomach: Dissolve 2,000 mg (2g) of powdered Vitamin C in a glass of water. Record the time and amount.
Incremental dosing: Every 15-20 minutes, take another 2,000 mg (2g) and record it until you experience loose stool evacuation. Since everyone has different Vitamin C requirements, the time to reach evacuation will vary from person to person. Most people achieve a flush within 2 to 3 hours, and need between 10 to 30 grams of Ascorbic acid. If after four doses there is no gurgling or rumbling in the gut, you can double the initial dosage and continue every 15-20 minutes in order to reach saturation quicker. Take note of every dose you ingest.
Calculate your daily requirement: Once saturated and the flush has been achieved, calculate 75% of the total Vitamin C ingested during the flush. This gives you your current optimal daily dose. For example, if you needed 20 grams to reach saturation, your optimal daily requirement would be around 15 grams. You can divide this in multiple doses during the day. You will most likely need to adjust your dosage over time.
If you feel a bit bloated or unwell after a flush, you can take a binder such as activated charcoal.
A note about the optimal dosage
As your health improves, your body will require less Vitamin C. If you notice mild symptoms like abdominal cramping or loose stool, reduce the daily dose slightly or consider doing another flush in the near future to assess your new requirements.
How Often Can You Do the Vitamin C Flush?
You can do the flush as often as once per week (no more) if you are very sick. For most people, a flush once per month or every few months is enough. You can also do a flush if you get sick with a cold or virus. It is best done at the very first sign of a cold).
Vitamin C is generally safe, with mild side effects like stomach cramping and loose stools. It has been used for cancer patients at high doses, even intravenously, with minimal side effects. However, individuals with certain conditions should use Vitamin C cautiously, such as those with kidney disease, G6PD enzyme deficiency, or hemochromatosis (iron build up).
A Vitamin C bowel flush is a simple, cost-effective, and safe tool to understand and optimise your health. If you want more information or personalised guidance, feel free to reach out to me.