Baby Names: Vitamin C Plays Important Role in Brain Function

This discovery is exciting and important to the DS community for several reasons — one, it reinforces how important common vitamins are, which supports the use of TNI (Targeted Nutrition Intervention) — two, it reminds us of the connection between eye dysfunction and brain dysfunction so we will recognize & treat it as a symptom of a brain disorder in the central nervous system and not just a sensory issue — three, it reminds us that brain receptors and cells can be protected from premature breakdown by antioxidants such as vitamin C and — four it offers us an additional way to treat GABA overexpression, which is a major problem with individuals with T21 (presently addressed with Ginkgo Biloba). My notes are in italics.

OHSU scientists discover new role for vitamin C in the eye — and the brain

07/14/11 Portland, OR

In a surprising finding, vitamin C is found to prolong proper function of retinal cells.

Nerve cells in the eye require vitamin C in order to function properly — a surprising discovery that may mean vitamin C is required elsewhere in the brain for its proper functioning, according to a study by scientists at Oregon Health & Science University recently published in the Journal of Neuroscience.

“We found that cells in the retina need to be 'bathed' in relatively high doses of vitamin C, inside and out, to function properly,” said Henrique von Gersdorff, Ph.D., a senior scientist at OHSU's Vollum Institute and a co-author of the study. “Because the retina is part of the central nervous system, this suggests there's likely an important role for vitamin C throughout our brains, to a degree we had not realized before.”

The brain has special receptors, called GABA-type receptors, that help modulate the rapid communication between cells in the brain. GABA receptors in the brain act as an inhibitory “brake” on excitatory neurons in the brain. (These receptors do not work properly in people with Down syndrome.) The OHSU researchers found that these GABA-type receptors in the retinal cells stopped functioning properly when vitamin C was removed.

Because retinal cells are a kind of very accessible brain cell, it’s likely that GABA receptors elsewhere in the brain also require vitamin C to function properly, von Gersdorff said. And because vitamin C is a major natural antioxidant, it may be that it essentially ‘preserves’ the receptors and cells from premature breakdown, von Gersdorff said. (Premature breakdown of brain cells and receptors is also a concern for individuals with DS.)

The function of vitamin C in the brain is not well understood. In fact, when the human body is deprived of vitamin C, the vitamin stays in the brain longer than anyplace else in the body. “Perhaps the brain is the last place you want to lose vitamin C,” von Gersdorff said. The findings also may offer a clue as to why scurvy — which results from a severe lack of vitamin C — acts the way it does, von Gersdorff said. One of the common symptoms of scurvy is depression, and that may come from the lack of vitamin C in the brain. (Also interesting because Prozac, used to treat cognitive problems in DS, heals depression while regenerating neurons. If vitamin C relieves depression then it makes you wonder if it may effect neurogenesis as well.)

The findings could have implications for other diseases, like glaucoma and epilepsy. (In DS, the prevalence of patients with glaucoma was 11.5%, significantly higher [P = 0.014] than that in the Non-DS control group, 1.1%.) Both conditions are caused by the dysfunction of nerve cells in the retina and brain that become over excited in part because GABA receptors may not be functioning properly. (Jett had nystagmus which is an eye flutter. His TCM said that she was concerned about the possibility of seizures because of the presence of the nystagmus. Her concerns make much more sense to me now.)

“For example, maybe a vitamin C-rich diet could be neuroprotective for the retina — for people who are especially prone to glaucoma,” von Gersdorff said. “This is speculative and there is much to learn. But this research provides some important insights and will lead to the generation of new hypotheses and potential treatment strategies.”

Scientists and students in von Gerdorff's lab in OHSU's Vollum Institute are dedicated to basic neuroscience research. The vitamin C research work was done using goldfish retinas, which have the same overall biological structure as human retinas.

The retina research work was done by Ph.D. student Evan Vickers, working as part of the von Gersdorff lab. The work was in collaboration with Cecilia Calero in the lab of Dr. Daniel J. Calvo from the University of Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Gustavo Cid and Luis Aguayo from the University of Concepcion, Chile.

The work was funded by the Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnicas (Argentina), the Pew Foundation, the International Brain Research Organization and the National Eye Institute of the National Institutes of Health.

The study was published online in the June 29 issue of the Journal of Neuroscience, which is the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience.

About the Vollum Institute

The Vollum Institute is dedicated to basic research focusing on gene regulation, structural biology, cell signaling, molecular neuroscience and synaptic modulation with implications for human diseases ranging from autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders to Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, psychiatric diseases and mechanisms of drug addiction.

Dosage

How much vitamin C should our loved ones get and in what form?

Too much vitamin C may cause deficiencies in other areas and people with T21 have different make up than a typical person. So use with caution. You will need to observe your child and go very slowly, especially if using the powerful Liposomal Vitamin C mentioned below. Using muscle testing might be an easy and effective way to find out how your child may be effected by using larger doses of vitamin C.

A recommended dose of vitamin C is 250-2000 mg (not the US government's recommendation) for adults. So, 150 lbs = 250-2000 mg; 75 lbs = 125-1000 mg; 37 lbs = 62-500 mg; 19 lbs = 31-250 mg; 9 lbs = 15-125 mg etc.

For Jett, I'm going with the Nature's Way Alive Vitamin C to see how it works for him. Later, when he's much bigger, I may try the liposomal vitamin C, to maximize my dollar. It's very strong stuff, so if you use it, use very little and slowly work your way up to the maximum dose.

Nature's Way Alive Vitamin C is easily absorbed, gentle on the stomach, non-GMO and free of common food allergens. No synthesizing. No culturing. No added ascorbic acid. Just pure vitamin C complex from four 100% organic fruit sources: acerola, goji, amla (amalaki) and kiwi. You can get it in vegetarian capsules or in powder form. Since Jett's weighs 17lbs, I'm getting the capsule form since it's easier to dose until he's able to tolerate a 1/4 tsp or 1/2 tsp. One capsule is 125 mg, so I'm going to give him a fourth of a capsule a day and see how that goes for a week. Then I will increase it to 1/2 a capsule for a week, etc. until I get to two full capsules a day which equals 250mg. He does have a bit of a lazy eye, so I'm hoping this will help.

Lypo Spheric Liposomal Vitamin C provides maximum assimilation and bio-availability because there are no binders. fillers, gelatins, capsule materials, dyes, sweeteners or flavorings common with tablet and capsule supplements. Plus, if you take more than 2 to 3 grams of traditional Vitamin C, the ascorbic acid in the intestines can cause gastric distress -- gas, cramps, and diarrhea. Often Vitamin C will be eliminated via your very loose stool. By using this brand, you can avoid the degradation and discomfort associated with traditional forms of Vitamin C and protect your lower G.I. Tract - hence, no gastric upset, no diarrheal flushing effect. Lastly, the liposomes quickly journey to the bloodstream and are circulated throughout the body and "grabbed" by the damaged cells that need it.

http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=lypo+spheric+vitamin+c&tag=googhydr-20&index=aps&hvadid=6340275787&ref=pd_sl_79vyvtto3p_b

For really young ones, you may want to try http://www.vitacost.com/Hylands-Vitamin-C-Tablets.

Vitamin C Overdose

As it is a water soluble vitamin, there isn't a high level of risks associated with its overdose. The excess amount that the body does not needs gets excreted out through urine and hence does not cause much of a problem. However, it does not mean that one can keep on having foods or supplements that are rich sources of this particular nutrient in excess if overdose symptoms appear.

Someone who has taken too much vitamin c may start to show signs that confirm their vitamin c overdose. Minor symptoms include a strong smell during urination, bloating or gas, nausea and an upset stomach. One might also experience sores on the inside of their mouth. Diarrhea could also occur, but it’s harder to use this as a symptom of vitamin overdose as diarrhea can be caused by so many other foods or issues. It was once believed to cause kidney stones, but experts now say there is no solid evidence of dangerous side effects from vitamin C.

In a more severe case of overdose one might notice the following symptoms: a greater need for oxygen, and deficiencies in B vitamins as well as copper. These symptoms usually only show up in more severe cases in which at least 6,000mg of vitamin c has been consumed, or when someone takes a large amount of vitamin c and other vitamins or minerals. If you have any of these symptoms and believe that the cause may be a severe overconsumption of vitamin c, speak to your doctor about ways to safely reduce your vitamin c intake, as well as how to treat your existing symptoms.