The vitamin C treatment of allergy and the normally unprimed state of antibodies

Med Hypotheses. 1986 Nov;21(3):307-21. doi: 10.1016/0306-9877(86)90025-3.

Abstract

I previously described that bowel tolerance (the amount that almost causes diarrhea) to oral ascorbic acid, increases in a person somewhat proportionally to the "toxicity" of his disease. Ascorbic acid ameliorates symptoms and sometimes cures certain diseases at high threshold levels near bowel tolerance. High concentrations of ascorbate cause the redox potential of the redox couple (ascorbate/dehydroascorbate, AA/DHA) to become reducing in diseased tissues. Allergic and sensitivity reactions are frequently ameliorated and sometimes completely blocked by massive doses of ascorbate. I now hypothesize that one mechanism in blocking of allergic symptoms is the reducing of the disulfide bonds between the chains in antibody molecules making their bonding antigen impossible. I further hypothesize that antibodies seek to match antigens only in areas where stray free radicals or a relatively oxidizing redox potential exists. The redox state of normal, healthy tissue does not allow for the bonding of antibodies to antigen. When antioxidant, free radical scavenging systems are overwhelmed, inflammatory, hypersensitivity, and "autoimmune" conditions may result.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antigen-Antibody Reactions / drug effects*
  • Ascorbic Acid / pharmacology
  • Ascorbic Acid / therapeutic use*
  • Autoimmune Diseases / etiology
  • B-Lymphocytes / immunology
  • Biological Evolution
  • Disulfides / metabolism
  • Drug Hypersensitivity / drug therapy
  • Food Hypersensitivity / drug therapy
  • Histamine H1 Antagonists / pharmacology
  • Humans
  • Hypersensitivity / drug therapy*
  • Oxidation-Reduction
  • Pneumonia, Pneumocystis / drug therapy
  • Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / analysis

Substances

  • Disulfides
  • Histamine H1 Antagonists
  • Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell
  • Ascorbic Acid