Vitamin C in the Prophylaxis and Therapy of Infectious Diseases

SUMMARY

Statistical data are presented to show the marked decline in incidence and casefatality
of many infectious diseases within the past century. The uniformity of this
decline suggests the operation of some major over-all factor improving natural
resistance, compared with which our artificial control measures have played a minor
or supplemental role. The existence of such a factor has been recognized by
epidemiologists, but not yet identified.
The author advances the hypothesis that some major change in the trend of
nutrition offers the most likely explanation, and singles out the greatly increased
consumption of citrus and other fruits rich in vitamin C as the possible unidentified
factor.
The physiological action of vitamin C is discussed in relation to its anti-infection
role, and clinical evidence is cited from the literature relative to the prophylactic
and therapeutic use of this vitamin in infectious diseases, in addition to the author’s
personal experience in this respect.