In the time of the Coronavirus, people want to do all they can to protect themselves.

A simple but effective strategy? Taking vitamin C. Here are four insights to know about using vitamin C to stay healthy.

With coronavirus cases increasing by the day, everyone is focused on prevention, from washing hands, wiping down groceries when returning from the store, and staying indoors while practicing social distancing. Consider adding vitamin C therapy as a preventative measure. Whether you are showing symptoms of a viral infection or just want to protect yourself, taking vitamin C should be high on the list of things to do. This is a simple way to keep your immune system operating at its best. In the meantime, here are some things to know about using vitamin C to treat or prevent COVID-19.

Vitamin C has long been used to aid in viruses and respiratory problems. Frederick R. Klenner, a pioneer in vitamin C research for infections, used high doses of vitamin C for many problems such as measles, mumps, shingles, mononucleosis, arthritis, and various other infections. Klenner felt he could cure just about any infection with massive doses of intravenous vitamin C. At one point during the height of the polio epidemic in the late 1940s, Klenner cured 60 out of the 60 polio cases that he treated. All fully recovered with no post-viral sequelae.

Vitamin C is already being used to treat some coronavirus patients, but the dosage needs to be increased. Viral pneumonia is one of the most serious problems associated with the coronavirus. Using intravenous vitamin C, Klenner would quickly cure these types of cases. China is now doing a study to test the effect of intravenous vitamin C on patients who are afflicted. However, they probably will not see a beneficial outcome. Klenner warned that practitioners did not get his results because they did not use high enough dosages. For a severe case, Klenner would use approximately 350 milligrams every four hours. This dose would be about 25 grams for a 150-pound person. In the current study conducted in China, they are using 12 grams twice a day for seven days. In contrast, Klenner would continue to use his high dosage until the patient was better and then slowly reduce the amount over time to prevent relapse.

You can help protect yourself by taking vitamin C orally. My recommendation is to start with two to three grams, three to four times per day, and to titrate up or down as needed. The usual oral form of vitamin C is sodium ascorbate taken as a pill or powder. Even better are the newer liposomal forms of vitamin C that allow for a higher rate of absorption. Keep in mind that taking a lot of oral vitamin C can cause loose stools. The best way to determine the proper oral dose of vitamin C is to take enough to cause loose stools and then titrate down on the amount of the dosage until you have normal stools. One thing you will notice is that when your immune system is challenged, you will be able to go to a much higher oral dose of vitamin C before bowel tolerance is reached.

Intravenous vitamin C might be the best option to power up the immune system. IV-therapy bypasses the digestive process and delivers 100% of the vitamin C to cells. Once the IV infusion begins, the vitamin C and other nutrients are instantly circulated into the bloodstream and then readily absorbed by cells.

You should do everything in your power to protect yourself and your family from Coronavirus. Vitamin C therapy can be another useful tool in your prevention or treatment toolbox.