Vitamin C in Sepsis - No Longer a Benign Intervention?

Abstract

Scientists and laypeople have been captivated by the potential role of vitamin C in the treatment of infection since the publication of Linus Pauling's famed book, <i>Vitamin C and the Common Cold</i> in 1970.¹ In a contemporaneous article, Pauling described the methodology he used to pool the results of four double-blind controlled trials to conclude that ascorbic acid prevented upper respiratory infections.² Although these publications led to widespread use of vitamin C by the public, they were considered highly controversial by the scientific community and sparked debate over the veracity of Pauling's findings and the rigor of his meta-analysis methodology.