E. coli is one of 31 known pathogens that cause over nine million cases of food poisoning each year. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that foodborne illnesses cause over 1,300 deaths each year. Vitamin C is well documented as a preventive for urinary tract infections, another type of bacterial infection. Research has emerged that vitamin C may offer the same health benefits for treating bacterial infections such as E. coli. Because of the risks of complications, you should always consult your doctor if you are experiencing symptoms associated with E. coli.
What is E. coli?
E. coli, or Escherichia coli, is a bacteria that you may get from eating raw fruits and vegetables. You can also get it from contaminated water or undercooked ground beef. E. coli causes gastroenteritis, or inflammation of the stomach and intestines. Unlike other bacterial infection, it will not give you a fever. However, you will experience abdominal pain and severe diarrhea. The infection was run its course over about 5 to 10 days. Your greatest risk during your illness is dehydration, though other complications can occur in some individuals.
Vitamin C Benefits
Vitamin C may help treat E. coli and other bacterial infections by creating an inhospitable environment for bacteria to live. A 1997 study by the Karolinska Institute in Sweden found that infectious bacteria produced large amounts of nitrite. The nitrite combined with the acidity of urine killed E. coli bacteria. The effects were greater in the presence of vitamin C.
Vitamin C and Inflammation
Vitamin C can also provide other health benefits. A 2002 study by the University of Vienna in Austria found that vitamin C can help the body recover from the negative effects of inflammation. While inflammation is a normal body response, a bacterial infection such as E. coli can lead to chronic inflammation. The body's tissues become damaged, and normal healing does not occur. Several gastrointestinal diseases are associated with chronic inflammation, such as diverticulitis and inflammatory bowel disease. By helping your body recover from E. coli with vitamin C, you may be gaining other health benefits.
Guidelines for Use
While vitamin C can provide health benefits, it can also worsen your gastrointestinal symptoms, especially if taken in large doses. The upper tolerated level for vitamin C is 2,000 mg a day. Exceeding this limit can cause abdominal cramping and diarrhea, not unlike what you may be experiencing already from an E. coli infection. In addition, large doses of vitamin C can impair your body's ability to absorb other essential nutrients, such as copper and selenium. High levels of vitamin C may also cause you to absorb too much iron. Your doctor can advise you best when it comes to using vitamin C as part of your treatment for E. coli.
References
- "Emerging Infectious Diseases"; Foodborne Illness Acquired in the United States---Unspecified Agents; E. Scallan, et al.; January 2011
- University of Maryland Medical Center; Urological Disorders; February 2008
- Food Safety: E. Coli
- "Urology"; Urinary Nitrite: More Than a Marker of Infection; J. Lundberg, et al.; August 1997
- "Circulation"; High Doses of Vitamin C Reverse Escherichia coli Endotoxin--Induced Hyporeactivity to Acetylcholine in the Human Forearm; J. Pleiner, et al.; August 2002
- Linus Pauling Institute; Inflammation; Victoria J. Drake; August 2010
