Vitamin C is used by the immune system to destroy viruses and bacteria. Vitamin C prevents the production of nitrosamines, a known carcinogen in the intestines. A study in Scotland showed that a group of terminal cancer patients taking vitamin C lived an average of 300 days longer than those not taking vitamin C. Arthritis is a complex disease which is a degeneration of several tissues that make a joint. Dr. Rinehart reported in 1938 Archives of Internal Medicine that rheumatoid arthritis patients had low vitamin C levels. Dr. Kaufman12 used niacinamide in the 1940s to help his patients with swollen arthritic joints.
Many people find copper helpful for their arthritis.
We know that calcium, magnesium and vitamin D are required for healthy bones. Yes, adequate nutrition could save governments and industry millions by preventing arthritis. You have seen that what patients eat has much to do with their health and with their recovery from ill health. Primary or secondary nutritional disorders produce or complicate all the problems of the sick. I have stressed that we should be concerned with the prevention and with the earlier stages of disease when the disturbances are almost imperceptible and that we should not wait until these disturbances bring tremendous burdens and stark tragedies.