Thomas E. Levy

Vitamin C and cortisol are the two most important and most powerful naturally-occurring anti-inflammatory agents. The mechanisms of their synergistic action indicate they are literally designed by nature to interact together to optimize the antioxidant impact needed to resolve the disease-causing oxidation that always results from toxins, infections, and stress. As inflammation in a tissue is the direct result of the oxidation, metabolism, and depletion of vitamin C levels in that tissue, it is of primary concern to normalize cellular vitamin C levels as promptly and completely as possible. Quite literally, when intracellular vitamin C levels are normalized in an inflamed tissue, the inflammation is completely resolved, and the cells are once again in a non-diseased, normal state.

… As it turns out, cortisol significantly augments the uptake of vitamin C into cells (Fujita et al., 2001; Mikirova et al., 2019). More specifically, it appears to stimulate the production of the messenger RNA needed to increase the expression of the sodium-ascorbate co-transporters (SVCTs). This works to enhance cellular vitamin C uptake needed to maximize the protection of metabolically active cells against oxidative stress (Savini et al., 2008). This is very likely the primary function of cortisol in the body, as there is nothing more important for the resolution of tissue inflammation and the resulting tissue damage than normalizing elevated levels of intracellular oxidative stress as rapidly and completely as possible by normalizing intracellular levels of vitamin C. And when intracellular levels of vitamin C are normal, cellular glutathione levels needed to protect the cell are also optimized.