Are You Healthier Than A Guinea Pig?

The US Recommended Dietary Allowance for vitamin C is higher for Guinea Pigs than it is for humans. You may be thinking, that can't be true, but read on. The US Department of Agriculture states:

"The Guinea pig's vitamin C requirement is 10-15 mg per day under normal conditions and 15-25 mg per day if pregnant, lactating, or growing."(1)

Doesn't sound shocking until you realize that an adult guinea pig weighs about 2.2 pounds. Guinea pigs therefore need between 10-25 milligrams of vitamin c per pound. The average human weighs 180 pounds however the US RDA for vitamin C is 90 mg for men, 75 mg for women, and if you smoke, they allow an additional 35 mg/day. All of these figures are inadequate if we measure up pound for pound with the guinea pig.

So how much vitamin C should we consume?

If we use the same logic the US Government uses on guinea pigs, our vitamin C intake should be between 820 mg and 2,000 mg. According to a recent article written by Andrew W. Saul, Ph.D., it is "no wonder that so many people are sick and no wonder their medical bills are so high." Dr. Saul concludes his article by saying, "If we are going to have health insurance coverage for everyone, wouldn't it be nice for the government to first offer us the same deal it gives to Guinea pigs?"

What do you think?

References

US Department of Agriculture Animal Care Resource Guide, Animal Care, 12.4.2 http://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_welfare