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From: hnewstrom@x102c.harris-atd.com (Harvey Newstrom)
Newsgroups: sci.bio
Subject: vitamin C in monkeys
Keywords: vitamin C, ascorbic acid, monkeys
Message-ID: <3172@trantor.harris-atd.com>
Date: 6 Feb 90 19:33:32 GMT
Sender: news@trantor.harris-atd.com
Reply-To: hnewstrom@x102c.harris-atd.com (Harvey Newstrom)
Organization: Harris Electronic_Systems Telecommunications Network_Engineering
Lines: 24

I came across the following information about the requirements for vitamin C
in monkeys.  It is from the Committee on Animal Nutrition about the 
Nutrient Requirements of Laboratory Animals. [1]

It seems that monkeys produce 70mg of vitamin C per every kilogram of body
weight.  In addition, it is recommended that monkeys be given an additional
55mg of vitamin C per every kilogram of body weight to meet their minimum
needs.  It also states that in times of stress the requirements of monkeys
for vitamin C may double or even triple.

This is a total of 125mg of vitamin C per kilogram of body weight per day!
For a 150 pound human, this is about 9 *grams* of vitamin C per day.  If in
periods of stress this requirement doubles or triples, that would be 18 grams
or 27 grams of vitamin C per day!

At the risk of hearing about more conspiracy theories, does anyone know if
there is a reason that non-human primates are recommended such high dosages
compared to humans?

[1] Committee on Animal Nutrition.  _Nutrient Requirements for Laboratory
    Animals_  (Pub.No. 990, National Academy of Science).
__
Harvey Newstrom   (hnewstrom@x102a.harris-atd.com)   (uunet!x102a!hnewstrom)
     soon to be   (hnewstrom@x102c.ess.harris.com)   (uunet!x102c!hnewstrom)