Linus Pauling — "I have been interested in vitamins for a long time, and I have taken large doses…"
I have been interested in vitamins for a long time, and I have taken large doses of vitamin C for many years.
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More from Linus Pauling
"I believe that science and ethics are inextricably linked, and that we have a responsibility to use our knowledge wisely."
"I have always been a curious person, and I believe that curiosity is the key to discovery."
"Well, I thought, that's nice of the old guy to say that, but I'm a little skeptical myself. And as the years went by, I thought, I don't do the sort of work for which Nobel Prizes are given."
"I have always been a non-conformist."
"I am not afraid to be wrong, because I know that I can learn from my mistakes."
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Understanding this quote
What it means
A personal declaration of sustained commitment to high-dose vitamin supplementation as a deliberate health practice. The speaker asserts that taking vitamins—specifically large amounts of vitamin C—has been a long-term, intentional habit rather than a passing interest. It reflects the conviction that standard recommended doses are insufficient and that megadose supplementation offers health benefits beyond what conventional medical guidance typically acknowledges.
Relevance to Linus Pauling
Pauling won Nobel Prizes in both Chemistry (1954) and Peace (1962), making him the only person to receive two unshared Nobel Prizes. In his later decades he became the world's most prominent advocate for megadose vitamin C therapy, authoring the 1970 bestseller Vitamin C and the Common Cold. He reportedly consumed up to 18 grams daily and championed orthomolecular medicine—the principle that optimal health requires optimal molecular concentrations—a stance central to his final decades despite medical controversy.
The era
During Pauling's active advocacy years spanning the 1960s through 1990s, public trust in pharmaceutical medicine was fracturing. The counterculture fueled skepticism of drug companies and renewed interest in natural remedies. Nutrition science was simultaneously expanding, with vitamins newly recognized as essential micronutrients. Cold War preoccupation with longevity and disease prevention amplified interest in supplementation. Pauling's extraordinary scientific prestige lent unusual credibility to megadose theories that mainstream medicine regarded with deep skepticism.
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