By Elton Baker, PhD

In 1967, I was diagnosed with glaucoma—a chronic, progressive eye disease marked by damage to the optic nerve. “The tension in your eyes is very high,” explained the ophthalmologist after my exam. “We’ll have to operate. We don’t want to risk detached retina.” 

After a brief pause, I thanked the ophthalmologist for his recommendation but explained I needed to think it over. I had recalled that my wife, Elizabeth, once read that high dose intake of vitamin C may offer relief from glaucoma. 

When I arrived home, Elizabeth found a booklet by Frederick R Klenner, MD, which outlined patient case studies and medical data linking megadose vitamin C with reduced incidence of glaucoma. Klenner reported on two ophthalmologists at the University of Rome that effectively relieved intraocular pressure with vitamin C. 

The suggested therapeutic dose was 500 milligrams of vitamin C powder (fine crystals) per kilogram of body weight per day. In my case, that translated to 38 grams of vitamin C each day administered in equal doses over a 24-hour period.

The Glaucoma Vitamin C Protocol

As chairman of my physics department, I worked long hours so with the help of Elizabeth, I prepped 38 grams of ascorbic acid every morning for the day. 

I took two grams (1/2 teaspoon) about every hour through the day and evening, and three grams before bed. When the alarm went off at 2:00 AM, I took four grams. First thing upon arising, I took the remaining vitamin C crystals. By the time I showered, dressed, and ate breakfast, it was time to start the 38-gram doses of vitamin C for that day.

Elizabeth and I decided, after a few days of studying the efficacy of vitamin C, that I didn’t need to continue taking the eye drops to relieve the tension. I did not use artificial tears either. Within two weeks, my eyes felt better. Occasionally, after an especially long day, I felt a bit of an ache or burning, but that ceased altogether eventually. 

Around the same time, Elizabeth and I started learning more about nutrition and the role of nutrient-dense foods in overall health. We cut down on both sugar and canned, processed foods. We increased our daily servings of whole grains, fruits, and vegetables, and enjoyed red meat on occasion

Follow-Up Exam

I went to see the ophthalmologist again after seven months of the vitamin C regimen. I felt good. During the eye exam the doctor didn’t say a word. He asked me to go to another exam room where he looked at my eyes again and seemed rather puzzled. He excused himself and soon returned with colleagues in tow. 

Several doctors examined my eyes with all their measuring tools. Finally, they spoke quietly together, and then my doctor observed, “For some reason, you do not have glaucoma.” He hesitated then, and I studied his puzzled expression, wondering why he was confused.

Then, incredibly, he said, “But we should go ahead and operate!”

I replied that I wanted to go home and think it over. I thanked him and the other two and left the clinic. I never went back. Elizabeth did return, however, to retrieve all my records of before and after the vitamin C therapy.

The Power of Vitamin C

What still amazes me is the miraculous power of vitamin C. Besides glaucoma, I also suffered from asthma, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, varicose veins, a damaged liver, and poor digestive health. However, there was improvement in all those other areas as well. A few years after starting the vitamin C regimen, I began Elizabeth’s all-natural diet of raw foods and overcame those conditions entirely.

Through the years, my eyes have continued to improve, as evidenced by decreased lens prescriptions every three to four years. Each time I have an eye exam, the doctor comments on the healthy tissue in my eyes.

I am grateful for the natural therapies that help our bodies heal themselves. Vitamin C is needed in abundance to support eyesight. In fact, eyes are one of the organs that need to store some vitamin C because unmanaged stresses are reflected in the eye tissues. It’s subtle, but noticeable, and vitamin C helps protect the entire body from the harmful effects of stress.

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Well Being Journal first published the above story in V 4, No 4, July/August 1995 after an interview with Elizabeth Baker about her husband’s experience.