Concentrated Vitamin C Shown to Have Anti-Cancer Properties

Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, is an antioxidant compound that is found in many fruits and vegetables such as lemons, oranges, grapefruits and cabbages. It can also be taken as a dietary supplement, either alone or as part of a multivitamin complex.

According to researchers from the University of Iowa, the Vitamin C levels in the blood can rise up to 100 to 500 times when administered intravenously. This super-high concentration of Vitamin C in the blood is known to have the ability to fight cancer cells.

The effects of combining chemotherapy or radiotherapy with high doses of Vitamin C are currently being studied by cancer researchers in the US. They focused on the two of the most deadly cancer types, pancreatic and lung cancer, and the initial results look promising.

During a preliminary clinical trial, combining high-dose intravenous Vitamin C with chemotherapy or radiotherapy has shown positive results in patients with pancreatic cancer and lung cancer. Their general health has improved with great response to the treatment.

As Vitamin C breaks down to form hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), the scientists recognized that it can damage DNA and tissue.

Their study reveals that cancer cells can struggle to survive its effects because unlike normal cells, they have trouble getting rid of hydrogen peroxide, which explains how high levels of Vitamin C can attack cancer cells.

Based on the research, hydrogen peroxide is safe to healthy, non-cancerous cells. These cells contain catalase, an enzyme that allows them to maintain levels of hydrogen peroxide very low by removing it.

According to Professor Garry Buettner, professor of Radiation Oncology at the University of Iowa, the results of their study shows that cancers with low levels of cataclase are likely to responde to high dosage of Vitamin C therapy, while cancers with comparatively high levels of cataclase may be the least responsive, and they are hopeful that this kind of treatment can improve survival rates for cancer patients.